Artist spotlight - Helen Charlston

Helen Charlston is alto soloist in our upcoming performance of Handel Messiah at the York Early Music Christmas Festival.  Acclaimed for her musical interpretation, presence and “warmly distinctive tone” (The Telegraph), Helen is quickly cementing herself as a key performer in the next generation of British singers. Helen won first prize in the 2018 Handel Singing Competition and was a finalist in the Hurn Court Opera Competition. She was a Rising Star of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment 2017-2019 and is a 2018 City Music Foundation Artist.

Catching up with Helen in advance of our concert we asked her about Messiah (which we were guessing she had sung many times before) and asked her what she enjoys about revisiting this particular piece?
I have indeed sung Messiah lots of times - in fact singers often colloquially refer to the run up to Christmas as 'Messiah Season'! That said, I never get tired and one of the most wonderful things about it as a piece is that each time you sing it something will be different, or there will some new about the way it effects you. I often find myself marvelling at the way my different colleagues respond to the different arias they sing - bring to light different meanings in the text, or just clearly feeling that resonates with them more as a person. It's always a treat!

How do you prepare for performing for this kind of concert? 
Each time I return to a piece like Messiah, I try to come right back down to the text that I am singing and approach the notes with a new eye. Each time you come back to a piece like this, you'll discover your brain has been ruminating on it and even if you haven't thought about it which is lovely. I also listen to the recordings I like, and surround myself with the whole piece (not just my bits) and check out to see if there are any new recordings out that I haven't listened to before.

What is your musical guilty pleasure? 
Probably accompanying myself (very badly) on the piano whilst singing along to anything I can get my hands on, but if it's been a particularly crazy week you'll find me bashing out some of my disney favourites. Fortunately we have some sound proofing in our flat.

Is there any piece of music or repertoire that haven’t had the opportunity to perform yet but would like to?
There are so many! The Dream of Gerontius by Edward Elgar has to be pretty high up the list. It's such an awesome piece, and I can't wait to get to sing the Angel's Farewell one day.

When you’re not practising or performing, how else do you like to spend your time? 
If I am lucky enough to discover my fiance is in the same country as me (he's also a singer, so sometimes our diaries get the better of us), then anything that involves spending time with him! At the moment we're planning a wedding so that takes up lots of our down time, but I also love long walks in London and further field, drinking far too much coffee and settling down with a good book.

Helen Charlston photographed by Benjamin Ealogeva

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
There'd be a few musicians for sure: Barbara Strozzi, JS Bach, Dmitiri Shostakovich and Kathleen Ferrier would be at the table - that would be quite some conversation. I'd also like to invite my great-grandmother, who I had heard so much about and was evidently a powerhouse of a woman and I would so loved to have known her.

We look forward to hearing Helen as soloist in Handel Messiah with Yorkshire Bach Choir and Yorkshire Baroque Soloists conducted by Peter Seymour. Vocal soloists include Bethany Seymour (Soprano), Gwilym Bowen (Tenor) & Gareth Brynmor John (Bass).

The concert takes place on Saturday 14 December starting at 7pm at Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York.

In association with York Early Music Christmas Festival.

Tickets for the concert are selling quickly so book now to avoid disappointment >>> http://bit.ly/YBMessiah 

Further details about Helen can be found at https://www.helencharlston.com/

Artist Spotlight - Tenor Jonathan Hanley

Jonathan Hanley is tenor soloist in our upcoming performance of Handel, Vivaldi and Hadyn at the York Early Music Christmas Festival.  Jonathan is a lay clerk at Peterborough Cathedral and pursues both a choral and solo singing career. Over the last year, he has been a member of the prestigious Genesis Sixteen programme for young singers. As a soloist, Jonathan has performed with a number of ensembles, including appearances at the Trame Sonore Chamber Music Festival in Mantua, the Malcolm Arnold Festival, and the Beverley and York Early Music Festivals. Recent repertoire has included Handel Saul and Messiah, Schütz St John Passion, Bach Magnificat, Haydn Creation, Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings, Monteverdi 1610 Vespers, Malcolm Arnold Song of Simeon, and Beethoven 9th Symphony. He has appeared as a recitalist in programmes of English song and lieder across the country. He is a soloist on a forthcoming CD of Humfrey Verse Anthems with Edward Higginbottom and the Instruments of Time and Truth. Jonathan currently studies with Richard Edgar Wilson.

