BDCS Singing Day with Bob Chilcott 24/2/24

News

The sun shone and the singers came from near and far. One person had got up at dawn and driven up from London that morning. Such is the charisma of Bob Chilcott, one of the leading choral composers and conductors of our time. Bingham and District Choral Society was honoured that he had agreed to lead our first Singing Day since the pandemic. The Minster School at Southwell was an excellent, spacious venue.  Ably supported by our superb accompanist Michael Overbury, Bob led us through a selection of his own pieces, some hauntingly lyrical, others challenging us with exciting, complex rhythms. In-between sessions, a magnificent selection of home-baked cakes was eagerly consumed by the singers. In short, we had all the ingredients for a hugely successful day. Our thanks go to Bob, Michael and the volunteers from BDCS who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to enable everything to run so smoothly.

 

Good Friday Come and Sing in Bottesford

News

COME & SING

Rutter ‘Requiem’

Good Friday, 29th March, 2024, at Bottesford Parish Church

The Cranmer Company of Singers and Director of Music, Deborah Davies, are hosting another charity Come & Sing. This popular event, where time and talents are freely given, has raised up to £2,409 with over 190 singers taking part; so, bring your voice, bring a friend, have a good time and see how much we can raise in 2024.

John Rutter’s Requiem has become a firm favourite with choirs and audiences the world over. Though it necessarily has its dark moments, it is unmistakably optimistic in its message of hope and comfort, expressed through the beauty of the chosen texts and Rutter’s uplifting music.

Soprano: Rachel Cropley            

Organist: Philip Robinson  

Conductor: Deborah Davies

All welcome – £6/10/15 to sing, tiered as we ask you to select the amount you wish to give. Donations on the door from the audience. Money raised will go to the East Africa Hunger Crisis Appeal via Tearfund.

Rehearsal 4.30pm (arrive earlier to register), charity performance at 7.30pm.

Singers please book your place by contacting Heather: heather@ng7.org.uk  or  0115 947 4759.

Music provided if required.

Singers – if you wish, bring a picnic supper to have between rehearsal and performance.  Sober dress.

 

Come … and … Sing, or Come and Listen, you will be

Michael Overbury – Forthcoming Performances

Event

Saturday 2nd March 2024

Derby Cathedral

7.30pm

Concert with the Cathedral Choir director Alexander Binns

harpsichord continuo with Sinfonia Viva directed by Sophie Rosa (solo violin)

Purcell Suite from Abdelazar

Vivaldi Violin Concerto in A minor RV 356

Duarte Sinfonia 2

Lotti Crucifixus

Pergolesi Stabat Mater

Saturday 9th March 2024

St Peter’s Church, Ruddington

1pm Registration, music scores provided

1.30pm choral rehearsal, including breaks and refreshments until 4.30pm

5.30pm evening performance

Come and Sing Stainer The Crucifixion

with Ruddington and District Choral Society and invited soloists conducted by Paul Hayward 

Michael Overbury organ

Further details from the Ruddington and District Choral Society website

Saturday 16th March 2024

St John’s Church, Carrington, Mansfield Rd, Nottingham

7.30pm

organ accompaniment with Sinfonia Choraleconductor Richard Roddis

Gjeilo Ubi Caritas

Mäntyjärvi Come away, death and Double double

Clara Schumann Gondoliera

Brahms Letztes Gluck

Hildegard von Bingen O Virtus Sapientiae

Palestrina O Magnum Mysterium

Fauré Cantique de Jean Racine 

Kodály Missa Brevis

Thursday 18th April 2024

St Swithun’s Parish Church, East Retford

1pm

Solo Organ Concert

Théodore Salomé (1834-96) Grand Choeur in G

He was the Choir Organist at the church of St Trinité, Paris for most of his life, playing for the funeral of Bizet, with a congregation of 4000 in attendance.

Louis Vierne (1870-1937) Ave Maria

The blind French composer held a number of prominent posts including that of organist at Notre-Dame, Paris from 1900 until his death. He was a great improviser.

