A Prayer for Peace and Light
St Mary the Virgin Church, Witney, Saturday 22nd February
Conductor: George Parris
Cello: Nicola Tait Baxter
Programme
John Tavener, O do not move
John Tavener, Svyati ‘O Holy One’
John Tavener, Threnos for solo cello
Pyotr IIyich Tchaikovsky, Hymn of the Cherubim
Galina Grigorjeva, Molitva ‘Prayer’
Galina Grigorjeva, There will come soft rains
Frederic Rzewski, I will not serve
Valentin Silvestrov, Prayer to Ukraine
Carols by Candlelight
St Peter’s Church, Hook Norton, Sunday 8th December
Conductor: Hugh Beckwith
Organist: Colin Millington
Programme
Audience Carol (Trad.), O come, O come Emmanuel
Anon, Synge we to þis mery cumpane
Harold Darke, In the bleak midwinter
Anon. (arr. A Carter), Angelus ad Virginem
Trad. (arr. J Clements), Gabriel’s Message
John Joubert, There is no rose
English trad. (arr. R Jacques), The Holly and the Ivy
Cornish trad. (arr. J Rutter), Sans Day Carol
Elizabeth Poston, Jesus Christ, the apple tree
Audience carol, We Three Kings of Orient are
French trad, Noël nouvelet!
Alec Roth, Love is come again
Carl Rütti, I wonder as I wander
Morten Laurisden, O Magnum Mysterium
Liz Dilnot Johnson, For this babe
Trad. (arr. W J Kirkpatrick/R. Jacques), Away in a manger
Hector Berlioz, Shepherd’s Farewell
Old Basque trad. (arr. Willcocks), The Infant King
arr. Perry, Calypso Carol
Audience carol, O come all ye faithful
Victoria Requiem by Candlelight
St Mary’s Church, Adderbury, Saturday 19th October
Conductor: George Parris
Organist: Adrian Moore
Programme details
Alonso Lobo, Versa est in luctum
Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla , Cirumdederunt me
Arvo Pärt, Virgencita
Tomas Luis de Victoria, Requiem
Tomas Luis de Victoria, Versa est in luctum
A Song of June
St Kenelm’s Church, Enstone, Sunday 9th June
Conductor: George Parris
Programme details
Robert Fayrfax, O lux beata trinitas
Anon., Sumer is icumen in
Benjamin Britten arr. Jeffrey Skidmore, Cuckoo
John Bennet, All creatures now are merry-minded
Edward Elgar, My love dwelt in a northern land
Trad. arr. Donald Cashmore, My love is like a red red rose
William Harris, Bring us, O Lord God
Heino Kaski, Kesäyö (Summer night)
Jonathan Harvey, Song of June
Camille Saint-Saens, Calme des nuits
George Parris, Adlestrop
Benjamin Britten, Concord, Choral Dance No. 2
In Praise of Spring
Chipping Norton Town Hall, Saturday 16th March
Conductor: George Parris
Piano: Susie Allan
Programme details
Ethel Smyth, A Spring Canticle
Lili Boulanger, Hymne au Soleil (Hymn to the Sun)
Piano solo – Edvard Grieg, Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34, No. 2: Våren (Last Spring)
E.J. Moeran, To Daffodils
Benjamin Britten The Evening Primrose
Roderick Williams, Eriskay Love Lilt
Johannes Brahms, Fier Quartette (Four Quartets), Op. 92
i. O schöne nacht (O beautiful night)
ii. Spätherbst (Late Autumn)
iii. Abendlied (Evening song)
iv. Warum? (Why?)
