Concert Diary

Open Workshop with Edward Higginbottom
Saturday 18th September 2010 (afternoon)

Blackledge Theatre, Godolphin School, Salisbury

Thanks to funding from the BBC's Choral Ambition fund, The Farrant Singers are delighted to offer a workshop completely free of charge to experienced singers.

The workshop will be led by renowned choral conductor Professor Edward Higginbottom of New College, Oxford.  Repertoire will comprise a piece by Philip Moore and a Coronation Anthem by either Blow, Croft or Boyce.

All music will be provided, as well as refreshments during the session. The afternoon will end with an informal performance at around 5.30pm of the music on which we will have worked.

To take part, please supply the information below and return to info(at)farrantsingers.org by Monday 23rd August. Details will be confirmed to singers, and places will be available with reference to an approximate balance between soprano, alto, tenor and bass voice parts!

APPLICATION DETAILS
Name
Phone number
Email address
Voice part

Please also supply a little about your singing experience (not an essay - around 20 words or less will be fine!) - such as choirs or vocal groups that you sing, or have sung, with; what sort of music you enjoy performing and so on.

The King and the Robin
Saturday 6th November 2010

7.30pm
St Martin's Church, Salisbury

Music by Philip Moore, Patrick Gowers and Jonathan Harvey.

You can also find details of Farrant Singers concerts on the Music in Salisbury website www.musicinsalisbury.org

Recent concert programmes and reports

All the ends of the earth
Saturday 19th June 2010

Wilton Church

Hieronymus Praetorius - Gaudete Omnes
Orlande de Lassus - Missa Bell' Amfitrit' altera
Hieronymus Praetorius - O Vos Omnes
Hieronymus Praetorius - Magnificat Quarti Toni

Judith Weir - All the Ends of the Earth
Roxanna Panufnik - Westminster Mass
William Walton - The Twelve

This programme of sacred music brought together old and new, beginning with works by Hieronymus Praetorius and Orlande de Lassus from the sixteenth century.

The choir was joined by harp and percussion in the second half for Judith Weir’s evocative All the Ends of the Earth, commissioned for the Millennium celebrations in 2000, and Roxanna Panufnik’s Westminster Mass. The concert closed with The Twelve by William Walton, accompanied on the organ.

Glorious June
Saturday 26th June 2010

St Mary's Church, Fordingbridge

A joint concert with musicians from Burgate School, in aid of the Sarah Kinsley Fund. Featuring John Rutter's Gloria.

Salisbury International Arts Festival
Friday 21st May 2010

Market Place, Salisbury

The choir took part in the spectacular opening night of the Festival in the Market Place, also featuring a crazy roving bandstand with party band, pyrotechnics and special effects.

More information at www.salisburyfestival.co.uk

Spring Concert
Saturday 10th April 2010

Bach - Missa in F
Bach - Prelude and Fugue in G (organ)
Bach - Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied
Handel - Te Deum in D (Dettingen)

Review:

Performed to a packed St Martin’s Church on a glorious evening, the Farrant Singers and Orchestra gave a concert that fully met the anticipation that preceded it. Immediately apparent, in the Lutheran Mass of Bach, was the careful phrasing and heartfelt singing of the Kyrie. The Gloria showcased three of the four soloists, as well as displaying the expertise of the orchestra, achieving authenticity and style. It was especially good to see so many young players in the orchestra - many still at school, showing particular promise for the future. Robert Evans, fresh from our screens singing with The Sixteen in the BBC Sacred Music series (presented by the son of one of the tenors in The Farrant Singers), gave us a beautiful and musical rendition of the Domine Deus. Katherine Hawnt, a name unfamiliar to Salisbury audiences, but one I’d like to hear again, sang the Qui Tollis with touching grace and simplicity. Andrew Stewart, accompanied by leader Naomi Rump, gave the audience some amazingly beautiful musical acrobatics to remember.

Conductor Daniel Cook then played to us the Prelude and Fugue in G BWV 541 on the wonderful (yet notoriously difficult to play) Hill organ. His playing was miraculously fresh, despite the demands he had of conducting the whole concert, and was full of vibrancy and virtuosity. Above all though was the same sense of musicality that he also showed in his conducting.

To round off the first half the audience were greeted with the declamatory bass octave leaps of ‘Singet’ that open the fiendish choral writing of Bach’s Singet dem Herrn. This double choir showcase was given a fresh and uplifting performance with every word sung to its full musical potential. The second section - a conversation between the choirs - was filled with emotion and came over very well. The final section could have had more impact, but we were given this when the heroic fugue started and we ended, quite literally, on a high note.

