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See another vesrsion of our Flashmob on the carousel in Honfleur

See our Flashmob on the carousel in Honfleur

Evening with Ghislaine Morgan

Another great evening with international vocal and choral coach Ghislaine Morgan as we prepare for next Saturday, 15th March, when we shall be performing Brahms' Requiem at St John's Epping CM16 5DN.
Valentine Singers will be joined by soloists Sarah Stroh and Paul Sheehan plus piano duet Caroline Finlay and Tim Smith.
Tickets online at http://www.valentinesingers.org/ticket.html

Clare visited us at Valentine Singers a few weeks ago and this is her feedback

I recently joined the Valentine Singers for an evening to sample a rehearsal and I can honestly say it's one of the friendliest choirs I've ever visited. Within five minutes I'd been spoken to by more people than in my first five months in the choir I currently sing with. Several people checked that I had the right music and a good seat with the rest of the sopranos. I'm an experienced singer but I felt that there would have been lots of support available if I'd been less confident about finding my way round the score. The warm-ups before serious work on the Messiah got started were excellent and I was really impressed by the way Christine understood the different abilities of her singers and made sure everyone in the choir was catered for, from making sure they could all see her to helpful note-bashing of tricky corners. There was a lovely atmosphere and I'm just sorry I don't live close enough to be a regular member of the Valentine Singers.

Mirror of Perfection review

In tune with the forthcoming London Olympics, Valentine Singers presented a programme of British works by Vaughan Williams, Finzi and Blackford last Saturday evening.  The Singers were joined by the Jericho Ensemble and soloists Elizabeth Menezes (soprano) and John Llewelyn Evans (baritone).

Gerald Finzi’s Dies Natalis is a cantata for string orchestra and tenor or soprano soloist, and was not performed at the Three Choirs Festival until 1946 having been delayed by the outbreak of the Second World War. The delightful Elizabeth Menezes and the Jericho Ensemble provided the rich textures and long melodic lines for a very satisfying, lyrical performance of this evocative work.

The Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs ­- a collection of George Herbert texts - range from the melodic to the uplifting.  John Llewelyn Evans gave a fine performance, particularly in Love bade me welcome, and Valentine Singers were equally excellent whether accompanying the soloist in the final bars of I got me flowers or in the rousing final movement, Let all the world in every corner sing.

Richard Blackford’s Mirror of Perfection was written in the mid-1990s, his inspiration being the poetry of Saint Francis of Assisi. This work brought the Singers, both soloists and an augmented Jericho Ensemble together for settings of seven canticles.  From Canticle of the Furnace with its complex rhythmic patterns and angular lines from the string players to the calm and melodic final movement Canticle of Peace, the composer is urging the listener to confront our “age of spiritual emptiness and cultural decline”.

Directed by the excellent Christine Gwynn, Valentine Singers never fail to give the audience total commitment and a very professional performance. It is worth noting that they are offering three opportunities for you to join with them to discover (or rekindle) your love of singing at Choral Taster Workshops on the 6^th, 13^th and 20^th of July – phone 020 8504 1261 for details.

John Buckmaster

Brilliant review if you get the meaning!

This free performance of the famed Valentine Singers from London, was a hit!

Their alternating one-hour programme (a Capella) was the sweetest .... absentees were wrong

Thank you, ALBERT, for this wonderful invitation.

Until next week in the rehearsal, to fly with FULL CHEST in there ....

greetings to everyone from JOS, the portraits tractor.

Google translate I fear! I used that for the poster too, I wonder what it said!

CONCERT REVIEW

Valentine Singers

St Gabriel’s Church, Aldersbrook

Saturday 12 November 2011

Valentine Singers chose music from England and Austria at St Gabriel’s Church, Aldersbrook, presenting a varied programme of works by Britten, Bruckner and Tallis among others.

The concert opened with Charles Wood’s Oculi omnium, sung from the back of the church, and this was followed by Thomas Tallis’s Canon. While singing the Canon the choir processed to the front, using both sides of the church, resulting in a magical surround-sound effect for the audience. The first half of the concert continued with two wonderful performances of Bruckner motets, Ave Maria and Locus iste, which were full of expressive and well-controlled singing. Haydn’s Little Organ Mass closed the first half. This short Mass is a delight both to sing and listen to and the Valentine Singers did not disappoint. Special congratulations go to soprano Clare Gailans for her first class solo in the Benedictus.

Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb opened the second half – a rather eccentric work which the Singers performed with great skill, save a slight lack of incisiveness in the rhythmically complex second section. I am a big fan of Geoffrey Burgon’s works, but feel that his Nunc Dimittis needed a trumpet part in order to provide some contrast in sound and texture.

