Leamington Spa Bach Choir
Encyclopedia
The Royal Leamington Spa Bach Choir is a medium-sized choir based in the town of Leamington Spa
, Warwickshire
, England
.
and continues to perform to the present day. It currently meets at Lillington Primary School in the north of Leamington. It gives regular concerts throughout the year and perform a wide and varied repertoire.
The choir has around 80 members and rehearses weekly on a Wednesday evening during school term time. The choir's musical director and conductor is Nigel Stark http://www.stalphegemusic.com/#/director-of-music/4535151834, and its accompanist is Colin Druce.http://www.colindruce.co.uk On the day of a concert (normally a Saturday) a dress rehearsal is held in the afternoon, followed by the concert in the evening.
The choir performs with various orchestras and soloists. In 2008 it performed with Sir John Tomlinson at the Royal Spa Centre
in Leamington in a concert to benefit the Mayor of Leamington's chosen charity for the year.
In the 2009–2010 concert season the program included:
The 2010–2011 concert season the program will include:
In addition to its rehearsals and concerts the choir undertakes a range of other activities, including working with other choirs and performing outside of the local area. In the past Christmas music has been performed at Hatton Country World and Burton Dassett
, and the choir has also performed on Coventry and Warwickshire Radio. A number of social events are held each year, for example a summer garden party, book, cd and cake sales, skittles and a promises auction.
Leamington Spa
Royal Leamington Spa, commonly known as Leamington Spa or Leamington or Leam to locals, is a spa town in central Warwickshire, England. Formerly known as Leamington Priors, its expansion began following the popularisation of the medicinal qualities of its water by Dr Kerr in 1784, and by Dr Lambe...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
About
It was founded in the 1930s by the musician Stanley VannStanley Vann
William Stanley Vann FRCO, ARCM was an English composer, organist, choral conductor, and choir trainer, primarily in the Anglican cathedral tradition.-Early life:...
and continues to perform to the present day. It currently meets at Lillington Primary School in the north of Leamington. It gives regular concerts throughout the year and perform a wide and varied repertoire.
The choir has around 80 members and rehearses weekly on a Wednesday evening during school term time. The choir's musical director and conductor is Nigel Stark http://www.stalphegemusic.com/#/director-of-music/4535151834, and its accompanist is Colin Druce.http://www.colindruce.co.uk On the day of a concert (normally a Saturday) a dress rehearsal is held in the afternoon, followed by the concert in the evening.
Concerts
The 2008–2009 season saw performances of various works, including:- Duruflé'sMaurice DurufléMaurice Duruflé was a French composer, organist, and pedagogue.Duruflé was born in Louviers, Eure. In 1912, he became chorister at the Rouen Cathedral Choir School, where he studied piano and organ with Jules Haelling...
Quatre Motets and Requiem - Morten LauridsenMorten LauridsenMorten Johannes Lauridsen is an American composer. He was composer-in-residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale and has been a professor of composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for more than 30 years.-Biography:Lauridsen was born February 27, 1943, in...
's O Magnum Mysterium - A selection of Christmas carols from around Europe
- Bach'sJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
St Matthew Passion - Stainer'sJohn StainerSir John Stainer was an English composer and organist whose music, though not generally much performed today , was very popular during his lifetime...
Crucifixion - Various English choral classics at the choir's summer 2009 concert.
The choir performs with various orchestras and soloists. In 2008 it performed with Sir John Tomlinson at the Royal Spa Centre
Royal Spa Centre
The Royal Spa Centre is a theatre in Leamington Spa, United Kingdom. The centre was officially opened on 15 June 1972 by Anthony Eden, one time MP for Leamington and Warwick and Prime Minister of the UK. It has two auditoria, the first of which is a traditional theatre which can hold 660 people...
in Leamington in a concert to benefit the Mayor of Leamington's chosen charity for the year.
In the 2009–2010 concert season the program included:
- Verdi's Requiem (co-production with Portsmouth Choral Union - performances at Portsmouth and Leamington Spa)
- Christmas Concert - 'Carols Old and New'
- Last Night of the Proms with City of Birmingham Brass
- Constant Lambert - Rio Grande
- Choral works by Delius
- Contemporary International Choral Classics - featuring works by Bob ChilcottBob ChilcottRobert "Bob" Chilcott is a British choral composer, conductor, and singer, based in Oxford, England.Born in Plymouth, Chilcott sang in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, both as a boy and as a university student. He performed the Pie Jesu of Fauré's Requiem on the 1967 recording. In 1985 he...
, Morten Lauridsen and excerpts from Carl OrffCarl OrffCarl Orff was a 20th-century German composer, best known for his cantata Carmina Burana . In addition to his career as a composer, Orff developed an influential method of music education for children.-Early life:...
's Carmina BuranaCarmina BuranaCarmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces...
.
The 2010–2011 concert season the program will include:
- Haydn'sJoseph HaydnFranz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
The Seasons - Christmas Concert - 'Christmas with the Bach Choir'
- ChilcottBob ChilcottRobert "Bob" Chilcott is a British choral composer, conductor, and singer, based in Oxford, England.Born in Plymouth, Chilcott sang in the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, both as a boy and as a university student. He performed the Pie Jesu of Fauré's Requiem on the 1967 recording. In 1985 he...
Workshop - BachBạchBạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
Mass in B Minor - Chichester Psalms & FauréGabriel FauréGabriel Urbain Fauré was a French composer, organist, pianist and teacher. He was one of the foremost French composers of his generation, and his musical style influenced many 20th century composers...
Requiem
In addition to its rehearsals and concerts the choir undertakes a range of other activities, including working with other choirs and performing outside of the local area. In the past Christmas music has been performed at Hatton Country World and Burton Dassett
Burton Dassett
Burton Dassett is a parish and shrunken medieval village in Warwickshire. Much of the area is now the Burton Dassett Hills country park. It was enclosed for sheep farming by Sir Edward Belknap at the end of the 15th century....
, and the choir has also performed on Coventry and Warwickshire Radio. A number of social events are held each year, for example a summer garden party, book, cd and cake sales, skittles and a promises auction.