Archive Page "In Remembrance - 11 12 22"
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In Remembrance - 12 11 22
The Concert Programme:
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In Remembrance
Conductor: Peter Brown; Organist: Alan Gidney
A Remembrance concert to honour the Armed Forces of today and those who served to protect our fundamental rights and freedoms. We look to the past and weep, we look to the past and give thanks.
With 3 pieces sung in German, we perhaps remembered everyone caught up in the tragedy of war, which is healing. My Uncle Stan, who died aged 22 in 1943, is buried in Catania, Sicily. He was killed by a sniper, when he stood to salute an officer.
The audience enjoyed the range, balance and quality of the music. For many the highlights were ‘For the Fallen’ and the ‘Messe Solennelle’. We opened with Peter Brown’s outstanding work – it’s a pity we didn’t record it so that his composition might be more widely known! Our clear diction helped express the compelling pathos of the poem, and we managed the contrasting moods and dynamics well. The second work was Rutter’s ‘A Ukrainian Prayer’ a striking, emotional lament highlighting a modern global tragedy: we look to the present and weep, we look to the present and give thanks.
In the shorter pieces, both bass and tenors made errors hitting the right note and tempo but recovered by watching Peter. Our performance, I think, would have benefitted from a Friday night rehearsal. Although the tenors sang a number of sections beautifully, for me the sopranos held the music together all evening and sang throughout with a bright confidence.
Thank you to our soloists from within the choir: Vicky Johnson, Peter Biggers and Paul Newman. Alan Gidney chose the wonderful organ mass by Louis Vierne. The Kyrie opens with a deafening thunder of sound and the full piece has great impact; a splendid choice to showcase his expertise. Thank you, too for a charming, reflective organ interlude by Widor. Our personal appreciation and thanks lastly to our md, Peter for his skills and love of music.
With a huge debt of gratitude, we remembered: ‘When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.’
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