The concert ended with a performance of Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum, written to celebrate a glorious victory by George II over the French in 1743. Beginning with a rousing and royal introduction we heard an enlarged orchestra with trumpets and timpani adding to the splendour. The choir took this piece in their stride. The work is not well known and credit should go to Daniel Cook for bringing it to the attention of a Salisbury audience. Ian Wicks (tenor) is finally heard in a bass aria and he sang it very naturally despite the range. The highlight of the performance was the trio which was a showcase of breath control as the word ‘glory’ echoed around the church for a stunningly long time. Alto, tenor and bass were perfectly blended and showed what can be achieved when three soloists sing often together. In a rare moment of respite for the choir we heard a hushed change of mood at the words ‘We therefore pray thee’ and their musical expression once again came through. This was a memorable evening and great credit should go to The Farrant Singers for bringing us such a splendid programme.

Joseph Wicks

Choral Evensong
Saturday 20th February 2010

Well Cathedral, 5.15pm
The Farrant Singers visited Wells Cathedral to sing Evensong.

Responses - Lucas
Magnificat & Nunc Dimitis in B minor - Howells
Schaffe in mir, Gott - Brahms

In Dulci Jubilo
Friday 11th December 2009

St Lawrence Church, Stratford-sub-Castle, Salisbury
A candlelit concert in aid of church funds. The programme is structured around the Advent Antiphons, with Christmas and Advent music by Praetorius, Leighton, Byrd, Vaughan Williams and others, making imaginative use of all parts of the building.

Voices, Valves and Voix Celeste
Saturday 14th November 2009

St Martin's Church, Salisbury
A vibrant programme of contemporary choral music recently commissioned by the John Armitage Memorial Trust, including pieces by Jonathan Dove, James Lark, Elizabeth Winters and Paul Patterson, as well as an arrangement of Langlais's Messe Solonnelle for choir, brass and organ.

With Salisbury Brass Ensemble, organist Simon Hogan, and guest soloists.

Find out more about John Armitage Memorial Trust here.

Choral Evensong
Sunday 9th August 2009

Weston Patrick Church, Hampshire
The Farrant Singers sang choral evensong in this delightful country church to celebrate its patronal festival, following an organ recital by Daniel Cook.

Locus iste - Bruckner
Responses - Tomkins/Stone
Psalm 84 - Alcock
Second Evening Service - Gibbons
My soul, there is a country - Parry

Holy Trinity Church, Fonthill Gifford
(in aid of church funds)
A concert featuring settings of words by Shakespeare

The choir took part in a major collaboration in association with Salisbury International Arts Festival. Hundreds of singers from choirs based in Salisbury joined Salisbury Symphony Orchestra to sing Salisbury Vespers, a new work by Bob Chilcott created to exploit the acoustic world of the main space of Salisbury Cathedral, and drawing on the medieval Use of Sarum.

You can see some photographs of the event at www.adrianharrisphotography.co.uk.

This video clip shows The Farrant Singers singing in the concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cA7r8F8USmo

A Lenten programme with organ, including:
James MacMillan - Te deum
Johannes Brahms - Schaffe in mir, Gott; Herzlich tut mich verlangen; O Traurigkeit, O Herzeleid; Warum ist das Licht gegeben?
Gerald Finzi - Lo, the full, final sacrifice
Kenneth Leighton - Crucifixus pro nobis
John Ireland - Greater love hath no man

The Farrant Singers took part in a broadcast of BBC Radio 4's Sunday Worship, live from St Andrew's Church at Bemerton, about the life and work of George Herbert. Other participants were Canon Judy Rees, Philippe Honoré, Ronald Blythe and Vikram Seth.

A short programme of Christmas music accompanied by strings and organ, including Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Corelli's Christmas Concerto, and more by Britten, Buxtehude, Sweelinck and Byrd. The concert was followed by drinks and a chance to say farewell to Colin Howard.

Anniversary Celebration Weekend
Mass in B Minor, J S Bach
Saturday 18th October 2008
Salisbury Cathedral Services and Recital
Sunday 19th October 2008

The Farrant Singers Collection
Salisbury International Arts Festival
Monday 2nd June 2008

The choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with the first performance of no less than seven new pieces that make up The Farrant Singers Collection, along with other favourites from the repertoire. The near-capacity audience at St Martin's Church included five of the composers, and we were especially pleased to welcome Richard Lloyd, founder of the choir.

