Morley College Choir
Encyclopedia
Morley College Choir was founded by Gustav Holst
, during the period he was teaching music at Morley College
. The choir was led for many years by Michael Tippett
, who conducted the ensemble for the first-ever recording of Thomas Tallis
' Spem in Alium
, and premiered a number of his works, including A Child of Our Time
in 1944.
The choir is known for presenting concerts of great variety and style and has recently performed choral works by Vivaldi (Gloria RV 588
and Gloria RV 589
), Vaughan Williams (Fantasia on Christmas Carols
, Five Folk English Songs, Five Mystical Songs
), Haydn (Insanae et vanae curae, Paukenmesse, Te Deum), Beethoven (Mass in C major
), and Handel
(Coronation Anthems
). Morley College Choir has also worked in partnership with other orchestral and choral ensembles like the BBC Concert Orchestra
, the Camerata of London
and Chantage
.
The choir has been conducted by Jeremy Haneman since 2005.
Gustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
, during the period he was teaching music at Morley College
Morley College
Morley College is an adult education college in London, England. It was founded in the 1880s and has a student population of 10,806 adult students...
. The choir was led for many years by Michael Tippett
Michael Tippett
Sir Michael Kemp Tippett OM CH CBE was an English composer.In his long career he produced a large body of work, including five operas, three large-scale choral works, four symphonies, five string quartets, four piano sonatas, concertos and concertante works, song cycles and incidental music...
, who conducted the ensemble for the first-ever recording of Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis
Thomas Tallis was an English composer. Tallis flourished as a church musician in 16th century Tudor England. He occupies a primary place in anthologies of English church music, and is considered among the best of England's early composers. He is honoured for his original voice in English...
' Spem in Alium
Spem in alium
Spem in alium is a forty-part Renaissance motet by Thomas Tallis, composed circa 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each. The sacred text has been used as a basis for other choral settings, such as and the...
, and premiered a number of his works, including A Child of Our Time
A Child of Our Time
A Child of Our Time is an oratorio written by Michael Tippett between 1939 and 1941."After more than ten years of thoughtful planning, Michael Tippett summed up his musical, political, spiritual and philosophical beliefs in his first oratorio, A Child of Our Time...
in 1944.
The choir is known for presenting concerts of great variety and style and has recently performed choral works by Vivaldi (Gloria RV 588
Gloria (Vivaldi)
Antonio Vivaldi wrote several settings of the Gloria. RV 589 is the most familiar and popular piece of sacred music by Vivaldi; however, he was known to have written at least three Gloria settings. Only two survive whilst the other is presumably lost and is only mentioned in the Kreuzherren...
and Gloria RV 589
Gloria (Vivaldi)
Antonio Vivaldi wrote several settings of the Gloria. RV 589 is the most familiar and popular piece of sacred music by Vivaldi; however, he was known to have written at least three Gloria settings. Only two survive whilst the other is presumably lost and is only mentioned in the Kreuzherren...
), Vaughan Williams (Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Fantasia on Christmas Carols is a 1912 work for baritone, chorus, and orchestra by the English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. First performed at the 1912 Three Choirs Festival at Hereford Cathedral, the work is a single movement of roughly twelve minutes which consists of the English folk carols...
, Five Folk English Songs, Five Mystical Songs
Five Mystical Songs
The Five Mystical Songs are a composition by Ralph Vaughan Williams, written between 1906 and 1911. The work sets four poems by George Herbert, from his 1633 collection The Temple: Sacred Poems. While Herbert was a priest, Vaughan Williams himself was an agnostic, though this did not prevent his...
), Haydn (Insanae et vanae curae, Paukenmesse, Te Deum), Beethoven (Mass in C major
Mass in C major (Beethoven)
Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his Mass in C major, Op. 86, to a commission from Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II in 1807. In fulfilling this commission, Beethoven was extending a tradition established by Joseph Haydn, who following his return from England in 1795 had composed one mass per year for the...
), and Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
(Coronation Anthems
Coronation Anthems
The Coronation Anthems are four anthems composed by George Frideric Handel using texts from the King James Bible, to be played at the coronation of the British monarch. They are Zadok the Priest , My Heart Is Inditing , The King Shall Rejoice and Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened...
). Morley College Choir has also worked in partnership with other orchestral and choral ensembles like the BBC Concert Orchestra
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five which is not a full-scale symphony orchestra....
, the Camerata of London
Camerata of London
Camerata of London is a modern-instrument chamber orchestra with a repertoire ranging from the early Baroque to the contemporary music.Camerata of London has performed in London venues including Queen Elizabeth Hall, St John's, Smith Square, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St...
and Chantage
Chantage
Chantage is a London based chamber choir conducted by James Davey. Drawing singers from all over the country and all walks of life, the choir won the 2006 Radio 3 Choir of the Year competition....
.
The choir has been conducted by Jeremy Haneman since 2005.