Gustav Holst, I love my love
Piano solo – Edvard Grieg, Lyric Pieces Op. 43, no. 6: Till Våren. (To the Spring)
Peaceful was the night
St Peter’s, Hook Norton, Saturday 9th December 2023
We were delighted to welcome a new guest conductor, Edward Caswell, for this concert. Edward is a versatile and internationally respected choral conductor, singer and teacher, with a reputation for approaching choral conducting from a singer’s perspective. Since 2004 he has worked with professional choirs, amateur choirs and student choirs throughout Europe, particularly in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and France.
| Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël: 1 O magnum mysterium Hosanna to the Son of David Vigilate Alleluia! I heard a voice There is no rose Christmas Eve Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël: 2 Quem vidistis pastores dicite Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël: 3 Videntes stellam Lulla, lullaby Gloria in excelsis Deo Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël: 4 Hodie Christus natus est Bethlehem Down | Francis Poulenc Thomas Weelkes William Byrd Thomas Weelkes Cecilia McDowall Kim Porter Francis Poulenc Francis Poulenc William Byrd Thomas Weelkes Francis Poulenc Peter Warlock |
Choral Favourites
St Mary’s, Chipping Norton, 21st October 2023
Conductor: George Parris
| Cherubic Hymn No. 1 Te lucis ante terminum | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky |
| Sicut cervus | Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina |
| Mother of God here I stand | John Tavener |
| Three motets, Op. 38 Justorum animae Coelos ascendit hodie Beati quorum via | Charles Villiers Stanford |
| Lauantaisauna (Saturday sauna) | Matthew Whittall |
| Like as the hart | Judith Weir |
| Drei gemischte Chöre (Three Mixed Choruses) Abendfeier in Venedig Vorwärts Gondoliera | Clara Schumann |
| Ave Maria | Robert Parsons |
| Nobody knows, from Five Spirituals | Michael Tippett (arr.) |
| Ubi caritas | Maurice Duruflé |
| Sleep | Eric Whitacre |
Previous Concerts
From dusk till dawn
St Etheldreda’s Church, Horley, June 10th 2023
Conductor: Mark Jordan
| Thomas Tallis | Te lucis ante terminum |
| John Wilbye | Draw on Sweet Night |
| Annabel Rooney | Round me falls the night |
| Thomas Tallis | O nata lux |
| Eric Whitacre | Nox Aurumque |
| Morten Lauridsen | Sure on this shining night |
| Arvo Pärt | Fur Alina |
| Kate Rusby arr Jim Clements | Underneath the Stars |
| Ēriks Ešenvalds | Only in sleep |
| Eric Whitacre | Sleep |
| Edward Elgar arr John Cameron | Lux Aeterna |
| Morten Lauridsen | O nata lux |
| James MacMillan | O Radiant Dawn |
| Alexander L’Estrange | Lighten our darkness |
The wondrous cross
St Peter’s Church, Hook Norton, March 18th 2023
Conductor: Bernard West
| Charles Wood | Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle from The Passion of our Lord (according to St Mark) |
| Bob Chilcott | It is a thing most wonderful from Five Passion Hymns |
| Thomas Weelkes | Hosanna to the Son of David |
| Max Bruch | Palmsonntagmorgen |
| Trad Spiritual arr. Moses Hogan | Ride on, King Jesus |
| Felice Anerio | Christus factus est |
| Bob Chilcott | Drop, drop, slow tears from Five Passion Hymns |
| Maurice Duruflé | Ubi Caritas |
| Déodat de Séverac | Tantum ergo |
| Cecilia McDowall | Adoro te devote |
| Bob Chilcott | Jesus, grant me this, I pray from Five Passion Hymns |
| Frederick Ouseley | O Saviour of the World |
| Sarah MacDonald | Crux fidelis |
| Bob Chilcott | There is a green hill from Five Passion Hymns |
| William Byrd | Ne Irascaris Domine/Civitas Sancti Tui |
| Kenneth Leighton | Solus ad victimam |
| Bob Chilcott | When I survey from Five Passion Hymns |
| John Sanders | Reproaches |
