|
Our Christmas concert is usually the highlight of our year, and - although it may not have had quite the buzz of a full cathedral, this year turned out to be no exception. We missed our live audience, and the festive excitement of the normally full Cathedral, but it was still an immense joy and privilege to bring you our Christmas concert, via the Cathedral's livestream. It was a wonderful reminder that our Cathedral has stood through the ages, through famine, war and plague - and it was calming and joyous to be making music in this amazing space. You can click here to watch the concert on Gloucester Cathedral's facebook page. (Please be patient... the concert starts after around five minutes.) 
0 Comments
Former Director of the St Cecilia Singers and current Master of Music at Norwich Cathedral, Ashley Grote, arranged the Robert Prizeman song 'Sing Forever' for this extraordinary project to raise money for the Cathedral Choirs' Emergency Fund. Of all the online singing projects that we have seen throughout the lockdown period, it would be hard to find one more poignant or beautifully executed than this one. Over 260 choristers across the country were involved including our own Gloucester Cathedral boys and girls.
Gloucester choristers - and sons of Saint Cecilia Singers Bairbre and Sarah - recording 'Sing Forever' Among the many casualties of COVID-19 have been our nation’s cathedral choirs. Since public worship in the Church was suspended in mid-March, choirs and organists have been out of action. Choristers’ lives are shaped by the daily singing of Choral Evensong but, in lockdown, this structurehas been missing. At the time of writing, worship has resumed, but without choral music. The future of jobs for adult singers (Lay Clerks) in cathedral worship is uncertain. The Friends of Cathedral Music (part of the newly formed Cathedral Music Trust has launched an Emergency Fund, aiming to provide £1 million of support for Cathedral Choirs at this time of crisis.
An initiative from Norwich Cathedral, the 'Sing Forever' project has drawn choristers together from 41 cathedrals and choral foundations, who recorded their parts in their own homes. They were joined by soloists Anna Haestrup and William Miles-Kingston, BBC Young Choristers of the Year, and by celebrities Aled Jones and Elizabeth Watts. The organ accompaniment was recorded by David Dunnett, Organist at Norwich Cathedral. We caught up with our former Director, Ashley Grote, who said: “Sing Forever has been a powerful way for choristers from across the country to unite in support of their choirs, which are such a fundamental part of all their lives. Not only has the project raised a fantastic sum already for the Cathedral Choirs Emergency Fund, it has also done a lot to boost the morale of choristers, many of whom have been unable to sing for a long time. It is so important to them to realise that they are not alone, and that there are hundreds of other boys and girls from cathedrals right across the country who are missing singing just as much as they are”. Please click through to the fundraising page to donate - if you're reading this page then it will be a subject close to your heart, and your contribution will make a difference. It is with deep regret that we must postpone our Timeless Reflections concert on 28 March due to COVID-19 concerns. The new concert date will be announced soon and tickets will be transferable, but please message us if you need a refund. Thank you to everyone who bought tickets. We look forward to performing this wonderful concert for you as soon as we have an opportunity.
29th November. The choir was superbly supported by a professional orchestra, which also included College's most advanced instrumentalists. The programme note described the concert as 'a true team effort, and involves performers in both the choir and orchestra from all areas of College over a wide age range.' It was indeed impressive to see such talent on display from both singers and orchestra, including Gloucestershire's current Young Musician of the Year in the viola section.
David McKee, Director of Music at Cheltenham College, said "It was wonderful to have members of the St Cecilia Singers joining us for this occasion. As a student I learned so much from performing next to singers and players of a professional standard and it's my privilege to offer this opportunity to the students at College. Thank you to the St Cecilia singers for their support." Bairbre Lloyd talks about that perfect performance moment and why we keep singing.  Verdi's Requiem in the Three Choirs Festival 2019 in Gloucester conducted by Edward Gardiner is one of Bairbre's unforgettable performances. I can count on the fingers of one hand the times I’ve experienced it, but deep down, it’s probably the ultimate reason I keep singing in dozens of concerts and turning up for hundreds of choir rehearsals.
Singing in a choir is fun. An hour or two’s workout of the lungs and vocal chords gets the endorphins buzzing round your system. It’s good to spend time with a group of friends all engaged in a common purpose. And it’s emotionally satisfying, if you love the music you are singing. Even better is performing in front of an appreciative audience, who are letting you know how much they’ve enjoyed it. But very occasionally something happens in performance which is unforgettable. Like a divining rod or a radio signal, the conductor tunes into something magical which captures the soul of each and every performer. As the atmosphere shifts, each person’s thoughts and ideas take a back seat and they become solely a channel of the conductor’s will. The choir locks on to every gesture, every facial expression, as if each individual singer has been melded into one giant instrument. To be part of that sublimation, to let go, be completely in the moment and at one with your fellow musicians is an incredible experience. And when the audience gets caught up in the music, the whole room seems to vibrate with an energy unlike anything else. So while every concert is a special experience, always involving anticipation and maybe even nerves – there is always the possibility of a transcendent experience...  This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Act of Remembrance. Every year the nation unites to make sure that no-one is forgotten and to remember and honour those who have sacrificed themselves to secure and protect our freedom. Remembrance honours those who serve to defend our freedoms and way of life. Thousands of people will be taking part in services and acts of remembrance across Gloucestershire. You can find the one closest to you by clicking on this link. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. From 'For the Fallen' - Laurence Binyon Sarah McKee describes her experience of Gloucester Cathedral's latest installation.  I have been talking in superlatives since visiting the incredible ‘Museum of the Moon’ in Gloucester cathedral.
