CONCERT SUMMARY
| 02-Nov-13 | A Boy was born - Benjamin Britten Centenary Joint concert with the Derwent Singers | St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham |
| 09-Nov-13 | A Boy was born - Benjamin Britten Centenary Joint concert with the Derwent Singers | Derby Cathedral |
| 08-Dec-13 | Patchings Christmas Concert | Patchings Art Centre, Calverton |
| 10-Dec-13 | Christmas Concert on behalf of Framework | West Bridgford Methodist Church |
| 20-Dec-13 | Creative Quarter Carols | Creative Quarter Pop-up Centre, 10 Fletcher Gate, Nottingham NG1 2FS |
| 15-Mar-14 | Parry's Songs of Farewell | St Johns, Carrington |
| 14-Jun-14 |
Summer Serenade with Alistair Parnell (saxophone). Featuring music by Brahms, Vaughan Williams and Whitacre |
West Bridgford Methodist Church |
Britten
The Britten Centenary was concluded in November by two joint performances with the Derwent Singers, in Nottingham and Derby, of early works by Britten, including A Boy was Born, together with Frank Martin's Mass for Double Choir and Carl Rütti's O magnum mysterium.
In addition to the usual Christmas concerts, at Patchings Art Centre and on behalf of Framework at the West Bridgford Methodist Church, we gave one at a unique new venue, Nottingham's Creative Quarter Pop-Up Centre. A feature of this year's Christmas programme was the world premiere of Charles Tebbs' new carol 'Ut Hoy!'
Parry
Parry's Songs of Farewell are the focus of the rest of the season. Completed in his last year, this 1918 swansong is a work of great beauty and profundity. One or two of the six songs of the set are fairly well-known, eg My soul, there is a country, but the larger-scale, more complex later songs are rarely done.
These formed the centrepiece of both the Come and Sing on 18th January, and the Spring Concert on 15th March at St. John’s Church in Carrington. The concert was dedicated to three former choir members who had passed away over previous years, and raised over £200 for the University of Nottingham Cancer: Early Detection project.
Summer Serenade
The ‘Summer Serenade’ concert on 14th June featured a lighter programme of music, taking place shortly after the choir’s visit to Hamburg to sing with a German choir the Bergedorfer Kammerchor.
Musical Director Richard Roddis put together a varied programme of music from across the centuries for this concert, consisting of both English and German pieces, including some to celebrate the 450th Anniversary of the birth of Shakespeare. The pieces included works by Vaughan Williams, Brahms, Byrd, Eric Whitacre and John Dankworth.
The choir was pleased to be performing alongside renowned saxophonist Alistair Parnell, whose busy schedule includes teaching, performing, composing, arranging and conducting. He has performed throughout the UK, USA and Europe and has appeared at two World Saxophone Congresses in Slovenia and Thailand.
