Choral society's concert challenge
HARROGATE Choral Society is looking forward to this weekend's performance of a challenging piece from the early 17th century.
The centre-piece of tomorrow's concert in Ripon Cathedral will be Monteverdi's Vespers of the Virgin Mary.
Society chairman Robin Basker said: “As the work dates back some 400 years, it was thought a suitable project for us to undertake for our concert in Ripon Cathedral this year.”
The collection of pieces from which the work (now known as the Monteverdi Vespers) is drawn may have helped him to secure the post of "maestro di capella" at St Mark’s, Venice.
Basker continued: “If, as is thought by some, Monteverdi used the Vespers as his test piece prior to appointment at St Mark’s, then some 50 or so performers could have been involved, but our performance takes place in a larger and more reverberant building than early performances would have done and uses a much larger choir.
“This will be a challenge for us as we are split into two choirs, but we are determined to provide a memorable occasion for our audience, many of whom loyally follow us to our different locations, in all weathers, in Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds’.
Joining the choir will be the 18th Century Sinfonia baroque orchestra, which will add a period flavour to the performance, and soloists Bethany Seymour and Joanna Patocs (sopranos), Matthew Lennox (counter tenor), Peter Wilman and Adrian Salmon (tenors) and Philip Wilcox and Alistair Ollerenshaw (basses).
All but one of these have come through the very successful Solo Singers Platform which has been held annually at Ashville College in Harrohate for some 20 years now and in which soloists from all over the country attend to be ‘auditioned’ by a number of Yorkshire choral societies.
Bethany Seymour was born in York and is part of a very distinguished family of musicians. For many years her mother, Yvonne, was a regular soloist with Harrogate Choral Society and her father, Peter, has also been a very prominent figure in the York music world.
Another local soloist is Matthew Lennox who currently sings in the Ripon Cathedral choir and teaches the boy choristers.
The combined forces will be conducted by the Society’s Music Director, Andrew Padmore.
The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available from Gill Crowther (01423 817885), Ripon Travel (0175 601689) and on the door. A combined concert and coach ticket is also available.
There's also a reminder that the Last Night of the Proms performance hosted by the Lord’s Taverners and Harrogate International Centre will take place on Saturday May 15.
This sees the return of Alfie Boe to Harrogate and features the Harrogate Choral Society and Manchester Camerata Orchestra.
Tickets are now on sale at HIC box office (0845 1308840).
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Weather for Ripon
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