Frances, Emma and Peter Quintrell, Audrey Cassidy, Anthony Harrison and Andrew Taylor sang solo parts – all of them should feel proud of their contribution. The excellent David Sheppard was organist for the evening, and as usual the skills of conductor Christine Gwynn resulted in an enjoyable evening.

John Buckmaster

Rejoice! It's nearly Saturday

Really looking forward to this!

Concert Review of Judas Maccabaeus

This review was submitted to The Ilford Recorder but did not make the issue for W/E 10.04.11

As with most works by Handel, his oratorio Judas Maccabaeus oozes quality. The performance by Valentine Singers in the comfortable surroundings of St Gabriel's Church, Aldersbrook matched that quality from beginning to end.

Handel sets the scene with an overture and then continues to tell the audience the story of the second century B.C. Maccabean revolt through a series of recitatives, airs and choruses. Of the five fine soloists Jane Streeton and Paul Sheehan stood out with their assured delivery and unfailing quality.

The Jericho Ensemble was also excellent throughout.Wonderfully crisp and responsive, they laid a sure foundation for the soloists and chorus.

Valentine Singers is a fine choir - from their sensitive opening chorus to the joyous final Hallelujah, Amen (sung from memory) they displayed all that is good about choral singing, and their commitment and professionalism was evident right through this long, taxing oratorio. Conductor Christine Gwynn is not one to shirk a challenge - all credit to her for again bringing a major work to Redbridge, and with such style.

The next Valentine Singers concert - Music from Stage and Screen - takes place on Saturday 2nd July in Barnardos Church, Barkingside - pencil it in your diary!

John Buckmaster

Interesting concert

Some news from Laura Pease of a concert which VS members might be intrested in


Thursday evening at St Martin in the Field
American choral music including both versions of 'O nata lux', Songs and Sonnets and 'Sure on This Shinng Night' amongst other short items by other US composers

Tickets still available at St Martins web site stmartin-in-the-field.org


Thanks Laura

Samuel (Sure on this shining night) Barber

Not sure if anybody realised that 2010 is the centenary of Samuel Barbers birth. There is an interesting article about his life and music in today's Guardian (19th November) by the British pianist Leon McCawley
You can read it at http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/nov/18/samuel-barber

Over the moon with singers’ night shift

Valentine Singers were in nocturnal mood at Barnados Church on Saturday with a programme of music and words focused around the theme of night.

Nocturne included a cappella and accompanied vocal music, piano solos, and readings by members of the choir.

The varied items explored aspects of the night – its atmosphere, sounds and colours – as well as some of its more illicit activities, as in Kipling’s familiar poem, A Smuggler’s Song, expressively read by Pat Pretious.

Musical director Christine Gwynn drew well-controlled performances out of her singers, particularly with the lush harmonies of part songs by Elgar, Barnby and Sullivan, where tuning and blend were at their best.

A set of six vocal Nocturnes by Mozart showed off the choir’s potential for drama, charting the phases of a passionate love affair with plenty of vocal colour and dynamic range, as well as attention to the Italian diction, which was commendably clear. This was also notable in the choir’s delightful rendering of Vecchi’s Fa una canzona, which opened the concert.

Among the readings, I particularly enjoyed The Night Mail, W. H. Auden’s word-picture of the mail train’s journey with its precious cargo of letters. (Hard to imagine anyone writing a similar poem about The E-Mail!)

Soprano Clare Gailans and pianist Tim Smith gave a spacious and compelling performance of Britten’s Nocturne from On this Island.

And, for me, the Highlight of a pleasing evening’s entertainment was Smith’s eloquent account of Debussy’s Clair de Lune. It transported me from a hard pew and a damp chilly Ilford into the ravishing French moonlight.

MANDY BENTLEY - ILFORD RECORDER

Reviews of other concerts can be seen here www.valentinesingers.org/rev.html

The first outing of our promotional banner

on the grass area outside Barnardos Church

NOCTURNE

NOCTURNE

with Valentine Singers and friends
Conductor: Christine Gwynn

Piano: Tim Smith

Saturday 13^th November 7.30pm

The Barnardos Church, Tanners Lane, Barkingside IG6 1QG

An evening of words and music of the night - nocturnes, lullabies, serenades and more - featuring music by Mozart, Chopin, Sullivan, Gershwin and Debussy and poetry by Shakespeare, Kipling and Auden