We began by asking Jonathan to tell us a bit more about performing with Yorkshire Bach Choir...

I started singing with Yorkshire Bach Choir in my first year at university, way back in 2011, and have really enjoyed returning to York to join them since moving to Peterborough 2 years ago. They’re always programmes of fantastic music performed with style and conviction, and it’s really wonderful to come back and perform with such a dedicated and fun bunch!

I’m guessing you’ve sung some of the repertoire before, what do you interests you about this particular piece?

I love all of the music in the programme but the Handel is a particular favourite. I love the Italian influences and its virtuosity – it’s physically thrilling to sing. What I find most interesting about the piece is variety of different choral writing – particularly the semiquaver figures in ‘secundum ordinem Melchisedech’ and the ‘conquasabit’ with all its repeated crotchets. I also think the ‘de torrente’ is one of the most stunning pieces of music. I do think he could’ve added in an extra tenor solo though!

Detail of Handel statue by Louis-François Roubiliac

 What is the hardest thing about performing?

I think the hardest thing about performing is finding the balance between thinking about technique, stagecraft, expression and communication. It’s easy to get wrapped up in one thing, a particular text, for example, which makes the other things slip to the back of your mind - maybe the secret is to have them slip only half way!

Is there any piece of music or repertoire that haven’t had the opportunity to perform yet but would like to?

There are three things that I would love to sing before I die (!) which are the Evangelist in the Bach St John Passion, Elgar Gerontius and Britten St Nicolas – I was Baby St Nicolas as a chorister and I can remember thinking as I stepped down from the pulpit where I had been singing to let St Nicolas on for the end of the movement that I wanted to sing it.

Who is the composer (dead or alive) that you’d most like to meet?

Benjamin Britten.

What is your musical guilty pleasure?

I don’t know whether I should be that guilty about it, but every Christmas, I have to listen to ‘Messiah – a Soulful Celebration’. If you don’t know it, have a listen! 

Handel's Messiah: A Soulful Celebration (Various artists)

When you’re not practising or performing, how else do you like to spend your time?

Probably in the kitchen or watching my latest Netflix obsession.

How do you mostly listen to music?

I’m always plugged into my iPhone when I’m on the move, and have a really good Bose speaker at home which I’m sure annoy my neighbours.

If you hadn’t become a musician, what other job would you have liked to do?

I went to university originally intending to do a law conversion after my history degree, and I think I would enjoy being a lawyer and arguing for a living!

Who would play you in the film of your life?

I have no idea, but I would like to think it would be Jude Law!

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

As a History graduate, this is an extremely difficult question to answer, but as a medievalist I think I would have to go back to fifteenth-century Europe, but I couldn’t be more specific than that – there would be too much to see!
  

We look forward to hearing Jonathan as tenor soloist in Handel Dixit Dominus and Haydn Nelson Mass with Yorkshire Bach Choir and Yorkshire Baroque Soloists conducted by Peter Seymour. Vocal soloists include Bethany Seymour, Wendy Goodson (Sopranos), Nancy Cole (Mezzo Soprano) & Frederick Long (Bass).  The programme also includes Vivaldi Gloria.

The concert takes place on Saturday 9 December 7.30pm at Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York.

The concert is part of the York Early Music Festival.

A handful of final tickets for the concert are available in advance via bit.ly/YBCXmas 

Artist Spotlight - Oboist Anthony Robson

Recognised as an international leader in the field of historical oboe performance Anthony Robson is a long-standing member of Yorkshire Baroque Soloists.  As an orchestral musician, chamber musician and soloist he has appeared with leading period orchestras including the English Baroque Soloists, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Collegium Musicum 90. His discography of solo performance includes complete recordings of oboe concerti of JS Bach and Albinoni which have received considerable critical acclaim. 

