On the set-list are 2 or 3 previous hits (including 2 double-choir stunners and even a madrigal!), alongside fresh masterpieces from Lassus, Regnart, Verdelot & Palestrina. Some of them are on the tricksy side but that’s OK because you guys laugh in the face of tricksiness.
Oh, and the Bach chorales are back after last month’s absence, which is reason enough to break out the champagne.
You’ll find the scores via the usual link. Just a reminder that the session is fully booked up, with people on the waiting list, so if you have registered are in any way unsure that you’ll be able to make it, please cancel so that someone can take your place.
Final note for tonight – if you have singing friends/family/colleagues/acquaintances in or around Sheffield, do tell them about our special session up there on July 5th. We’ve got a good few signed up already but there’s still room for plenty more so please get the word out via Twitter, Facebook and carrier pigeon.
You’ll see that there are only 8 works on the set-list, to spare your printers from overheating and also give us time to swap the choirs around after a couple of run-throughs.
As I said the other day, I’m really quite excited about singing them all with you. Some, such as the Gallus Adoramus te and the Trombetti Gaude Maria virgo, are pretty standard affairs, with homophonic blocks of call and response between the choirs.
Others, like the Palestrina Laudate Dominum include some nice imitative passages, to mix up the texture in places.
While there are no JSB chorales this time around, I’ve stuck in a little charmer by one of his Mühlhausen predecessors, Johannes Eccard:
The ones about which I’m totallly psyched (yes, totally psyched) are the Victoria Lauda Sion Salvatorem and the Gombert Tulerunt Dominum meum.
The Victoria is an absolute cracker, with blue notes and sassy little syncopations aplenty, all of which should keep us on our toes.
The Gombert is unlike anything else on the list; it’s a much earlier work than the others and is not so much a double-choir number as a richly textured interweaving of 8 distinct voices. The harmonies are utterly beguiling to boot, so if we can pull this one off then I’ll be going home a very happy man.
On the night, I’d ideally like to start as soon after 7 as possible so that we can all be in place and get a-boozin’ & a-groovin’ quicksmart.
Just a reminder that Monday’s session is pre-registration only so apologies if you missed out on a spot. We have quite a few on the waiting list now but I’ll send out a note if there are any late cancellations.
Cheers
Kevin
PS Our friends in the Thames Valley Early Music Forum are holding their next workshop in Chiswick on Saturday 19th March, directed by Peter Holman and accompanied by baroque strings and continuo. Singers will have the chance to work through Blow’s God spake sometime in visions and Purcell’s mighty fine My heart is inditing.
Spaces left for all voices (sopranos and tenors in particular), £14 per person. Closing date for registration is next Monday 7th March; contact Simon Hill if interested.
Have just checked the pre-registrations for Monday’s birthday extravaganza and it looks like we are going to have a verrrrrrry* packed room on the night, which is both brilliant and terrifying.
I have spoken to the pub about the lighting but I think we need to prepare for the same low levels that we have had in previous sessions. It’s therefore best for anyone who struggles to read small dots by the equivalent of guttering candlelight to consider perhaps bringing along some sort of pen-torch aid (though try not to blind your neighbours).
Also, please do make sure you have your music downloaded in advance as the pub wifi couldn’t cope last time around.
In terms of splitting voices, Altos, you’ll be singing the Quinta Pars of the Josquin, with a bit of help from the lads on the first phrase, and we will probably split you between the Countertenors (i.e. the 2nd and 3rd lines) of the Parsons.
Everyone will get to sing both choirs of the Gallus at least once, which is nice, and I urge you all to have at least a quick peak at BWV 437 as its glories are directly proportional to its tricky bits.
That’s it – have a great weekend and see you Monday night!
Kevin
*How many extra consonants are too many when you are trying to be realllllly emphatic?
Apologies for shoving them in at the last minute but I have just uploaded an extra couple of motets for tomorrow’s session, as it occurred to me that we simply couldn’t finish our season without two of the very greatest Renaissance masters being represented, namely William Byrd & Tomas Luis de Victoria.
We have also had a last-minute deluge of soprano sign-ups (hurrah) so it makes sense for us to try out at least one SSATB.
I made a later addition of Morley’s April Is in My Mistress’s Face as it’s a nice little ice-breaker but you may have missed this if you grabbed the sheet music early on; here’s the direct link if you need it.
Polyphony Down the Pub 