We were delighted to return to St Michael's Church in Hernhill last Friday, for what proved to be an evocative combination of choral music and silence coming together in 'Breathing Space.' During the winter months, the fifteenth-century church hosts a series of Breathing Space events, each of which is an hour-long sequence of music and silence by candlelight. Usually recorded music is played, but last Friday we took the opportunity to sing several pieces from our repertoire this year at the service. After our rehearsal, candles were lit all around the church and the lights were turned off, creating a hushed atmosphere. We were seated in the choir-stalls behind to rood screen, and in the darkness it wasn't possible to see the congregation arriving, all that you heard was the click as the timbered door was opened and shut as people arrived. The service began at 7.30pm without preamble - at the appointed hour, we stood and launched James Webb's moving Blest are the Pure in Heart into the hushed darkness. Over the ensuing sixty minutes, we sang music by David Truslove, Anna Phoebe, Haydn, Pelham Humpfrey, and plainsong, concluding with Sarah Quartel's charming The Birds' Lullaby which emerged out of the sound of bird-calls being imitated by ocarinas and tiny recorders. There was a remarkable atmosphere ushered into existence by the combination of sound, silence and candles, as the music wove a meditative space rich in contrasting colours: the church bell striking eight during a moment of silence partway through was especially atmospheric, matched by the sighing of the wind in the roof, the creaking of the ancient timbers and the guttering candle-flames dancing in the draughty dark. Magical. The vicar stood at the end to thank the Choir and say a closing prayer, and then the congregation left the church to step out into the night. Afterwards, we talked about how effective the event had been, and how much we wanted to do it again. Watch this (breathing) space...
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Many thanks to an enthusiastic audience on Friday, who came to our performance 'The Agony and the Ecstasy' at St Michael's church in Hernhill. Situated in a picturesque Kentish village, amongst rolling orchards and fields, the ancient church on the village green rang to the sound of choral music celebrating sacred and secular love, including Pergolesi's Stabat Mater for which we were joined by members of the String Sinfonia. A gorgeous summer evening filled with gorgeous choral music! The evening raised almost £500 towards the church's restoration fund - thank you to everyone who made a donation. But it doesn't stop there; on Tuesday 29 May, we'll be singing Choral Evensong at Canterbury Cathedral, before launching the University's Summer Music Week on Friday 1 June with a concert in the sumptuous acoustic of the Cathedral Crypt.
Tempus fugit... Well, Friday's lunchtime concert in Studio 3 Gallery saw the first time when extra chairs were being called for at one of our #EarBox events: the audience just kept coming! It's always a real treat when we start rehearsing in the campus' art gallery in the Jarman Building; the first chord we sing fills the marvellously resonant space - and off we go... This time, we were singing amidst 'The Ash Archive,' the gallery's latest newest exhibition, filling the space with music including Sarah Rimkus' otherworldly O Vos Omnes, and Rachmaninov's sedate Bogoroditsye Dyevo (in rehearsal with assistant conductor, Matt Cooke, pictured right). It was a pleasure singing for such a large and appreciative audience; later this afternoon, we're heading out to the village of Hernhill, near Faversham, for a sequence of music and silence in an unusual event; pictures from that to follow. Many thanks to everyone who came along, and to the gallery co-ordinator, Rose Thompson, for helping to bring it all together. With last night's rehearsal over, the next time we sing will be in the rich acoustic of Studio 3 Gallery in the Jarman Building, for the #EarBox series of events linking visual art and music. We unveil our new programme against the backdrop of the gallery's latest exhibition, The Ash Archive, and are looking forward to doing so. But it doesn't stop there; later on Friday, we head out to the fifteenth-century church of St Michael's in Hernhill, for a meditative sequence of music and silence by candlelight, in the church's Breathing Space series of events. Hopefully, we won't set fire to anything... More details about both events here: music, art and silence - it's all to come this Friday... Fantastic to sing in Canterbury Cathedral last night for the annual University Carol Service in Canterbury Cathedral. Before an assembled congregation of over a thousand, we began the service with the vivacious Verbum Patris Umanatur, before second-year soprano Fleur Sumption launched the opening verse of Once in Royal David's City into the vaulted ceiling of the Cathedral Nave. Later in the service, assistant conductor Matt Cooke led the Choir in In Dulci Jubilo, and our final solo carol was Star of the East, a beautiful carol by Russell Hepplewhite. Always a wonderful occasion; we're looking forward to being back here in March, when we sing in the Eastern Crypt in a concert including Pergolesi's Stabat Mater and a collection of contemporary works, plus some choral favourites. Merry Christmas: we're back in January!
Did you catch us on Radio 4 this morning ?!
The BBC radio station's flagship Today programme was broadcast from the Gulbenkian on campus this morning, and we were very excited to be invited to bring the programme to a close with a short performance. Shortly before 9am, we filled the airwaves (and the Gulbenkian itself, to a live audience) to a verse of Russell Hepplewhite's lovely carol, Star of the East. We've not assembled quite so early in the morning before - we were in the neighbouring Colyer-Fergusson Hall at 8am prompt to warm-up, before assembling outside the theatre at 8.30am to wait to be called. Nerve-wracking ? A little! But a treat to perform live on BBC radio! If you missed it, watch the performance on the Radio 4 website here. The pictures below take you through our morning, from the early warm-up to waiting behind the scenes to go on-stage, singing live and then a photo with presenter Justin Webb. |
Daniel hardingPianist, conductor, Deputy Director of Music, University of Kent Archives
March 2019
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