Addison Singers winter classical concert, Saturday 13 December 2008
Oratorio Choir and Chamber Choir
Conducted by David Wordsworth
Organist Edward Kemp-Luck
7.30pm, St John’s Church, Mattock Lane, West Ealing, London W13 9LA
View location map (opens in new window)
(nearest tube - Ealing Broadway)
Programme
- St Nicholas Cantata by Britten
- Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Vaughan Williams
- The Twelve Days of Christmas by Chilcott
- New carols by Kenneth Hesketh and Richard Causton
The Addison Singers perform for the first time at St John's, Ealing
with a programme that's the well-known Addison mix of the familiar, the
less familiar and the brand new.
Take Santa Claus. Cuddly old chap with a beard given to mysterious
arrivals by sled to deliver presents. In fact, the original St Nicholas
was the Bishop of Myra in ancient Anatolia, patron saint of children,
seamen and travellers. Legend has it that a famine struck an island
where a butcher slaughtered and butchered three children, putting their
bodies in a barrel to cure, planning to sell them off as ham. St
Nicholas, visiting the region to care for the hungry, resurrected the
pickled boys with his prayers. This bizarre interlude is captured by
Benjamin Britten in the St Nicholas Cantata which, with its exotic
orchestra of strings, piano duet, organ and percussion, makes up the
second half of the concert. The audience will be invited to sing along
at key points in the action.
The programme opens with one of the most popular Christmas choral works,
the Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Founded on a
number of popular traditional carols such as The Truth Sent From Above
and Come All You Worthy Gentlemen the composer also cleverly manages to
weave in fragments of other carols during the course of the piece,
making a true seasonal celebration.
The Oratorio Choir also sing Bob Chilcott's witty contemporary take on
The Twelve Days of Christmas. It would spoil the surprise to reveal
exactly what happens but there can't be any doubt that the piece will
give people something to talk about during the interval!
Between these two pieces, the Chamber Choir sing carols by Parry,
Mathias and more recent pieces by two leading young British composers -
Kenneth Hesketh's arrangement of the traditional carol Sleep, Holy Babe
and a new piece especially written for the Addison Singers and receiving
its world premiere at this concert - Cradle Song by Richard Causton.
Tickets
On the door: £10
(concessions £8, under 16s £2).
In advance: £9 (concessions £7, under 16s £2).
Apply by post before 6 December. Please send payment - cheque payable to
The Addison Singers - and your name, address, telephone number, and a
stamped self-addressed envelope to AGS Tickets Classical Concert, 1A
Raynham Road, London W6 0HY.
Download concert poster (PDF file)
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