Reflection: Choral music to nurture the soul
Sunday 2nd April 2017
Concert at 4.00pm, tea & cakes at 5.00pm
followed by Choral Evensong service at 6.00pm
St Barnabas Church, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard
Following the great successes of previous ‘Concert & cakes’ afternoon recitals, the Linsdale Singers celebrate their 40th anniversary with two Sunday afternoon events that both include choral evensong after the short concert followed by tea & cakes. Both concerts were in the Singers’ ‘home’ church of St Barnabas in Linslade with its superb acoustics for choral music. The Choir always enjoys singing in St Barnabas and they are always made very welcome.
This first concert, on Passion Sunday, showcased the serious side of the Linsdale Singers. The main work in the concert was Herbert Howell’s sublime Requiem for unaccompanied double choir and soloists. Until recently the Requiem was thought to have been composed in response to the tragic death of the composer’s son, Michael, who died aged 9; however, it is now known it was originally intended for the choir of King’s College, Cambridge. For some reason the music was never perforemd when it was composed in 1932/3, and its existence remained unknown until it was published in 1980 – three years before the composer’s death. However, substantial parts of the Requiem are used in Howells’s masterpiece cantata Hymnus Paradisi which is certainly intended as a memorial to his son.
Also included in the concert was part 1 of the Lamentations of Jeremiah by Thomas Tallis, a set of spirituals arranged by Richard Allain, and anthems for the season of Lent.
The evensong service at 6.00pm comprised music and readings appropriate for Passion Sunday, including Oculi omnium by Charles Wood and Open Thou mine eyes by John Rutter. The Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis settings were those in Bb by the Singers’ musical director, Dennis Pim. The Choir always enjoys singing these and has sung them a number of times during cathedral visits.
Entry to the concert and tea was £5 at the door with all proceeds going towards the work and upkeep of the Church. In addition, the concert was part of the Leighton Linslade 2017 Oxjam Music Festival, so there was a retiring collection which raised about £150 for the work of Oxfam. Attendance at the Choral Evensong service was of course free.
Details of the Choir’s second 40th anniversary concert on Sunday 16th July 2017 can be found here.