J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 543

Bach’s great A minor Prelude has a rhapsodic freedom; the opening rhetorical gestures return again at the end of the Fugue. Composition dates are 1708-13.

Gabriel Fauré Pavane op.50 (1887)

Fauré was an organist at St Sulpice and La Madeleine in Paris and Director of the Conservatoire. He is widely regarded as the greatest master of French Song. The Pavane is a beautiful and typical example of his quiet melodic genius.

Alejandro D. Consolación II Chorale

Currently organist at churches in Manila and in Makati city in the Philippines, and a choral director, the composer studied in Germany and America. His compositions have been described as pure, spiritual and uplifting.

Felix Mendelssohn Sonata 2 in C minor

Mendelssohn played the organ and composed for it from the age of 11 until his death. He was a passionate improviser and always took the opportunity to play instruments wherever he happened to be. His Six Sonatas are not sonatas in the classical sense, rather suites. Number two is in four movements.

Franz Schubert Adagio (abridged) from the String Quintet

The String Quintet was Schubert’s final chamber work, completed just two months before his death. Often described as sublime, it is regarded as one of the greatest examples of chamber music.

Louis-Claude d’Aquin (1694-1772) Le Coucou

The French Baroque composer was a virtuoso organist.

Le Coucou is a fine example of his writing in the new tuneful, easy-listening, picturesque Galant style.

Théodore Dubois Sortie (Grand Choeur) [in E]

Théodore Dubois was a Parisian organist and choirmaster and Professor at the Conservatoire. This Sortie is in neo-classical syle and, interestingly is marked Moderato.

Saturday 18th May 2024

St Peter’s Parish Church, Ruddington

7.30pm

Ruddington and District Choral Society with keyboard continuo, orchestra, vocal soloists

conducted by Paul Hayward

Haydn The Creation (reduced orchestration)

Saturday 8th June 2024

Parish Church of St Mary Magdalene, Newark

12 noon until 12.45pm

Bingham and District Choral Society conducted by Dr Stephen Bullamore

accompanied by Michael Overbury (piano)

Bob Chilcott Five Days that changed the World

John Rutter A Sprig of Thyme

Tuesday 9th July 2024

Selby Abbey

12.30pm until 1.30pm

Michael Overbury (Newark)

Lunchtime Solo Concert on the famous Hill Organ

4′ Mathias (1934-92) Processional

The Welshman was a child prodigy. He was Professor of Music at Bangor. The cheerful, tuneful Processional was written in 1964.

8′ Langlais (1907-91) Messe Alme Pater (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus, Agnus Dei)

The blind Jean Langlais was organist at the Basilica of St Clotilde in Paris. He was a great improviser and a prolific composer. Much of his creativity was inspired by and based on plainsong. In this Mass setting the traditional chant melodies are clothed in the composer’s typical bitter-sweet harmonies.

2′ Anon (c.1525) My Lady Carey’s Dompe

One of the earliest surviving keyboard pieces, My Lady Carey’s Dompe is probably a traditional English melody; its wistful qualities contrast with a rhythmically robust accompaniment.

3′ William Croft (1678-1727) Ground in c minor

Croft was a Boy Chorister at the Chapel Royal, and later Organist. The term Ground refers to a more or less unchanging bass line, together with its harmonies, repeated throughout the piece, over which is constructed a flow of independent melodic material. In Croft’s Ground in c minor, however, the melodic variations alternate with repeats of the opening harmonised Ground material rather like verses and a refrain.

3′ Maurice Greene (1696-1755) [Cornet] Voluntary in G (andante, allegro)

Greene succeeded to every major musical post in England including organist of St Paul`s Cathedral, and Professor of Music at Cambridge. He is chiefly remembered for his church music. His style is Italianate. He composed 24 Voluntaries.

4′ Messiaen (1908-1992) Offrande au Saint Sacrement

Offrande au Saint Sacrement was discovered by Yvonne Messiaen in 1997. It probably dates from about 1930. Two musical ideas alternate. The music seems to depict the worshipping soul in ecstatic communion with God.

