The Emsworth Renaissance Choir will take you back to Renaissance England
Alvin M. Keeling
2 min read
Spokesman Simon O’Hea said: “Audiences will be transported to Renaissance England. They will appreciate the comparisons between writers, artists and composers of the time. Byrd and Tallis take center stage, but works by Taverner, Gibbons, Philips and others are also included.
“It was also the time of the madrigal in England, and the choir will sing some of the most popular songs of the time.
“Joining them will be the fabulous Chichester-based guitarist Zoe Barnett, who will perform a number of works for lute, including pieces by Thomas Campion.”
Obviously, the concert comes as we emerge from the pandemic.
““Covid made us realize how important and why music is,” Simon said.
“A group of 30 who share a passion for choral music, we usually sing together every Friday in Emsworth, with a repertoire that spans over five hundred years, from the Renaissance to the present day. We regularly give concerts in Hampshire and West Sussex, and every year we go on tour; every two to three years we go to continental Europe.
“When Covid hit we didn’t stop singing. We are good friends, as well as good singers, and we wanted to maintain our reputation for making music at the highest level, even during confinement.
“Being banned from our weekly face-to-face singing felt like a bereavement, as we are all so attached to the music and each other. So, we didn’t give up: we did rehearsals on Zoom; we had newsletters full of fun trivia, Zoom talks about member interests as well as daily singing exercises and warm-ups.
“We released a virtual recording of If Ye Love Me by Tallis as well as a video to accompany a recording we had made of Ne Irascaris by Byrd and an online Christmas music video.
“When in early 2021 we were once again banned from meeting face-to-face, we held regular Zoom rehearsals, followed by rehearsals in a barn – serenaded by cows! – allowing us to hold a fancy summer concert in July at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Southsea. Since then, we continue more or less normally.
“It feels good to be back in action!”
Further information and tickets can be found at www.renaissancechoir.org.uk.
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