We began naturally with JS Bach and asking Tony for his take on his work...

It’s the sheer genius of it all, in the case of the choral works it’s the 

complete understanding of the text and how he picks the 

instrumentation and thematic subject to suit. I also love his idiomatic 

instrumental writing, he obviously had some sensational players at his 

disposal. 

What do you most enjoy about performing in York?

Who wouldn’t enjoy performing in York? I’m a Yorkshireman born and 

bred, it’s always nice to come home, and St Michael le Belfrey [where Yorkshire Baroque Soloists often perform] is the ideal venue for baroque music.  

What is the hardest thing about performing?

I find that the most difficult thing is being too hard on oneself, when you 

feel that you might not have delivered your best (it sometimes happens 

we’re only human !) and you feel you have let your fellow musicians and 

the composer down. The tiniest mishaps like a missed note can be so 

devastating but one has to think of the bigger picture or it would become 

impossible to survive. Having high standards can be so detrimental to 

expression, you have to find a way to get through that barrier so that you 

can really fly and express what you feel in your heart, what the 

composer is trying to convey, and how you can get the audience in the 

palm of your hand and take them on that journey. 

Tony coaching York's Minster Minstrels at the NCEM as part of the 

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment Anthem project

Is there any piece of music or repertoire that haven’t had the opportunity to perform yet but would like to?

I always regret the fact that I never got to play the Swan Lake ballet of 

Tchaikovsky, and it’s certainly too late now ! It was hearing the exquisite 

solo at the start of the second act that led me to take up the oboe at the 

age of 11. I remember telling my daughter my regret and her reply was 

‘Oh Dad, that solo was made for you !’ 

When you’re not practising or performing, how else do you like to spend your time?

I like to come up to Yorkshire whenever I can and spend time with my 

partner who lives near Haworth, luckily I get to do that a lot ! We enjoy 

pootling about in Yorkshire and the Lake District and drink a lot of beer ! 

If you hadn’t become a musician, what other job would you have liked to do?

None, I simply can’t imagine ever having been anything but ! 

How do you mostly listen to music?

Well to be honest, I don’t much, I might occasionally think, ‘I haven’t 

heard Mahler 4 in a while’ and pop on a CD but generally I don’t ‘take 

my work home’ because it’s so inferior an experience than actually 

performing music. 

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

I’d love to sit at table with Bach and Handel and find out if they got along 

at all !

Bach and Handel: Good dinner guests?

We look forward to hearing Anthony playing oboe for the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists in JS Bach: Magnificat & Cantata BWV 140 Wachet Auf (Sleepers, wake) and CPE Bach: Magnificat with Yorkshire Bach Choir and conducted by Peter Seymour. 

Vocal soloists include Bethany Seymour (Soprano), Wendy Goodson (Soprano), Rachel Lancaster (Alto), Solomon Hayes (Alto), Jason Darnell (Tenor) & Gareth Brynmor John (Baritone).

The concert takes place on Saturday 10 December 7.30pm at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York.

Tickets are available in advance via bit.ly/YBachXmas 

The concert is part of the York Early Christmas Festival 2016

Artist Spotlight - Trumpeter Crispian Steele-Perkins

Crispian Steele-Perkins

Crispian Steele-Perkins is unquestionably one of the worlds most renowned trumpeters. His biography reads like the resume of several musicians as opposed to a singular trumpeter. The list of singers, classical and popular, that he has appeared with is remarkable including Kiri te Kanawa, Emma Kirkby, John Tomlinson, Bryn Terfel, Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, Cliff Richard, Bob Geldof and Harry Secombe.  This list reflects an eclectic career that includes performing repertoire from Handel to Glenn Miller; Crispian can, for instance, be heard playing on the soundtracks of over 80 films from Jaws to The Life of Brian. He is treasured by fans of early music for his appearances with groups such as The Academy of Ancient Music, The Kings Consort and The English Baroque Soloists. Ahead of his appearance playing Bach with the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists and Yorkshire Bach Choir on Saturday 12 March we caught up with Crispian to ask him some questions about his music making and life. 