The full programme can be downloaded here.

The choir spent a very enjoyable weekend in Canterbury, singing Evensong on Saturday, and Eucharist and Evensong on Sunday. We stayed at Cathedral Lodge, a new conference facility in the Precincts, and enjoyed exploring the Cathedral, the town and its various hostelries.

The music for the services included an entirely "Farrant" Eucharist, with Richard Shephard's Mass, Richard Lloyd's View me Lord, and David Halls' Ave Verum Corpus. This last anthem was sung facing the entire length of the Cathedral, from beside the Archbishop's throne at the top of the steps - an uplifting and unique experience.

The staff and clergy at the Cathedral were extremely welcoming, and it was good to see old friends from Salisbury such as Robert Willis, now Dean of Canterbury, and Chris Crooks. The sermon even included the relating of a watery tale from "Singing on the River" many years ago!

Handel – Dixit Dominus
Purcell – five anthems
Britten – Choral Dances from Gloriana

The Farrant Singers and Farrant Orchestra
Conductor: Colin Howard
Augusta Hebbert, Mary Chelu (soprano)
Pam Jackson, Andrew Stewart (alto)
Ian Wicks (tenor), Patrick Jordan (bass)
Tim Hone (continuo)

A full house greeted The Farrant Singers as they embarked on the first concert of their ambitious 50th anniversary year.  In store was an unashamedly popular but beautifully balanced programme, linked, as the informative programme notes made clear, by each composer having written music for his respective monarch.

The choir started with a lightness of touch in the dancing motifs of Purcell’s I was glad, moving on with intensity and depth of feeling to Hear my prayer and Jehovah quam multi sunt hostes – this moving music sung exquisitely by choir and soloists (Ian Wicks, tenor and Patrick Jordan, bass).

Britten’s Choral Dances brought a change of mood, and included the seldom performed ‘Spirit-Messenger’ linking interludes between each one, Ian Wicks' mellifluous tenor voice accurate and flexible in some demanding passages.

A return to Purcell brought in the excellent chamber ensemble for Rejoice in the Lord alway.  Led by Naomi Rump, they achieved an enviable period feel for this charming anthem.  The soloists, joined by counter-tenor Andrew Stewart, sang with style and exemplary blend.

Choir and ensemble settled into the pace of Handel’s Dixit Dominus, after a slightly shaky start. They demonstrated a grasp of the light and shade essential for this ‘concerto for voices’.  Each soloist rose magnificently to the challenges Handel set and particular mention should be made of Pam Jackson’s Virgam virtutis (stepping forward from the altos) and of the heart-rending duet, De torrente, between Augusta Hebbert and Mary Chelu, as well as of Tim Hone's sensitive continuo throughout the evening. 

Colin Howard, in his final year as the Farrant’s conductor, shaped and held together the concert with energy and intelligence, giving of his all to choir, ensemble and soloists - Bravo!

Salisbury Journal, 7 February 2008

When The Farrant Singers rehearsed in St Martin's Church for their concert “George Herbert Pastoral” on 5th October, Vision News filmed and interviewed Colin Howard.  The concert was presented in association with Sarum College, as part of their weekend conference entitled “George Herbert's Pastoral: Poetry and Priesthood, Past and Future”.  Herbert was rector of Bemerton & Fuggleston from 1630, and much of his sacred poetry has been set to music by major composers: Britten, Vaughan Williams and Walton were all drawn to Herbert's ‘Antiphon' – Let all the world in ev'ry corner sing, My God and King! The programme included Vaughan Williams' magnificent setting of this poem as part of his Five Mystical Songs. Other settings include King of Glory, King of Peace by Sir William Harris, a favourite of Salisbury Cathedral Girls Choir. Contemporary composers Bob Chilcott, Barry Ferguson, Grayston Ives, Richard Lloyd (founder of The Farrant Singers) and Judith Weir were also represented, in a programme of wide-ranging musical styles.

Also performing his own set of five settings of Herbert poems was local composer/singer Simon McEnery, accompanied by pianist Elizabeth Sweetnam and cellist Rickman Godlee.

In this programme The Farrant Singers, under their conductor Colin Howard, proved again their credentials as one of Salisbury's finest and most innovative chamber choirs.