The annual Come and Sing took place on 18th January 2014
Venue: Christ Church, Chilwell
Time : 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m.
A selection of Parry's Songs of Farewell written in the last year of his life in 1918 formed the focus of this year's Come and Sing.
Written for unaccompanied choir from four to eight parts, this 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.
The six Songs of Farewell are:-
- My soul, there is a country - Henry Vaughan (1622-1695) **
- I know my soul hath power - John Davies (1569-1626)
- Never, weather-beaten sail - Thomas Campion (1567-1620)
- There is an old belief - John Gibson Lockhart (1794-1854)
- At the round earth's imagined corners - John Donne (1572-1631)
- Lord, let me know mine end - Psalm 39
** performed at the Come and Sing
Complementing the Parry were sumptious settings of the Nunc dimittis by Gustav Holst & Alexandre Grechaninov, the latter in Russian - quite a challenge bravely met by all the participants.
- Nunc Dimittis - Gustav Holst
- Ninye otpushchayeshi (Lord, now lettest Thou) - Alexandre Gretchaninoff