I’m guessing you’ve performed the Easter and Ascension Oratorios before, tell us more about how Bach writes for the trumpet in these particular pieces.
Bach never writes for the trumpet in the same way twice unless re-using material.  These two are amongst my favorites and I never cease to be amazed at the technical virtuosity that his players must have achieved at the time.

As a trumpeter, what are your 'Desert Island' pieces?
Maybe Hummel's Concerto in the correct key of E (not Eb) but I don't think there is yet a 100% satisfactory version on record.

What do you enjoy most about performing in York?
I like working with Peter Seymour and enjoy working with a fairly set team of excellent musicians. Nice audiences too !

Eddie Calvert 'Oh My Papa'

Is there any piece of music or repertoire that you haven’t had the opportunity to perform?
No. I love Handel's 'Occasional Oratorio' which rarely gets performed though.

As a youngster, did you ever have a eureka moment listening to or performing a certain piece of music?
As a 69 year old youngster I heard a Rumanian Gypsy Band - Eureka indeed !

What was the first ever record you bought?
'Oh My Papa' Eddie Calvert - 'The man with the golden trumpet'-

Who is the composer (dead or alive) that you’d most like to meet? 
Haydn

What do you sing in the shower? 
I HATE showers and I can't sing for toffees.

What is your most treasured possession? 
An Antique Trumpet (several)

[Here is a gallery of Crispian's instruments on his personal website]

Crispian and one of his motorbikes

You're in a karaoke bar and (voluntarily or non-voluntarily) you have to sing or perform, what would you sing? 
I would have pity on the public and keep silent.

When you’re not practising or performing, how else do you like to
spend your time? 

Motorbikes......






We look forward to hearing Crispian in the exhilarating trumpet-led choruses of JS Bach Easter Oratorio (BWV 249) and Ascension Oratorio (BWV 11).  The concert will also include Bach Mass in G minor (BWV 235).  

The concert will take place in St Michael le Belfrey, York on Saturday 12 March and further details on the concert and how to buy tickets can be found at: bit.ly/YBach

Further details on Crispian can be found on his website: http://www.crispiansteeleperkins.com/ 

Artist Spotlight - Conductor Peter Seymour

Peter Seymour

Our associate ensemble the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists have just released a new recording of J.S. Bach St Matthew Passion BWV 244b (Early version).  To co-incide with this event we spotlight our conductor Peter Seymour.  In the interview he talks in detail the new recording which uses an edition of an early version of the work prepared by Peter himself. The recording is released by Signum Records and took place at York's National Centre for Early Music using solo voices - one voice per part - in place of the usual choral forces.  The interview gives us insight into his long running association with the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists and also touches on some of Peter's interests beyond Bach.     

This is Peter's first recording of the Matthew Passion but he has performed the work on countless ocassion with various groups.  I began by asking him why he keeps returning to this particular work: 
As with all great music, there is always something new to find to make it worthwhile and rewarding to perform them again and again. Sometimes this is new performing information; sometimes it is having to, or choosing to, find different solo teams (both vocal and instrumental) and seeing how they respond one-to-another. When we performed it live last year, the performance was considerably longer than our usual length and that brought a new perspective to the piece.

For this particular occasion you record and early version of the work (BMV 244b) which it is thought was performed on Good Friday.  What do you think a typical audience member could have expected as they walked into ‘Bach’s’ church on that particular day?

New recording released by Signum Records

Bach must already have amazed his performers and listeners in the first 12 months of his time at Leipzig. Pieces such as Magnificat and St John Passion, both composed in his first year there, would have presented a considerable musical challenge to the performers - though one I’m sure they could meet. His audience wouldn’t have heard anything like it, nothing with the vivid and colourful orchestration of Magnificat nor the sustained (operatic) drama of St Join Passion. So, two years after his first passion setting, they would have perhaps expected something special but perhaps nothing on the scale of the St Matthew either in its use of double choir and orchestra nor the sheer length of the piece. The decision to record Bach’s early version came from strong encouragement to do so from our principal oboist Tony Robson who had performed it in London earlier in the year. It wasn’t just for novelty value but also to hear some versions not usually heard such as Bach’s use of lute in the bass aria “Komm, süsses Kreuz” and a bass soloist for the opening aria/chorus of the 2nd part.