www.valentinesingers.org 
Box office: 020 8501 0695

Full details on poster or via the choir’s website

News from ENO Baylis

The next ENO Baylis 'Know the Show' event is due to take place next January, although a date has not yet been fixed.
To get an idea of the flavour of these events there are pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/eno-baylis/sets/72157624811202206/ and videos at http://www.youtube.com/englishnationalopera of the recent event in August. Click on the 'Know the Show August 2010' icon to see videos of the opera choruses we rehearsed and of the parallel events for children.
The choruses were from Gounod Faust, Handel Radamisto and Coronation Anthems , Puccini La Boheme and Madame Butterfly, and Mozart Don Giovanni. We were led by Richard Frostick (free-lance music animateur) and Martin Fitzpatrick (ENO head of music) with Ben Frost at the piano.
The ENO is about to introduce two schemes that will allow adults to attend specific opera performances whilst their children/grandchildren etc. are otherwise entertained. 'Opera Tots' is for pre-school children aged 6 months to 4 years in a professional cheche, and 'Opera Stars' is a fun introduction to opera for those aged 7 to 12.
There was also some talk of a 'Community Choir' being set up by ENO Baylis.

You can find information about all the ENO's participatory events at http://www.eno.org/explore.

To Don!

Party Pieces may never be the same again....but there gain, Don will only be 80 once! It was our very special pleasure and honour to share our end of term bash with our esteemed President - and dear Doreen, of course - on his four-score birthday. Here is Vince's memorable tribute - sung to the tune of Schubert's setting of Shalespeare's To Sylvia ;-)

An Don (To Don)
Upon his eightieth birthday !

Happy greetings,
Don, dear maestro,
on this your four-score birthday.
Wholly loved,
and praised indeed,
for wisdom and great kindness.
Friend to all,
undoubtedly,
You’re our great celebrity !


Nineteen thirty.
Birthplace: Hoxton.
From there you have ascended.
Ivor Evans
made no mistake,
in giving you your first break !
Ever since,
from time to time,
you have reached such heights sublime !

Don, we thank you,
double forte,
and gladly sing your praises.
Valentine Singers,
is safe in care
of you, its founder member.
And we declare –
assuredly -
that you must our president be !

ENO Baylis 'Know the Show'

In most seasons the ENO Baylis programme runs a 'Know the Show' event, for adult non-professional singers, providing an opportunity to work with members of the ENO music staff and learn music from the ENO's repertoire.
For the Autum 2010 season a 2-day event is taking place at Cecil Sharp House (just North of Regents Park) on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th August, 10am to 4.15pm.
Participants can book for one or both days, and the repertoire (sung in English with music provided) is:
Thursday 26th Faust & Radamisto
Friday 27th La boheme & Don Giovanni
There is a parallel event for children aged 7 to 12.
I have taken part in several 'Know the Show' events, and can thoroughly recommend them; the music staff are brilliant, and usually members of the ENO chorus are present to sing with the sections.
Full details are on the ENO website at
http://www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?&itemid=914
Tickets can only be booked at the Box Office or by phone.

Mozart fest & feast

Here are some of the comments that have been sent in since Saturday's Mozart Evening:


From the audience
"Passionate singing"
"We want to thank you for a wonderful concert this evening. The choir gave us a lovely performance under your baton, and you got the very best from the soloists and the orchestra. Tim's majestic playing of the Piano concerto was thrilling."

From members of the professional orchestra
"fab concert"
"I thought it went really well on the night - the choir did a great performance!"
"A real pleasure to work with you "
"It was a lovely concert. Choir and soloists good too. Nice to work with you again"

From members of the choir
"Thanks again for a wonderful experience yesterday evening, I thoroughly enjoyed being part of it."
"Thanks to you for a great experience on Saturday....the concerto was sparkling"

Mozart Vespers K339

Can anyone shed light on the given title to this work - 'Vesperae solennes de confessore'
Its the 'confessore' bit that puzzles me. My basic Latin tells me this is one word for priest and I fully understand that up until the time of Mozart and Pope Benedict 14th, Vespers would have been sung exclusively by those ordained. So, in the light of the relaxation by Benedict and Archbishop Colloredo of Vienna, to allow secularisation of some religious music, would Mozart ascribe this work as being that of 'a priest'?
I've not been able to track this down in any reference book, but perhaps there's someone out there that does know??
As for the rest of the Latin text - I can manage to follow most of Psalms 110-113 and part 117, and of course the Magnificat - but if anyone does have a definitive translation it might be helpful to further understand the text we're singing.

Times review of Valentine Singers in Mahler 2

Here is the Times review of our performance of Mahler 2 and the Festival Hall on Sunday