This fabulous touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram has used detailed imagery from NASA of the lunar surface to create a perfect replica of the moon, lit from within and suspended from the ceiling. He describes the installation as “a fusion of lunar imagery, moonlight and surround sound composition”. The stunning, seven-metre sphere takes your breath away as it hovers theatrically in the nave of our beautiful cathedral. Artistically lit, the whole effect is highly atmospheric. Visitors create their own silhouettes against the light of the moon or create pictures where they appear to be holding it in their hands. Or simply walk around and underneath, bathing in moonlight and music. The extraordinary installation itself is only part of the picture though. The placement of this impressive replica in the magnificent context of the cathedral makes the experience truly inspiring. The Very Reverend Stephen Lake, Dean of Gloucester said “One of our hopes is that the Moon installation should help people think for a moment, to reflect on what it means to place a scale Moon, inside a cathedral. What does it mean to them?” A friend of mine, made another observation: “I love how the children come in to see the moon, but just stop and stare when they see the beauty of the cathedral!” There is no doubt that combining the grandeur and beauty of the cathedral with the ethereal moon installation provides a peaceful, spiritual and entirely unique experience.
My date for the evening was my 10 year old godson, Charlie, and we both loved this varied, confident and intimate concert.
The counter tenor solo was accomplished and the choirs first, bright, ringing chord set just the right tone for the rest of the piece. The real highlight for me was the baritone soloist. His elegant performance was an absolute joy.
I remember singing Haydn's classic Insane Et Vanae Curae as a treble in my church choir growing up. It's always a challenge to perform such a favourite piece - there's nowhere to hide! The choir was superb though, particularly the sopranos - it's a tough sing! The six motets by Mendelssohn were another joy and I loved the differences between each one and how the choir beautifully captured the mood of each, really holding the interest of the audience. The strength of each individual voice part was really showcased during the fugal sections and the attention to detail was exquisite. Salve Regina by Herbert Howells is another favourite piece of mine. Judging by this performance, it is also a favourite of the choir and indeed the conductor. Hope's fluid conducting brought the best out of the choir, particularly in the more expansive passages when everyone was singing their hearts out, producing a warm and vibrant sound. The Tippett Five Negro Spirituals was the highlight of the concert for me. It was a really dramatic performance and every voice part had the chance to shine, particularly the altos and basses in Deep River. It was also a great opportunity to hear some of the wonderful voices from within the choir. Charlie loved this one too and was perched on the edge of his seat in rapt attention from the first gentle 'Steal Away' until the choir faded away to nothing at the end of Deep River. The final piece, Parry's Blest Pair of Sirens was clearly another popular hit with the choir and made for an exhilarating ending to the concert. The complex choral writing was ably handled under Hope's confident direction, which clearly showed a real love of this piece. Overall, this was a fantastic and varied programme of well loved music, delivered with passion and aplomb. And Charlie's verdict? 'That was awesome! I can't wait until I sing Nobody knows one day!' And I think that says it all... On Saturday 12th October, our friends The Oriel Singers performed a beautiful programme of unaccompanied contemporary works in Pershore Abbey, to a highly appreciative audience. Their conductor Ben Sawyer tells us some more about the concert:
They took three German texts, ‘Abendlied’, ‘Morgen’ and ‘Ständchen’ (hence ‘Serenade’) and set them in three short, beautifully crafted works. Matthew was in attendance and was delighted at the result. These pieces are concise and highlight the German texts most effectively. Matthew said: ‘this was my first time setting words in German and this brought new and unexpected elements to my writing’.
If you do not know this mass, or indeed William’s music, do look him up. It is a sad story, as he was a busy working musician with a young family who became terminally ill and died in 2016 aged just 34. The album ‘Ablaze with Light’ was recorded in his memory by many of his friends and features a wonderful selection of his music. Around this mass, the choir had a chance to rekindle memories of the atmospheric concert given in the Three Choirs Festival by performing Roxanna Panufnik’s visceral and complex setting of ‘Child of Heaven’, words taken from the Rig Veda. Alongside this came a performance of another work written for the Oriel Singers, this time in memory of Michael Porter, ‘The Good Morrow’. This powerful work by Alissa Firsova was commissioned by Clare in Michael’s memory and was premiered in Malmesbury Abbey in June 2019. The other work to feature in the first half was Eric Whitacre’s ‘Sleep’. For me, this was a treat and the choir responded superbly giving a highly charged rendition of this favourite.  The second half began with a first outing for The Oriels of Jaakko Mäntyjärvi’s ‘Four Shakespeare Songs’. These pieces have bags of character and I look forward to a repeat performance of them next May as part of the Winchcombe Festival. There followed the new works by Coleridge, and the concert concluded with three lighter pieces about love and singing. - Ben Sawyer, Conductor You can find out more information about the Oriel Singers, including their up and coming concerts here.
At the start of this season we welcomed Hayley (soprano) and Tom (counter tenor) as they joined the St Cecilia Singers. Here they tell us a little about their experience of joining the choir.
"Everyone is friendly and welcoming, even the audition - when one felt nervous - was great because they put me at my ease. I have been involved with music all my life since graduating from Italia Conti in London and joined opera companies to the BBC NCW, smaller ensembles including a trio and local chamber choirs and I felt ready for this new challenge.”
"At first I was hesitant as I have had such a long break from singing and didn’t think I was ready for such a high calibre! Once I finally plucked up the courage to audition I was happy that I did.
"The choir has brought back all of my memories and I’m like a duck to water. I feel very welcome in the St Cecilia singers and I believe that I have made the right choice. After singing with a few choirs around Gloucestershire I feel that I have found my perfect fit. I am extremely excited for our upcoming concert and my future with the singers!” Hayley and Tom are already making an impact in the choir and we're really happy they came to join us. If you're interested in auditioning for the St Cecilia Singers, then please do get in touch. |
RSS Feed
© 2023 Saint Cecilia Singers
The Saint Cecilia Singers is a charity registered in England No 1034967