29′ Charles Villers Stanford (1852-1924) Sonata Britannica

1. Allegro non troppo ma con fuoco St Mary

2. Larghetto Benedictus

3. Allegro molto e ritmico Hanover

Irish by birth, Stanford had great influence in Britain as a teacher and he breathed fresh air into the composition of Anglican Church Music. His five Organ Sonatas were composed 1917-1918. These are, arguably, the most significant body of organ music in England since Mendelssohn. Sonata Britannica has three movements. The first is based on the hymn tune St Mary. The second is a haunting Benedictus with a middle section of patriotic glory, The third is based on the hymn tune Hanover. It ends exultantly.

Saturday 9th November 2024

St Martin’s Church, Trevose Gardens, Sherwood NG5 3FU

with Sinfonia Chorale directed by Richard Roddis

organ accompaniments and solos

John Bull (1562/3 -1628) Salve Regina organ versets

Bull grew up in the West country, became a musician at the Chapel Royal in London, was probably sent to Europe by Queen Elizabeth as a spy, fled England under accusation of adultery, although he claimed religious persecution, and spent the final years of his life as Organist at Antwerp Cathedral. He was famous for his outstandingly brilliant keyboard playing.

Fauré Requiem

Saturday 16th November 2024

St Peter’s Parish Church, Ruddington

7.30pm

Ruddington and District Choral Society with piano, chamber orchestra, vocal soloists

conducted by Paul Hayward

Brahms A German Requiem (the arrangement for reduced instrumental forces by Ian Farrington)

Spreading the Kindness of Christmas

News

The Bingham & District Choral Society’s Christmas Concert is a hugely popular community event and a highlight of our winter programme. This year’s concert took place last Saturday at Bingham Methodist Church where we were joined once more by the wonderful Carnarvon Children’s choir. After the performance, there was a retiring collection for Framework, a Nottingham-based charity whose mission is to support and house homeless people. The collection raised the splendid sum of £400. Also included were  two hearing-aid batteries and a small Euro coin!

Video recording of Jubilee ‘Last Night of the Proms’ concert

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With sincere thanks to the students from Nottingham Trent University who created the video: Georgia Alvey (Producer, Editor and Vision Mixer), Hannah Barnaby, Haris Dar, Ollie Ellis (Camera Operators), Adam Oldfield (Production Assistant), Jack Perkins, Tyla Sutton, Joseph Hay, Joshua Thacker, Cameron Patrick, Ethan Stuart (Audio).

Many thanks also to Brad Poulson for his patience and technical wizardry in uploading the video to YouTube

 

 

 

Guy’s Long Walk – Final Round-Up

News

Guy’s heroic endeavour to walk from Land’s End to John ‘O Groats was followed eagerly by members of the choir in the summer. We are now able to announce that, as one of Guy’s four charities selected to benefit from the funds raised by his walk,  Bingham and District Choral Society will receive £3,121.60 . This is a splendid boost to the choir’s finances at a time when extra resources are badly needed. We are  hugely grateful to Guy and wish him every success in completing the walk in shorter stages over the next year or two.

LAND’S END TO …. ER …. ELLESMERE

Despite a great start, local musician Guy Turner’s solo attempt to walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats was cut short at Ellesmere. He woke up with a very painful foot, which was diagnosed as Plantar Fasciitis, brought on by constant heavy duty walking, and was forced to call a halt to the walk.

Guy has now returned to Nottinghamshire and his work as a singer in Southwell Minster Choir, and conducting Bingham Choral Society.

Despite the great disappointment, Guy prefers to emphasise the positive! He walked 468 miles in 28 walking days, which averages nearly 17 miles per day. He survived long walks and high hills during the heat wave. He has raised over £18,000 for his four charities. He met lots of interesting people and saw some amazing scenery. Even though shorter than planned it is an adventure he will never forget.

He plans to complete the journey over the next couple of years, but in short sections.

If you would like to read about his walk, all the daily blogs can still be found on his website, as can details of the charities and how to donate.

https://guyscottturner.wixsite.com/guygoesnorth