We had a lovely few days away at the end of March/beginning of April 2017, singing at the Arthur Rank Hospice in Cambridge, and giving concerts and singing Evensong in churches in Cambridgeshire villages and St Stephen’s, Rochester Row, London. We were delighted to be joined by our very own Oliver Hancock, who directed the Sunday Sung Eucharist at the Old Royal Naval College Chapel in Greenwich.
The concert programmes consisted of music and readings on themes of Transport and Travel; repertoire ranged from Guerrero and Gibbons through to John Rutter’s Heavenly Aeroplane and Mac Huff’s brilliant arrangement of the Chattanooga Choo Choo, accompanied by Louisa Denby.
St Stephen’s, Rochester Row
Andrew Watts and Charlotte Denby read extracts from the Bible and fictional works such as Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, David Copperfield, and I am David, as well as poetry by John Heath-Stubbs and Pablo Neruda.
It was very pleasant to receive this excellent review of our Hildersham concert: http://johnbald.typepad.com/language/interludes/
Sunday 29th January 2017
1.15pm, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
We made our annual visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge on Sun 29 Jan, this time for a programme of German-related music, featuring Elgar’s Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands, and motets by Brahms and Mendelssohn. It was a pleasure as always to perform in this fabulous venue.
Thursday 28th July 2016 8pm, Pembroke College Chapel, Cambridge
Wednesday 17th August 2016 8pm, St Mark’s Church, Newnham, Cambridge
It was a particular pleasure to perform these summer concerts in two venues where we have been warmly welcomed in recent years. The programme included classic works by renaissance composers such as Tallis, Byrd, and Tye, and a number of favourites from later composers Wood, Harris, Parry, and Holst.
We were very pleased to receive the following from the congregation at St Mark’s Church, following our performance there of ‘Eternal Source of Light Divine’ – Music for Queens on 5th March 2016.
“A large audience waited in an atmospherically-lit St Mark’s church on Saturday for our Choir Director, Louisa Denby, to conduct her own choir and ensemble, Vox Cantab, and The Rosemary Consort Brass Ensemble, in a cleverly-selected programme of 17th- and 18th-century music. The concert was in three sections: ‘Funeral Sentences and Motets’ by Henry Purcell, ‘Music from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II,’ and ‘Birthday Ode for Queen Anne.’ The theatrical elements that Louisa had devised produced a dramatic, riveting concert – natural brass and drum in the gallery and around the building, a choir processing elegantly in black for the sacred music, then in lively colours for the coronation and birthday music. Several of the more experienced – and reputedly judgemental – songsters of St Mark’s voted it the best singing they had heard in the church in many a year. A first-class concert by a first-rate choir!”
John Bachelor at the newly-refurbished organ.
“They began with funeral music written by Purcell. It was composed when he was just 35 years old and I suspect all those creating the music for us were even younger. I had shivers down my spine at the end of the piece. There was a feeling of overwhelming solemnity and sadness, and it seemed right to be in the church where so many funerals have taken place.
“The second half was a glorious celebration of praise and thanks and a complete change of mood, and the wonderful singing and music was presented in a celebration of colour.”
Funeral Sentences and motets – Henry Purcell.
“The concert was exciting to listen to…the singers and musicians showed their delight in all that they did, but we must give the highest award to Louisa…she has such a wide grasp of all that she is doing…her qualifications are remarkable…thank you Louisa for such a glorious evening.”
We are grateful to all at St Mark’s for their assistance on the day of the concert, and for allowing us to present such an event in their lovely church. We intend to take up the invitation to return!
Saturday 5th March 2016 7.30pm, St Mark’s Church, Barton Road, Newnham, Cambridge
We were very excited to present a semi-theatrical performance of some stunning music written in honour of a number of queens of England. We were also delighted to collaborate with members of the Rosemary Consort and to support them in raising money for The Rosemary Foundation ‘Hospice at Home.’ Click here to read the review from St Mark’s.
Music for Queens, 5th March 2016
Purcell Funeral Sentences & motets Handel Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne
plus a selection of music performed at the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, including Handel’s Zadok the Priest
Vox Cantab
The Rosemary Consort Brass Ensemble
Director Louisa Denby Organ John Bachelor Soprano Catherine White & Julia Kemp Alto David McGregor Bass Matthew Innes & Thomas Mullock
Sunday 31st January 2016 1.15pm, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
In what has become an annual fixture, Vox Cantab returned once again to the Fitzwilliam Museum on 31 January for a Sunday-lunchtime recital, consisting of a semi-staged performance of John Rutter’s Wind in the Willows.
The Magistrate sentences Toad.
Matthew Innes Mole Chris Patrick Toad Addison Shore Rat Thomas Mullock Badger Julia Kemp Gaoler’s Daughter Frank Lee Magistrate Toby Matimong Usher
Assorted Wildlife Will Bosworth, Toby Matimong, Catherine White, Carys Brown, Rhian Davies, Julia Kemp
Monday 1st June saw Vox Cantab return to Downing College to give a Music Society recital in the E-staircase Music Room (where Tchaikovsky once stayed before receiving his honorary Cambridge degree!).
Programme
Best of The Beach Boys – Wilson/Usher/Love arr. Lojeski
Mamma Mia
S.O.S.
Super Trouper
Money, Money, Money
Thank You for the Music
Our thanks to Nadanai Laohakunahorn for accompanying us again so ably, and to Dick Taplin of Downing College, for declaring us ‘Super Troupers’ as he thanked us for the music, before taking this rather arty photograph.
The new Tickell organ at Downing College, Cambridge.
On Sunday 17th May at 6pm, members of Vox Cantab sang Evensong in the splendidly-refurbished Chapel at Downing College, Cambridge, accompanied by the fabulous new Tickell organ. The music included anthems by Williams Byrd and Mundy, and an organ voluntary by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck.
DirectorLouisa Denby; Piano Elis Reed; Readers Richard Blakemore & Debbie Pullinger
The programme included works by 16th-century composers Thomas Morley and Clemens non Papa, through to Quilter’s arrangement of Drink to me only with thine eyes (beautifully sung by soprano soloist Catherine White), Rutter’s Banquet Fugue from The Reluctant Dragon, and Frederick Bridge’s humorous tale of The Goslings.
The musical numbers were interspersed with readings serious and light-hearted, including extracts from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (J.K. Rowling), Vanity Fair (William Makepeace Thackeray), Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll), and a Shakespeare sonnet.
