Dear Friends,

We wish a ‘Happy New Year’ to you all, despite the current circumstances, and we sincerely hope that 2021 will be better for everyone. It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly a year (the St Barnabas concert, March 2020) since our Choir has been able to sing together properly… 

Unfortunately, it transpired that the marvellous, sociable, therapeutic act of singing was, possibly, one of the worst activities in which to engage, with regards to virus transmission. This was, and still is, a great shame for singers and audiences alike.

Adapting to the ‘new norm’ and exploring different avenues of keeping the Choir together has been interesting! The option of virtual choir singing has been very useful and generally positive, as it is the only way to sing together, albeit recording alone at home to start with! For those who had the equipment, time and inclination it has been quite fun and rewarding to view the end product with us all singing shoulder to shoulder (please visit us on the website and our YouTube channel)!

Looking to the future, we really hope that we will see you all again sometime in 2021. There is a tentative plan to hold a Come and Sing morning, looking at the beautiful Mozart Requiem on Saturday May 22nd 2021 at Bramcote Church. Naturally, this all depends on government guidelines at the time, but we will keep you posted and hope for the best!

Please visit our website for links to the Virtual Choir pieces (possibly more to follow!)

It would be lovely to hear from anyone who has stories about the Choir or, indeed, about anything they wish to share during these strange times. 

Anecdotes, jokes, positive messages are all welcomed - let’s keep connected and support each other!

Stay safe and well. 

Best wishes to you all.

Sinfonia Chorale x

Dear Friends

The VIRTUAL SINFONIA CHORALE - Part II

Thanks to all of you who responded so positively to the Choir's first foray into the world of Virtual Singing.

The encouragement you gave us has motivated us to move on-wards and upwards from our first virtual performance which was always meant as a bit of fun - to try and stimulate interest in this novel way of performing.

Our Musical Director, Richard Roddis, has been particularly inspired by the possibilities that this new medium offers, and has contributed greatly to our second virtual performance by creating a conducting video to keep us along the straight and narrow.

The work chosen was William Byrd's Ave verum Corpus, a beautiful motet with some challenging and highly expressive part-writing all held together by Richard's leadership, and assembled by the Choir's technical boffins!

The final result is now on YouTube, and can be accessed either directly via the Choir's YouTube channel, or via a link from the Choir's website.

Although we sincerely hope that you enjoy this latest offering from the The Virtual Sinfonia Chorale, we feel that we must look to the future and plan for the return to our more conventional way of  performing.

REOPENING CULTURAL LIFE IN THE UK

We therefore wish to bring to your attention (if you haven't already been made aware of this) the campaign that has steadily been gathering momentum throughout the country, and request that all supporters of Choral Singing take action as detailed below in the hope of a successful conclusion for all of us....

It has been suggested by many prominent musicians that we need to let the Government know that choirs in the UK need some advice and some answers. The Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, has set up a task force to help re-open cultural life - but this task force does not include a single musician amongst its members! We need representation. We need to let the Culture Secretary know that choirs and choral singing are a vital part of life in the UK. Richard Morrison, in a recent Times article, pointed out that there are 70,000 choirs in the UK, nearly all of which are in suspended animation. Yet no one in Government is providing advice on where we can go next, despite there being a taskforce looking at how to reopen cultural life. We need to ask the Government to commission some authoritative scientific advice, and it is suggested that we each individually email the Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden, at this email address enquiries@culture.gov.uk

A possible email is given here:

Dear Secretary of State, 

I draw your attention to an article in The Times of 8th June by Richard Morrison, headlined Will no one in Government stand up for British choirs? here He points out that there are 70,000 choirs in the UK, nearly all of which are in suspended animation. There are therefore well over a million people who would love to resume singing, an activity with well-known associated physical and mental health benefits, but who of course wish to restart only when it is safe to do so. What all choirs need is authoritative, independent, scientifically based advice on, inter alia: 1) What national and local conditions must be met to ensure safety? 2) What configuration(s) should choirs adopt in rehearsals, and also in performance? 3) Is there any type of PPE that is effective and practical for choral singers? Please will your Department commission this research, to be completed and published by the end of July 2020?

Yours sincerely, 

(your signature, and choir or organisation you belong to)

It is suggested that you copy the email to 

• your MP
• Radio 4 Front Row : frontrow@bbc.co.uk ,
• BBC Newsnight : NEWSNIGHT@bbc.co.uk

KEEP WELL - KEEP SAFE - KEEP SINGING!

The Sinfonia Chorale

Dear Friends,

What an unusual year this is turning out to be…we in the Sinfonia Chorale sincerely hope that you and your loved ones are safe and well during this difficult time.

Regrettably, we have had to cancel several concerts which had been planned for this year. Our summer events (July 4th and 5th) are, sadly, no longer viable and the November 7th 2020 concert (a Brahms programme) has been postponed by 12 months to Saturday 20th November 2021. 

Depending on circumstances, we might be able to prepare and perform Christmas concerts this year - let’s hope so! 

Please keep looking at our website for more information on future concerts, and we will also write again to keep you posted.

On a lighter note, we have attempted our own (slightly altered and with extra novelty value!) virtual choir rendition of Morley’s Now is the Month of Maying. The lockdown has certainly encouraged the use of new avenues of communication - we’re getting to grips with different technologies and hopefully this will add a new dimension to what we can do as a choir. 

We’ve just posted our video for your perusal - you can be the first to see it - exciting! 

