A Time There Was...
7.30pm
Friday 18th December
Upper Chapel
Time present, and time past
Are both perhaps present in time future,
And time future contained in time past.
- Burnt Norton T S Eliot
Our programme takes us on a cosmopolitan Grand Christmas ‘time-shift’ Tour - yet it keeps a comforting welcome in the shires here at home. Expect a charged atmosphere with Dickensian resonances shifting between:
Christmas traditions past............
Traditional carols and frolicking folk inspired music, some with a ‘twist’ offering new arrangements ranging from Renaissance polyphony , a London Waits medley, Spanish dance rhythm and a ‘Sheffield’ carol.
Celebrating Christmas present ................
Howells (not the Carol-Anthems), Warlock and a journey to Denmark with Niels Gade and to Estonia with Veljo Tormis – a favourite composer of the choir throughout this last year.
Premonitions of Christmases future...........
Shiny new composing talent set to become embedded in our Christmas choral tradition – Expressive, atmospheric and dramatic contemporary carols, including Matthew Martin, Will Todd, Jonathan Dove and Francis Pott.
The VIVA VOCE PLAYERS ,drawn from the choir, with guest artist – Violinist, Ralph Dawson accompany some numbers and present Christmas offerings by Schoenberg, Finzi and Liszt.
All topped off with ‘cool’ Christmas a cappella crooning from across the Atlantic. So......’Let it snow!’ and come ‘back to the future’ with VIVA VOCE and share in our Advent revelry & celebration.
Performed for your delectation in the awesome acoustic of the Upper Chapel our favourite venue - fit for gallery carols and resplendent renaissance polyphony alike.