SATURDAY 23 NOVEMBER at 7.30pm
Church of St Wilfrid, Harrogate
Bach in the Dark: choral masterpieces for the season Remembrance by candlelight
We're looking forward to performing in the beautiful and resonant church of St Wilfrid's in Harrogate. The programme includes J. S. Bach's motet Jesu meine freude (not in the dark, but candlelit!), Tomas Luis de Victoria's Requiem Mass and Allegri's Miserere. If you are able to travel over to Harrogate, it would be nice to see familiar faces!
Tickets (£10, £3 (16 and under)) may be bought on the door (payment by card or cash).
They are also available in advance from Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bach-in-the-dark-choral-masterpieces-by-candlelig-tickets-77730186079?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
SUNDAY 15 DECEMBER: A CEREMONY OF CAROLS
We return to the National Centre for Early Music for our seasonal concert, with Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, scored for sopranos and harp, as its centre-piece. Britten's work was composed as he travelled back to England after three years in America, so it seems fitting that this year we feature Christmas music by American composers. Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium and Whitacre's Lux aurumque are regularly included in the repertoire of English choirs, but the familiarity of these works has overshadowed pieces by more recent composers, including Stephen Paulus, Jake Runestad and Craig Hella Johnson. While inevitably the English choral tradition has influenced these composers, so too has more indigenous influence of gospel and jazz!
Tickets (£15, £12 (concessions) £5 (student) may be bought on the door (payment by card or cash).
They are also available in advance from Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-ceremony-of-carols-2019-tickets-74821245359?aff=erelexpmlt
2. 2020 concert dates
Please save these dates for your diaries! More details to follow in the new year.
Sunday 10 January - Wassail Dinner
Saturday 7 March - Pergolesi Stabat mater
Saturday 9 May - Music for a shared earth
Saturday 18 July - 25th anniversary concert
Saturday 3 October - Path of Miracles
Saturday 21 November - St Cecilia Gala concert
Sunday 20 December - A Ceremony of Carols
3. Supporting the choir
Those who attended our October concert in the Chapter House may have spoken to Rachel Webber, soprano in the choir, and our Fundraising Coordinator. We are grateful for the support of our audience "family" who attend our concerts, we are now delighted to announce our brand new patrons scheme for those who wish to extend their support further. There are different tiers of support paid for per annum which include a variety of perks such as complimentary tickets, invitations to Friends events, and CDs of concert highlights.
There are various ways to let us know you wish to support us: you can visit https://membermojo.co.uk/eborsingers or email Rachel at support@eborsingers.org for a form to print and complete at home and send back. We look forward to hearing from you!
4. Choral scholars
Our 2019-20 scholars are Amy Walker (soprano), Charlotte Yandell (alto), Dom Wallis (tenor) and Jonty Ward (bass). There is some biog information on our website here
https://www.eborsingers.org/scholars, but if you really want to find about about their musical interests and ambitions, read on!
What has been your Ebor Singers highlight?
Amy (AW): Our last concert, The Northern Lights, was incredible and so fun to sing, but my all time favourite concert has to be the Earthrise Concert we did in May 2019. Performing the pieces in 360 in the Chapter house was an absolutely amazing, and unique, experience.
Charlotte (CY): Being a relatively new addition to the Ebor Singers, my highlights are currently a little limited; singing in The Chapter House for the first time was a very special experience for me and if our most recent concert is anything to go by, it’s going to be a fantastic year ahead!
Dom (DW): Our performance of Alex Roth's spectacular "Earthrise" in 2019. The work is written in 40 parts and is designed to capture the first-ever picture of the Earth from space. It was unlike anything I had ever sung before and, performed amidst the stunning setting of the chapter house, the whole experience was pretty special.
Jonty (JW): The “5 minute tea break” frequently stretching to 20.
What style/genre of music do you especially enjoy singing?
AW: I personally love all things Early Music, particularly the Baroque!
