‘Music for the Close of the Day’, Holy Trinity Church, Privett, Hampshire
in aid of The Churches Conservation Trust
Director Louisa Denby
Beginning with Shepherd’s meditative setting of words from the ancient monastic Office of Compline, and ending with a rousing rendition of Goodnight, Sweetheart, this was a mixed and varied concert which kept the appreciative audience entertained!
By day two of our 2014 Summer Tour, the number of singers had swelled to eight. We travelled to All Saints’, East Meon, for a service of Choral Evensong. After rehearsal, we congregated in the North Aisle of the church, giving us plenty of time to admire the Millennium Embroidery before the service began, heralded by the bell.
All of the service was sung unaccompanied (music included Give almes of thy goods – Tye, and Arnold’s Evening Service in A), and we particularly enjoyed the anthem, Byrd’s Justorum Animae, which matched the understated grandeur of the church.
Afterwards we were treated to drinks and nibbles with the East Meon congregation.
The first day of our 2014 Summer Tour saw five members of the Choir give a concert of ‘Essentially English’ music at St Michael & All Angels, Chalton, Hampshire.
Soprano Catherine White, Louisa Dawes; Alto Louisa Denby;
Tenor Dean Parker; Bass Frank Lee
Programme
Tye – Give almes of thy goods
Tallis – If ye love me
Morley – Sing we, and chant it
Cornysh – Ah, Robyn
Stanford – When Mary thro’ the garden went
Elgar – As torrents in summer
Wood – Full fathom five
Wood – Oculi omnium
Holst – Swansea Town
Sullivan – The long day closes
English Trad., arr. Gritton – Country Gardens
Trad. Botswanan, arr. L’Estrange – Jesu ukukhanya
Lloyd-Webber – Close every door
Handel, arr. Gritton – Three-minute Messiah
‘Old Wine in New Bottles’
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge & Selwyn College Music Society, Cambridge
Director Louisa Denby; Piano Nadanai Laohakunakorn
It was lovely to bring this programme of modern arrangements of traditional folk songs to two venues in Cambridge. Music included Katy Cooper’s arrangement of the American song Circle March, Whittaker’s take on English folk song Bobby Shaftoe, and other recent arrangements of music from the UK, North America, and further afield.
We received an enthusiastic response to our concert at the Fitzwilliam Museum in February 2014:
“Last Sunday’s Vox Cantab Promenade Concert at the Fitzwilliam was a triumph! It was so much enjoyed by every member of the audience. There seemed to be something for everybody […]
Your theme and choice of music was beautifully balanced and varied. It takes so much skill to create a good programmme, and once again you have done it. And best of all, the whole choir looked as if they were enjoying singing all those wonderful songs and great arrangements.”
Penelope Robson
Proms Organiser
Evensong at Rochester Cathedral
Director Louisa Denby; Organ Tim Parsons
Clucas Responses
Stanford – Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis in A
Parry – Blest Pair of Sirens
Carol Service, St Clement’s Church, Cambridge
Director Colin Danskin; Organ Hugh Johns
We were pleased to be able to contribute to the first carol service at St Clement’s Church in over thirty years.
English Madrigals & Folksongs, Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge
Conductor Louisa Denby
Programme
Vaughan Williams – Selection from Five English Folksongs
Holst – Selection from Six Choral Folk Songs
Pearsall – Lay a Garland
Morley – My Bonny Lass
Wilbye – Draw on sweet night
Vautor – Sweet suffolk owl
Whittaker – Bobby Shaftoe
Response to our Howells concert.
Howells’ Requiem and other music from around the British Isles
Holy Trinity Church, Privett, Hampshire
in aid of the Churches Conservation Trust
Conductor Jonathan Willcocks
Programme
Vaughan Williams – Selection from Five English Folksongs
Holst – Selection from Six Choral Folk Songs
Britten – Flower Songs Op. 47
MacMillan – Selection from The Strathclyde Motets
Stanford – Three Latin Motets
Howells – Requiem
Holst – Nunc dimittis
Willcocks – Lacrymosa
