Next Concert: Choir and Merry Organ – 8th October – Sharow

 

We enjoy rehearsing and performing in the beautifully reordered church at Sharow. Now the organ has been restored as well, and to celebrate it we welcome Tim Harper, Assistant Director of Music at Ripon Cathedral. As always, our concert will include both well-loved favourites and  works heard less often. Tim will accompany the choir in some pieces and will also get the chance to show us how the organ performs in two solo interludes.

The programme will include:

• Jesu, joy of man’s desiring – J S Bach
• Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace – S S Wesley
• Abendlied – Rheinberger
• The Lord is my Shepherd – Howard Goodall
• If ye love me – Philip Wilby
• The Word made flesh – Philip Wilby
• Cantique de Jean Racine – Fauré
• God so loved the world – Stainer
• O nata lux – Tallis
• O radiant dawn – James MacMillan
• And I saw a new heaven – Bainton
• How lovely are thy dwellings – Brahms
• Zadok the Priest – Handel

The conductor is Sam Gardner and the concert will start at 7.30 pm.

 

Past Concert: Folk in Harmony – Masham on 21st May

We presented a light-hearted summer concert in St Mary’s Church, Masham HG4 4EQ. The concert featured familiar folk songs arranged for the choir, but will also include some old favourites (by Bruckner, Purcell and Parry) and introduce some less well-known works.

The concert was to raise funds for the Marie Collins Foundation, which is based in Masham, but works across the UK to enable children who suffer sexual abuse and exploitation on-line to recover and live safe, fulfilling lives. Tickets cost £10 (£5 for under-19s) and can be bought from the Masham Community Office (01765 680200) or from the Marie Collins Foundation (01765 688827).

The programme was:

• Linden Lea –  Ralph Vaughan Williams 
• The Turtle Dove – Ralph Vaughan Williams 
• Sweet Suffolk owl – Vautor
• Flora gave me fairest flowers – Wilbye
• Adieu ye city prisoning towers – Tomkins
• Who shall win my lady fair – Pearsall
• O who will o’er the downs so free – Pearsall 
• Abendlied – Rheinberger
• Locus Iste – Bruckner
• Hear my prayer – Purcell 

• Music, when soft voices die – Parry
• The Blue Bird – Stanford
• The Keel Row (arr Byrt )
• The Oak and the Ash (arr Bairstow)
• Swansea Town – (arr Holst)
• Afton Water (arr Wilcocks )
• Faithful Johnny (arr Byrt)
• I Love my Love (arr Holst)
• And So It Goes – Billy Joel
• Shenandoah 

Concert: Spring Beckons – 6 February

In the resonant acoustic of St John’s Church Sharow, we present a concert covering 400 years of unaccompanied chamber music. There will be old favourites and new discoveries, and this time we end with a three-minute Messiah! The programme includes familiar works by Tallis, Rachmaninov, Parry and Stanford. The choir will also sing Monteverdi – Cantate Domino, Victoria -O quam gloriosum and two modern classics: The Lamb by John Tavener and Eric Whitacre’s Sleep.

The concert will be conducted by Sam Gardner and starts at 7.30 pm. Tickets cost £10, or £5 for under-19s.

The full programme is as follows:

• God so loved the world – Stainer

• If ye love me – Tallis

• O nata lux – Tallis

• Let all Mortal flesh – Bairstow

• Bogoroditse Dyevo – Rachmaninov

• Dostoino est – Tchaikovsky

• Cantate Domino  – Monteverdi

• O quam gloriosum – Victoria

• Set me as a seal – Walton

• My soul, there is a country – Parry

• As Torrents in Summer – Elgar

• My spirit sang all day – Finzi

• Thou knowest, Lord – Purcell

• The Lamb – Tavener

• Sleep – Eric Whitacre

• Parting Friends – arr McCurry

• The long day closes – Sullivan

• See, see the shepherds’ Queen – Tomkins

• Since Robin Hood – Weelkes

• Sing we at pleasure – Weelkes

• Justorum Animae – Stanford

• Beati Quorum Via – Stanford

• Three-minute Messiah

Past Concert: Thank Heavens! – St James Church Boroughbridge – Saturday 17 October

Church of St James Boroughbridge

The magnificent Hill organ at Boroughbridge Church is in need of restoration, so please join us to help raise the money!

As usual, our concert will include some old favourites and some pieces which are likely to be new to you.

We are delighted to welcome Thomas Leech as our accompanist for this concert. Thomas, who is currently the director of the Bradford Festival Choral Society, has played in St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and York Minster. His broadcast credits include BBC1, Classic FM, and Radio 2, 3 and 4.

The concert will be conducted by Sam Gardner, and starts at 7.30 pm. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for those under 19.

The programme is:

• Laudibus in Sanctis – Byrd
• Laetentur Coeli – Francis Jackson
• Rejoice in the Lord alway – Henry Purcell
• Ipsa Vivere – Tarik O’Regan
• A Prayer of Henry VI – Gabriel Jackson
• Tantum Ergo – Francis Jackson
• In Youth is Pleasure – Howells
• Ave Verum Corpus – Mozart
• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – JS Bach 
• Hear my prayer – Mendelssohn
• Gaelic Blessing – Rutter
• Cantique de Jean Racine – Faure
• The Heavens are Telling (from The Creation) – Haydn

Past Concert – Sounds Glorious! – 9 May 2015

Saturday 9 May 2015 at 7.30 pm

Church of St Chad on the Knavesmire, Campleshon Road,York

We are delighted to have the assistance of the Field Quartet and friends in this concert supporting the work of the North Yorkshire Music Therapy Centre. Geoffrey Coffin will be playing the organ.

