2025, February & March: Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, plus motets by Bruckner & Mendelssohn
Accompanist: Howard Beach
Nick’s note:
“Brahms began writing his ‘German Requiem’ in 1865 shortly after the death of his mother. He was 32. Rather than set the traditional words of the Catholic Requiem Mass, Brahms chose texts from the bible that focused on the living, with an emphasis on hope – in some senses a Humanist requiem. It didn’t entirely meet with approval from clerics. Ein deutsches Requiem is Brahms’ longest work and is wonderfully dramatic. The (SATB) chorus sings in all seven movements, two with Baritone solo and one with Soprano soloist.
Although generally performed with full symphony orchestral accompaniment, Brahms created a version for four hands/one piano. The marvellous Howard Beach will attempt to play all four hands for our workshops!
We will be singing the Requiem in German using the Peters edition, and will cover the whole work over our two workshop days, plus additional short motets by Bruckner (February) and Mendelssohn (March). Bruckner’s Christus factus est is a gem of a piece for SATB, and Mendelssohn’s setting of Psalm 43 is an exciting motet for double choir.
2024: Vivaldi Dixit Dominus RV595 (February 3rd) and Handel Dixit Dominus (March 2nd)
Accompanist: Howard Beach
Soprano duet in the Handel sung by Shona Knight and Sally Moss Tallon
Nick’s note:
“Dixit Dominus (Psalm 110) has inspired many composers to write their finest music and at this workshop we explored one of three versions by Antonio Vivaldi. RV595 is written for 5 voices SSATB and includes some complex and agile choral writing. We looked at all the movements, and gave everyone a chance to sing the solo sections as well.
Around the same time that Vivaldi was writing his Dixit Dominus, the youthful Handel was visiting Italy in 1707 when he wrote his five-voice setting, a well-known and much-loved piece which is extravagant in its demands of the singers. It was a white-knuckle ride but worth it!”
2023: Mozart Solemn Vespers (February 18th) and Mass in C Minor (11th March)
Another exciting pair of workshop days at St Michael’s! Once again we were joined by the brilliant Howard Beach on chamber organ and Shona Knight (soprano) sang the lovely Laudate dominum in the Vespers.
Nick’s note:
“The Vesperae solennes de confessore is an intimate work. It is a set of psalm settings, all for chorus, including Dixit Dominus and Beatus Vir and includes the well known Laudate Dominum for Soprano solo and backing chorus.
Mozart wrote his Mass in C minor in 1783 but never completed it. If he had, it would be as long as Bach’s Mass in B minor! Nevertheless it contains seven big choruses, ranging from four-part choir to double choir. A great work indeed.”
2022: Bach Mass in B Minor
We tackled the mighty B Minor Mass over three workshop days!
2021: Purcell Anthems (October 16th)
In our first workshop day after the pandemic lockdowns we sang some joyous Purcell.
Nick’s note:
“In 1682 Purcell became Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey, aged 23, and many of his anthems were written in these very early 1680s. As the decade progressed, he turned his attention more towards writing for Court celebrations, and the theatre including Opera.
Purcell’s anthems are of two types: Full anthems written for full choir, often in a single section without breaks, while Verse anthems set each sentence of text separately, often featuring small solo groups of singers.
We sang two of each type:
I was glad when they said unto me (verse anthem) dates from 1682-3 but was most notably sung at the very start of the coronation of James II on 23 April 1685. Musically this was a very grand occasion and featured eleven anthems by the major composers of the day. Purcell’s two contributions began and ended the service.
O God, Thou art my God, another verse anthem, ends with an Hallelujah section which became the well known hymn tune ‘Westminster Abbey’.
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my crying come unto thee is a Full anthem written for 8 voices SSAATTBB. In these 34 bars of music 8 voices work some of the most intense and chromatic counterpoint written by Purcell.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts (2nd Setting). Purcell first set these ‘funeral sentences’ when he was 13 years old, subsequently revising them at least twice. But he felt moved to write a new, more solemn version for the funeral of Queen Mary in 1695. And later the same year, this setting was sung again at Westminster Abbey at his own funeral. In complete contrast to the counterpoint of Hear my prayer, this setting is entirely homophonic creating a truly profound mood.”
2020: Bach Motets (over 6 days in February, March 2020 and March 2021)
We managed three of our workshop days before the pandemic hit, then had to wait until the Spring of 2021 before we could hold the final three. Well worth the wait!
2019: Bach Magnificat (October)
Our first Bach workshop day was a huge success and laid the foundation for what was to come. Here’s a short video of the informal performance at the end of the afternoon, featuring the movement Omnes omnes generationes (soprano solo Liz James, accompanist Howard Beach):