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 |