As a conductor, how do you approach a long day of recording?
The most important matter for me is the preparation. In this case there had to be not only the usual detailed recording schedule in order to use the time effectively and economically but before that I had had to spend 8 weeks editing the music from scratch. That was a wonderful learning time! I had to consider many matters - how accurate was the manuscript; how much did Bach edit the music in rehearsal and performance; the manuscript is a hurried version so what performance presumptions must Bach have made for the 1727 performance; how many of the changes made in his fair copy (written 9 years later when he had time to make more clear his expectations) would have been incorporated into the early version as a matter of course?

Did anything notable happen during recording sessions for this particular disc?
We all had to re-assess considerable questions - few of the singers had sung all the choruses one voice per part. Hearing the lute obbligato was an exciting moment and made us realise still more clearly what were Bach’s dynamic boundaries. In this early version there is no indication of what instruments should play in the chorales and so we decided to do some with voices and organ only; we’ve never tried that before and it was quite a revelation.
 
What is special about recording with the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists?
YBS has been performing both Passions, B minor Mass, Magnificat and Christmas Oratorio on a regular basis since the later 1970s; we have had the same principals since the mid-1980s so they have a familiarity with not only what I’m aiming for but also with one another’s playing. They have a very strong appreciation of one another’s playing abilities and styles so our individual and collective understanding of the pieces has matured over these years. The parts have been edited over those years too - even Bach’s fair copies expect many decisions of articulation, rhythmic alteration, ornamentation and so on; we have developed a consistent style. One notable area in St Matthew Passion is the role of the chorales - so often delivered without expression - where Bach sets false accents (i.e. on weak beats) to draw attention to important words and syllables. Another important area has been in the use of appoggiaturas in the recitatives; over the last few years we have developed a clear policy (based, of course, on primary source information) as to how the Evangelist, Christus and Pilate deal with these and it makes many telling points - Pilate’s comment/question setting up the structural centre of the piece, the soprano recitative (Er hat uns allen wohlgetan) and aria (‘Aus Liebe’).
 
What is the hardest thing about performing the Matthew Passion?
Performers of a piece so well known and loved have a duty, the privilege, to represent as faithfully and clearly as they can (at that time) what Bach expects. The line of responsibility from lyricist (St Matthew/Picander) to composer to performer to listener has to be clear and faithful at each point. In some ways the hardest thing is knowing that our understanding will change (although that’s also a very exciting thought!) and we are saying that what we record is our understanding at that moment.
 
Do you have a favorite moment/section of the piece?
The structural centre of the piece - the soprano recitative (Er hat uns allen wohlgetan) and aria (‘Aus Liebe’) - is a very moving moment. Bach makes it quite clear that it’s the principal message of this Passion by his structural chiasmus, by Pilate’s ‘rhetorical’ question, by his orchestration; the recitative states:” He has done good to us all. He gave the blind sight, the lame to walk…other than that, he has done nothing." The aria explains: “My Saviour is willing to die for love.”
 
Moving on from the recording, is there any piece of music or repertoire that haven’t had the opportunity to perform/record yet but would like to?
Bach’s Christmas Oratorio would complete a very satisfying collection, having recorded both Passions and B minor Mass, essentially with the same performers. Also, Haydn’s great choral works, Creation, The Seasons and the wonderful late masses offer fantastic challenges but enormous satisfaction!
 

Peter in rehearsal with Yorkshire Baroque Soloists

Which living musician do you most admire?
There’s no individual I would wish to highlight but a large number of those I most admire have appeared on these Bach recordings. That is one of the great privileges of being the groups’ director (Yorkshire Baroque Soloists and Yorkshire Bach Choir); being able to choose what you perform with whom is an enormous privilege and honour. 
 