Best wishes to you all.

Sinfonia Chorale

Dear Friends,

To those of you who attended our Come and Sing event on January 18th, we would like to say a big ‘thank you’ and we hope you enjoyed the day as much as we did! You sounded marvellous and we truly appreciate your support.

The concert showcasing the chosen settings of O Magnum Mysterium is fast approaching - Saturday 14th March at 8.00pm, and tickets can be bought from our website - or from Sandra Wakefield on 0115 9606236. They are £12 or £5 for students under 21.

St Barnabas Cathedral, Nottingham, NG1 5AE makes a wonderful venue for these pieces. The generous acoustic enhances the beauty of the music and the expressive yearning towards an understanding of the mysteries of the Incarnation. We hope to see many of you there!

Tomas Luis de Victoria (ca. 1548-1611) was one of Spain’s most important composers, producing a repertoire which includes psalm settings and hymns as well as 21 masses and 44 motets. He was also a Catholic priest, singer and organist. In  1565 he went to Rome and became cantor at the German College. It is possible that he may have studied with Palestrina at around this time, and he did take over the position of maestro after Palestrina left the Pontifical Roman Seminary. He returned to Spain in 1587 and worked, for the remainder of his life, as chaplain and then organist to the Dowager Empress Maria.

According to some, Victoria’s sacred music reflected his ‘intricate personality’ and expressed a ‘passion of Spanish mysticism and religion’. The mass in 4 parts which we will perform, explores beautiful, simple lines, homophonic textures and rhythmic variations, as well as dissonance and expressive word painting, the overall effects of which can produce surprising contrasts of intensity and emotional connection to the subject matter.

We will also perform Victoria’s 4-part motet of the same title, published in 1572, upon which the mass is based. This beautiful, melismatic piece illustrates the use of imitation between the voices, dissonance, and echo rather than singing syllables at the same time, the combination of which creates a feeling of mystery.

Another important composer of the Counter-Reformation was the Italian contrapuntal expert Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (c. 1525-1594) who wrote more than 105 masses and 250 motets. His 6-part motet, O Magnum Mysterium was composed in 2 sections and published in Rome in 1569. Palestrina was attempting to create a more complex piece in some ways (6 parts), in response to those who were complaining about the ‘plainness of religious works’, but also trying to heed the arguments of others who thought Catholic liturgical music was becoming incomprehensible, by making the music more accessible (using fewer melismas, for example).

The motet has a harmonic style and Palestrina seems to reflect the importance of the birth of Jesus through repetition of certain phrases, using syllabic unisons and less imitation, thereby enhancing the clarity and meaning of the words. Strikingly, the piece ends with a joyful Alleluja section and on a strong plagal cadence, possibly to maintain the surprise and awe of the birth in the minds of the listeners.

We will also be performing some beautiful pieces by Morten Lauridsen (b. 1943), Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) and Javier Busto (b. 1949). Lauridsen’s setting, composed in 1994, is a lovely, intense work, which seems to combine a contemporary feel with a more classic Gregorian chanting style, weaving the voices together in a shimmering wall of sound, striking the emotional core of the listener. Apparently, he likes to spend time composing and accessing his ‘inner song’, in a secluded place on an island off the coast of Washington. Originally trained as a medical doctor, Busto is also a Spanish (from the Basque Country) choral music composer and conductor who is in demand, throughout the world, as a guest conductor and member of choral and composition contest juries. His works, and choirs, have received many prizes and his scores are published in several countries around the world. Busto’s O Magnum Mysterium opens with hushed ‘misterioso’ chanting from the 4 voice parts, creating an almost reverent atmosphere. The piece then explores different musical ideas in several defined sections, ending on a bright Alleluia, heralding the great birth. 

The French composer and pianist, Francis Poulenc, was initially self-taught, then studied with the pianist Ricardo Viñes and also with Erik Satie. He wrote many sacred and secular pieces, for voice and instrument and was part of the group of young composers Les Six. With an artistic mother and a religious father, these contrasting elements seem to be reflected in Poulenc’s music - sometimes serious and sometimes very light and fun. His music is, generally, melodic, expressive and memorable. The O Magnum Mysterium was one of 4 Christmas motets that he composed in the early 1950s. Changing harmonies, unexpected twists and humming create a sacred and serene piece, building up to a peak of awe and praise.

We are looking forward to performing this beautiful music and hope that you will enjoy it, too! 

Best wishes,

Sinfonia Chorale

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much to everyone who attended our concert on Saturday 9^th November - your support is greatly appreciated and we really hope you enjoyed the French music!

We are now working towards the Christmas concerts, which promise to be very enjoyable occasions and will put us all in a festive mood! Patchings Farm Arts Centre is the venue for the first concert, on Sunday 8^th December at 7.30pm. Tickets (available from Patchings only) are £8.50 and include a glass of wine and a mince pie at the interval.

 On Tuesday 10^th December, at 7.30pm, the concert will be at Rainworth Parish Church (St Simon and St Jude). Tickets, which can be purchased on the website, will be £5.00 and this also includes refreshments. Please come along and join us for some Christmas cheer - audience participation is essential (and free!).

If you enjoy singing with us, why not book onto our Come and Sing Workshop? We’ll be exploring different settings of O Magnum Mysterium on Saturday 18^th January 2020, at Christchurch, Chilwell, NG9 4AS. Please visit our website for more details

We look forward to seeing you!

Sinfonia Chorale