| Amy Beach | Peace I leave with you |
Sweet was the song
St Nicholas Church, Chadlington, December 3rd 2022
Conductor: Sarah Tenant-Flowers
| Piae Cantiones arr David Willcocks | Unto us is born a Son |
| French 15th century arr David Willcocks | O come, o come Emmanuel |
| Boris Ord | Adam lay ybounden |
| Bob Chilcott | The Pear Tree Carol |
| arr Sarah Tenant-Flowers | Cherry Tree Carol |
| H J Gauntlett and A H Mann arr David Willcocks | Once in royal David’s city |
| Dutch arr Charles Woods | King Jesus hath a garden |
| Tomas Luis de Victoria | Ne timeas Maria |
| W Ballet arr Geoffrey Shaw | Lute-Book Lullaby |
| 14th century arr David Willcocks | Resonemus laudibus |
| English trad arr David Willcocks | God rest you merry |
| M Leontovich arr P J Wilhousky | Carol of the bells |
| Ukrainian trad arr Sarah Tenant-Flowers | Dobry vechir |
| Kerensa Briggs | A tender shoot |
| Samuel Scheidt | Puer natus in Bethlehem |
| Felix Mendelssohn | Hark! the herald angels sing |
| Eric Whitacre | Sainte-Chapelle |
| arr Antony Pitts | We three kings of Orient are |
| Oliver Tarney | The wise man and the star |
| English trad arr John Rutter | Here we come a-wassailing |
| Piae Cantiones arr Reginald Jacques | Good King Wenceslas |
| Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane arr Sarah Tenant-Flowers | Have yourself a merry little Christmas |
Many Waters
St Kenelm’s Church, Enstone, 25th October 2022
Conductor: Sarah Tenant-Flowers
| Ralph Vaughan Williams | The Dark Eyed Sailor |
| Kerry Andrew | All Things are Quite Silent |
| Arr. Elizabeth Poston | The Water of Tyne |
| James MacMillan | Lassie, Wad ye Loe Me? |
| Samuel Barber | To be Sung on the Water Op.42 No 2 |
| Aaron Copland | The Boatmen’s Dance |
| Rani Arbo Arr. Martin Schröder | Crossing the Bar |
| Charles Hubert Parry | Crossing the Bar |
| Jaakko Mäntyjärvi | Canticum Calamitatis Maritimae |
| Don Macdonald | Ave Maris Stella |
| Imogen Holst | A Hymne to Christ |
| John Ireland | Greater Love hath No Man |
Quia Ergo Femina
Church of St Peter and St Paul, Deddington, 25th June 2022
Conductor: Mark Jordan
| Hildegard of Bingen | Quia Ergo Femina |
| Barbara Strozzi | Silentio Nocivo |
| Eleanor Daley | In Remembrance (from Requiem) |
| Judith Weir | Illuminare Jerusalem |
| Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel | Schőne Fremde, from Gärtenlieder |
| Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel | Lockung “Hőrst du nicht die Bäume rauschen”, from Gärtenlieder |
| Claudia Rusca | Adoramus Te |
| Rebecca Clarke | Ave Maria |
| Isabella Leonarda | Alma Redemptoris Mater |
| Cheryl Frances-Hoad | Introit |
| Kerry Andrew | O Lux Beata Trinitas |
| Rebecca Clarke | Weep you no more sad fountains |
| Cheryl Frances-Hoad | Blessing |
| Raphaella Aleotti | Miserere |
| Vittoria Aleotti | Io v’amo vita mia |
| Annabel Rooney | Round me falls the night |
| Cecilia McDowall | Cantate Astra |
Winter Sun
Chipping Norton Town Hall, 27th February 2022
Conductor Sarah Tenant-Flowers
| Bob Chilcott | Midwinter |
| Don MacDonald | Winter Sun |
| Gustav Holst | Hymn to the Dawn, from Rig Veda (Group 3) Op26 |
| Gustav Holst | Hymn to the Waters, from Rig Veda (Group 3) Op26 |
| Gustav Holst | Hymn to Vena, from Rig Veda (Group 3) Op26 |
| Gustav Holst | Hymn of the Travellers, from Rig Veda (Group 3) Op26 |
| Samuel Barber | To be Sung on the Water |
| Don MacDonald | Selene’s Boat |
| Jussi Chydenius | Deep in the Night |
| Alex Roth | Stand and Stare, from Stargazer |
| Alex Roth | The Star-lit Stairs, from Stargazer |
| Alex Roth | Star-struck, from Stargazer |
| Alex Roth | In the Train, from Stargazer |
| Ward Swingle | Give us this Day |
| Randall Thompson | The Lord Is My Shepherd |