Who is the composer (dead or alive) that you’d most like to meet?
Well Bach has to be up there. I’d like to know more of what he was trying to communicate. But I would probably enjoy Haydn’s humour and life-affirming faith; a piece such as Creation (which YBS/YBC is performing in December 2015) offers more enjoyment to every player and singer and therefore the audience than any other.
 
What is your musical guilty pleasure?
I’d love to conduct La Bohème - or sing solo tenor (Rodolfo) - I regularly listen to and conduct Karajan’s recording (with Pavarotti and Mirella Freni) and they seem to follow my beat very easily...
 
What’s your earliest memory of music?
Singing songs in a car with my family but, more importantly, having piano lessons from the age of seven with a great teacher who talked of very little other than expression.
 
If you hadn’t become a musician, what other job would you have liked to do?
A cricketer.
 
What living person do you admire the most?
Geoffrey Boycott.
 
What keeps you awake at night?
Not much, but if I wake up I do worry that everyone will turn up for the rehearsals and concert. 

If you could go back in time, where would you go?
1972 when Yvonne and I got married and we were starting our careers, but only if I could know what I know now.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Bach, Handel, Haydn, Yvonne and the rest of my family.

The new recording is available to buy or preview from the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists website and from Signum Records.  It can also be downloaded via iTunes. Later in this year Peter directs the Yorkshire Bach Choir and Yorkshire Baroque Soloists in a performance of Dido and Aeneas on Saturday 20 June at St Michael le Belfrey York.

Artist spotlight - Tenor Matthew Long

Matthew Long

Our tenor soloist for Messiah is rising star Matthew Long. As an alumni of Yorkshire Bach Choir, former chorister at York Minster and music student at the University of York, Matt has strong ties with the city of York. Now based in London, Matt has travelled the word with some of the world’s finest ensembles.  He has even released his own album recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road studios. We started by asking him to recall his experiences as a student at York and why he enjoys coming back to the musical city helped shape him.

Matt began by commenting:

As an undergraduate student, I think it can be difficult to have a perspective of how important and formative time spent working with good ensembles can be. I now look back at my time in Yorkshire Bach Choir with great fondness. To have been part of such high calibre music making as a 19/20  year old student was a real privilege and I owe a lot to the experience I gained whilst singing in YBC.

Have you had the opportunity to return to York since you left a few years ago?

I've come back to sing on quite a few occasions under different guises. With the Sixteen, I Fagiolini and as a soloist. It's always a joy to be here and see old friends and familiar faces and places.

Musically, when do you feel the happiest?

At the end of most concerts! That's not true [...] I spent a lot of my twenties worrying about how to get better at singing, how to get the better work, how to make enough money etc. It's a tough and hugely competitive world for a young singer. In the last few years I've taken a step back from this view and taken time to enjoy the other things in life that aren't music. 

More specifically I recently performed Britten's War Requiem for the first time. It was one of my most satisfying musical experiences to date. Also, working on my debut solo album, choosing repertoire, booking musicians etc. was a hugely rewarding and educational experience.

Which living musician do you most admire?

Hmm…. Difficult….The work of Mr Justin Bieber is underrated I feel.

Seriously, who is the composer (dead or alive) that you’d most like to meet?

J S Bach (obviously).

As a youngster, did you ever have a eureka moment performing a certain piece of music?

I have very strong memories of first performing Monteverdi's Vespers with YBC. I'd never heard music like it before. The intricacy, the power of the extended cadences, and the simple beauty of the monody. It switched a switch in me somewhere. I have gone on to perform it probably more than any other work.

When you’re not practising or performing, how else do you like to spend your time?

Music can be all consuming and I've found this isn't always helpful. Taking a step back can help focus the mind. I've not been happier to be working in music than since I adopted this approach. I'm a keen follower of wildlife conservation and all things 'biodiverse' and green! I love to go walking in the wilder places we have in the UK, usually with my camera.