At 6 pm there will be a pre-concert talk by Prof. Helen Odell-Miller on the role of music therapy in dementia care, followed by light refreshments for ticket holders.

Programme:

• Laudibus in Sanctis – Byrd
• My Promise – Richard Allain
• Puer Nobis – Richard Rodney Bennett
• Flower Songs – Britten
  • The Succession of the Four Sweet Months
  • Ballad of Green Broom
• The Turtle Dove – Vaughan Williams
• Ave Verum Corpus – Mozart
• Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring – JS Bach
• The Heavens are Telling (from The Creation) – Haydn
• Gloria – Vivaldi

Concert – English Song – 7 February 2015

Saturday 7 February 2015 at 7.30 pm

Church of St John the Evangelist, Sharow, Ripon

In the beautifully-updated church at Sharow, we celebrate five hundred years of English Song (with a few foreign guest appearances).

Programme:

• In Youth is Pleasure – Howells
• Walking in the Snow – Howells
• Here is the Little Door – Howells
• Linden Lea – Vaughan Williams
• The Blue Bird – Stanford
• Songs of Farewell – Parry
  • My Soul,  there is a Country
  • Never Weather-Beaten Sail
  • There is an Old Belief
  • I know my soul hath power to know all things
• See, see the Shepherds’ Queen – Tomkins
• Since Robin Hood -Weelkes
• Sing we at pleasure – Weelkes
• Sweet Suffolk Owl – Vautour
• Flora gave me fairest flowers – Wilbye
• Adieu ye city-prisoning towers – Tomkins
• Music, when soft voices die – Parry
• Water Night – Whitacre
• Billy Joel: And So It Goes
• Shenandoah
• Locus Iste – Bruckner
• Beati Quorum Via – Stanford
• My Spirit Sang All Day – Finzi

 

Concert – Favourites and Discoveries – 25 October 2014

Saturday 25 October 2014 at 7.30 pm

Harrogate Road Methodist Church Ripon

 

We sing a mixture of old favourites and new discoveries in this concert to raise funds for the church.

Programme:

• A New Song – MacMillan
• Blessed City, Heavenly Salem – Bairstow
• Jubilate Deo – Britten
• Quatre Motets – Duruflé
• Benedictus Deus – MacMillan
• The Lord is my Shepherd – Goodall
• O Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem – Howells
• O how amiable are they dwellings – Vaughan Williams
• Cantique de Jean Racine – Fauré
• Locus Iste – Bruckner
• Thou knowest, Lord – Purcell
• In the Mood
  • Night and Day
  • Blue Moon
  • Autumn Leaves
  • Let’s Do It

Perfecting your sound – an interactive, practical workshop for singers Saturday 27 September

Sharow Church

Saturday 27^th September 2014 10.30am – 4pm

St John’s Church, Berrygate Lane, Sharow, Ripon HG4 5BJ

Have you ever heard a singer and wondered how they make such a rich, beautiful sound so effortlessly?

“Perfecting your sound” is a one day workshop focusing on improving your vocal technique, sound and control and enabling you to become a better choral singer.

Hosted by the St Paulinus Singers, this enjoyable, engaging workshop will enhance your technique, give you the tools to sing high notes effortlessly and help you understand how to get the best out of your voice through interactive, practical advice and exercises.

Programme

10.30 Welcome from Miles Dunn, Chair, St Paulinus Singers

10.35 Warm-up and basic singing technique

10.50 Session 1 – “Sound and preparation” Susan Hollingworth

• singing expressively
• improving sound quality
• high notes
• singing quietly
• vocal health

12.30 “Bring and Share” Lunch – please bring a contribution

2.00 Session 2 – “Performance” Sam Gardner

• Ensemble singing
• Singing with your ears
• Engaging your audience

The day will end with an opportunity to put everything you have learnt into practice in a series of informal group performances.

Repertoirefor the day will be If ye love me by Thomas Tallis and Bogoroditse Dyevo by Rachmaninov.

Copies will be provided on the day.

Fee
£15 – please pay cash on the day.

How to book
To reserve your place at this event please email samgardnermd@gmail.com.

Past Concert: From an English Country Garden – Saturday 17 May 2014

An evening of song with a floral theme.

The programme is:

Look up, sweet babe – Lennox Berkeley

The Lord is my Shepherd – Lennox Berkeley

And I saw a New Heaven – Bainton

Like as the Hart – Howells

God so loved the world – Stainer

O Praise Him – Tchaikovsky

As Torrents in Summer – Elgar

Flower Songs – Britten

Trois Chansons de Charles D’ Orleans – Debussy

The Blue Bird – Stanford

Songs of Springtime – Moeran

Night and Day

Summertime

This concert was to raise funds for Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. The conductor was Sam Gardner and the organist  David Darling.

 

Concert: Ripon Cathedral on Thursday 22 May 2014

The internationally-acclaimed Missouri State University Concert Chorale toured the UK in May. We were delighted to have been asked to share in their concert at Ripon Cathedral. Our contribution to the programme will be:

God so loved the world – Stainer

My soul, there is a country – Parry

Beati Quorum via – Stanford

The Blue Bird – Stanford

Songs of Springtime – Moeran

Britten Flower Songs

Bogoroditse Dyevo – Rachmaninov

O praise Him – Tchaikovsky

The St Paulinus Singers are conducted by Sam Gardner.