CY: This is such a hard question - you could find me singing nursery rhymes, war-time favourites, Elgar song cycles or Handel arias in any given week! I think opera is particularly distinctive though; the repertoire provides a welcome challenge, whilst allowing you the freedom to identify with different characters and explore such a huge variety of emotions.
DW: I'm really enjoying contemporary sacred repertoire at the moment, in particular, the work of James Macmillan. My favourite works to sing are probably the Bach Motets. Renaissance music can also be really exciting, and there are some fantastic pieces of Tomas Victoria which are fun to work on, especially in a small group.I'm really enjoying contemporary sacred repertoire at the moment, in particular, the work of James Macmillan. My favourite works to sing are probably the Bach Motets. Renaissance music can also be really exciting, and there are some fantastic pieces of Tomas Victoria which are fun to work on, especially in a small group.
JW: Well this is too hard to answer with one thing: In a concert setting Late Renaissance, in a liturgical setting early twentieth century bangers from British composers and in a solo recital setting all things Finzi, Howells and Vaughan Williams.
Who or what has inspired you most as a singer?
AW: For me it's all my music teachers, directors, and family members that have encouraged me throughout my life. I'm very fortunate to have had some great support from these people, without which I definitely wouldn't have believed in myself enough to do music to this level!
CY: I have been taught by some wonderful teachers, who no doubt have had an influence. However, I now draw inspiration from the people that I work with: a child’s smile as they hear their favourite nursery rhyme; a gentleman’s laugh as he listens to his childhood favourite; the sheer joy on a lady’s face as her forgotten memories are evoked through song.
DW: Being involved with the National Youth Boys Choir and hearing Main Choir, the flagship group within the organisation, perform with us. It inspired me to keep going and moving up through each tier of the organisation. I left last year, having spent close to a decade in their choirs, and I owe a huge amount to those who taught us for where I am today. I would definitely recommend the experience for any aspiring singers.
JW: Hearing pro groups sing live is always inspiring, Tenebrae (love them or hate them) create an awe inspiring sound. People that have inspired me include Simon Keenlyside who told me I should sing for a living when I was a chorister and of course Alex Ashworth my singing teacher.
What is your biggest challenge as a performer?
AW: Performance anxiety. I used to get ridiculously nervous about performing, but having so many opportunities (and a strong support network!) has helped me manage this. I do still get nervous for some performances, but mostly I try to focus on how much I enjoy it rather than worrying about things that might go wrong.
CY: First and foremost, definitely nerves! I think everyone experiences some level of performance anxiety before taking the stage and the psychologist within me knows the importance of channelling it into a passionate performance… I just have to keep reminding myself!
DW: Sight reading! Having recently started singing regular evensongs at York Minster I'm having to adapt to minimal rehearsal time each day. It's stressful, but the pace of work there means we cover lots of fantastic music and nothing ever feels stale and over-worked. It's incredibly rewarding when it goes well!
JW: My biggest challenge as a performer has been to not get frustrated by my own mistakes, and to smile.
What do you hope to achieve professionally in the next five years?
AW: I'd love to have some sort of portfolio career in the arts sector. Being able to perform, teach, and do some arts admin alongside is the dream - I'd definitely like variety in what I do.
CY: I’ve recently set up my own business delivering interactive music sessions to children and vulnerable adults in the community and I’m thoroughly looking forward to watching it evolve over the coming years. I’m a huge advocate of the Music for Dementia campaign; therefore, I am hoping to ensure that the majority of care home residents in York have the opportunity to engage with music as a medium for education, therapy and improvement of life.
DW: More singing! I would love to work regularly in one of the London cathedrals one day and sing with groups such as The Sixteen and Tenebrae. I would also like to explore some solo repertoire and perform recitals on my own.
JW: I hope to be singing professionally as a soloist or consort singer in and around London, and if that fails then managing or directing a small group or arts organisation.