What is your most treasured possession?

My wife [Matt laughs]! She would hate that I've written that. No? Let's go with our cat, Florence. Although she owns me in truth. As does my wife.

What keeps you awake at night?

Often it's the music of the next or most recent concert I've been involved in.

What would your super power be?

Constantly reliable vocal cords.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

London 25,000 years ago. When Lions, Hyenas, Hippos and Elephants roamed the land where London now lies. That would be pretty cool. I wouldn't stay for very long!

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

J. S. Bach, Sir David Attenborough, Scarlett Johansson, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Dr Alan Rabinowitz ( look him up, he has quite a story), Jimmy Hendrix, Nigel Farage, Jo Brand…. yep, that should provide some interesting conversation!



We look forward to hearing Matt singing ‘Comfort ye’ and kicking off what will certainly be a very special performance of Messiah with Yorkshire Bach Choir, Yorkshire Baroque Soloists alongside a stellar line up of soloists. 

York Early Music Christmas Festival

Tickets are available in advance at the National Centre for Early Music by clicking here: bit.ly/1wBSQ63

The York Early Music Festival runs from 5-14 December and further details can be found here: http://www.ncem.co.uk/xmas

Further details on Matthew Long including details of his debut solo disc Songs of These Isles with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, accompanist Malcolm Martineau and guitarist Rufus Miller can be found on his website: http://www.matthew-long.co.uk/ 

Introducing the YBC Concert Series 2014/15

YBC Concert Series 2014/15

Rehearsals began in earnest last Friday for our 36th Season of concerts and once again it promises to be a vintage year of singing. Our season will encompass a range of music from cornerstones of the choral repertoire - like Handel: Messiah & Mozart: Requiem - to a focus on Tudor music including some rarely heard pieces by Taverner, Byrd and Sheppard.  

By kind permission of All Hallows, Walkington. Harry Harvey 1970

We launch our concert series on Saturday 1 November with a choral blockbuster in the form of Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis. For the singer, Spem is the kind of piece that is so good that you when you get to the end you want to go back to the beginning and sing it all over again.  Well, we hope it is the same for the listener so we will perform it twice; once at the beginning of the concert and once at the end.  We will even perform it in two different formations culminating in the ultimate surround sound experience.  Alongside Spem we mark All Saints Day with some motets in Byrd’s most vigorous polyphonic style including the extrovert ‘Laudibus in Sanctis’ (Byrd’s colourful setting of Psalm 150). In a more contemplative vein will be Byrd’s evergreen Mass for Four Voices which ends with the tranquillity of his sublime setting of ‘Dona Nobis’. The concert will be the first of two exploring music for Tudors.

Turning to the rest of the season, December will bring Messiah featuring an acclaimed line up of soloists as part of the York Early Music Christmas Festival.  No season would be complete without music by J.S. Bach, and we begin 2015 performing his motets, along with those of other members of the Bach family, will be the focus of a February concert. As well as accompanying us for Messiah, the verve and precision of the Yorkshire Baroque Soloists will join us in March for Mozart’s Requiem performed alongside Haydn’s joyous Theresienmesse. Following this, in May the second part of our Tudor survey gives a rare chance to hear another two masterpieces of the English Renaissance as we perform Taverner’s Gloria tibi Trinitas and the unique, beautiful In Media Vita by anniversary composer John Sheppard which opens with the haunting words ‘in the midst of life we are in death’.  Our season concludes with high drama in the form of that most tragic tale of a Carthaginian queen as we present a concert version of Dido and Aeneas.    

All our concerts are performed in the glorious surroundings of St Michael le Belfrey a historic church which is right in the heart of York beside York Minster.  

Link to our 2014/15 concert brochure: http://bit.ly/1s8Hrde

Details of concert 1 November 2014: http://bit.ly/1tw6qma

YBC Concert reminder service: http://bit.ly/1nbRxIJ

Contact details:
Twitter: @YorksBachChoir  
Facebook: Yorkshire Bach Choir
Email: marketing@yorkshirebachchoir.org