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July 2008 – Ryedale Festival - The Creation
Ampleforth Abbey – Justin Doyle (Conductor) with Jeni Bern, John Graham-Hall, Graeme Danby and the York Chapter House Choir
Following the great successes of previous years’ oratorio performances in the Abbey, Haydn’s magnificent work will be performed at the beginning of this Festival.
Haydn's setting of the creation story presents the natural world at its most raw – opening with a powerful depiction of Chaos and culminating in Adam and Eve’s union.
York Chamber Choir and Manchester Chamber Choir join forces with the Harmony of Nations and a first rate trio of soloists. |
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July 2008 – Elizabethan Themes and Echoes
St Peter Mancroft, Norwich – Marcus Farnsworth
The reign of Queen Elizabeth I (“Gloriana”) was a golden age for English music, which flourished in the churches, in the court, in the houses of the gentry, in the theatres and in the street.
Beginning with the sacred music of Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, and Orlando Gibbons, we will present a number of English and Latin motets, as well as Byrd’s five-part mass. This Elizabethan sound-world influenced countless later composers, such as the early Victorian composer Robert Pearsall, whose madrigal “Lay a Garland” is a touching anachronism in the Age of Steam. A hundred years later, the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams explicitly echoes the Elizabethan Age, and we have selected his three Shakespeare songs, based on texts from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and “The Tempest”.
Completing the Elizabethan theme in our contemporary Elizabethan Age we will perform the choral dances from Benjamin Britten’s opera “Gloriana”, written in the coronation year 1953, and recounting the first Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Norwich, and the entertainment provided by the citizens in her honour.
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June 2008 – Radio 4 Daily Service
am – Radio 4 Long Wave, Radio 4 DAB
Radio 4 Daily Service broadcast live from Emmanuel Church, Didsbury. |
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May 2008 – Annelies
Blackburn Cathedral – Richard Tanner (Conductor) and Nicola Howard (Soprano) - Renaissance Singers and The Northern Chamber Orchestra
The gripping story of Anne Frank.
Annelies Marie Frank was born in 1929 and began a diary she was given on her 13th birthday. The diary documented her transition from a carefree childhood to the fear that Jews and others suffered under the Nazis which led to her family's decision to go into hiding in a set of rooms in Amsterdam. As the years go by, the young girl's thoughts become deeper and transform into the astonishing collection of observations on the human spirit which has touched so many millions since its publication. The family were eventually betrayed and Anne, along with her family, died in a Nazi death camp in 1944. |
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January 2008 – Radio 4 Daily Service
am – Radio 4 Long Wave, Radio 4 DAB
Radio 4 Daily Service broadcast live from Emanuel Church, Didsbury. |
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December 2007 – Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy - Christmas Concert
A Christmas concert at a fund-raising dinner on behalf of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy |
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November 2007 – Radio 4 Daily Service
am – Radio 4 Long Wave, and Radio 4 DAB
Radio 4 Daily Service broadcast live from Emanuel Church, Didsbury.
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November 2007 – Radio 4 Daily Service
Radio 4 Daily Service broadcast live from Emmanuel Church, Didsbury |
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October 2007 – Radio 2 - Sunday Half Hour
Another winning entry from the BBC New Hymn Competition |
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September 2007 – Radio 2 - Sunday Half Hour
More from the BBC New Hymn Competition |
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September 2007 – Radio 2 - Sunday Half Hour
Singing the first of the winning entries from the BBC's New Hymn Competition. A World premier |
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August 2007 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Simon Lole
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August 2007 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Simon Lole
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August 2007 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Simon Lole
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July 2007 – Chester Festival - Elgar & His Contemporaries
Wesleyan Methodist Chapel, Chester – Frances Cooke
Lunchtime concert of sacred music and part-songs by Elgar, with other pieces by Holst, Parry and Stanford as part of the Chester Festival. |
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July 2007 – Ryedale Festival - Sunday Service & Concert
Pickering, Yorkshire – Justin Doyle
Sunday morning service as part of the Ryedale Festival.
Followed by an informal concert. |
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June 2007 – Labour Party Leadership Conference
Bridgewater Hall – Marcus Farnsworth
Apart from our GMTV pre-Christmas performance, one of our shortest notice performances. We were asked to perform Jackie Wilson's Higher and Higher as part of the mid-time entertainment at the Labour Party Conference, just before Tony Blair introduced Grodon Brown as the new party leader and Prime Minister
So on the Sunday morning we went from sight-reading a newly commissioned arrangement which had been written within the previous 48-hours, to a copy-free performance in front of both the labour party and a large part of the country, and possibly the world, via BBC News 24.
The quote of the weekend (and possibly the year):
"Well done!" – Tony Blair - who was immediately back stage as we were walking off. |
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June 2007 – Ordo Virtutum
Bridgewater Hall - Vox Animae, Evelyn Tubb – Michael Fields
A staged performance of Hildegard of Bingen's liturgical drama Ordo Virtutum as part of the Bridgewater Hall’s International Series. It is a story about ‘The journey of a soul to redemption’ and this piece is regarded by many as the first 'opera'.
We provided the chorus of lost souls and prophets or wise elders (guess which sex was which) supporting the group Vox Animae.
"one of the best chorus' we've had" |
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May 2007 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 –
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April 2007 – Sunday Worship, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Paul Leddington-Wright
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April 2007 – St Matthew Passion
Blackburn Cathedral - Canzona, Renaissance Singers, Blackburn Cathedral Girls' Chamber Choir – Richard Tanner
An exciting double-choir/double-orchestra performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion in the wonderful environment of Blackburn Cathedral, with outstanding soloists and accompaniment of the period instruments of Canzona. |
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March 2007 – Dream of Gerontius
Victoria Hall, Bolton - Bolton Choral Union – Michael Greenhalgh
Semi-chorus in performance with Bolton Choral Union as part of their anniversary concert. |
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January 2007 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Neil Taylor
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December 2006 – Messiah
Llannefydd, North Wales - Royal Northern College of Music Chamber Ensemble – Malcolm Layfield
Messiah taken to the picturesque village and church of Llannefydd. |
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December 2006 – Messiah
Christ Church, West Didsbury - Royal Northern College of Music Chamber Ensemble – Malcolm Layfield
Another successful return for Messiah. |
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December 2006 – Ryedale Festival - Sunday Morning Service
St Peter’s Church, Norton Iuxta Malton, Yorkshire – John Powell
Kyrie: Vaughan Williams; Sanctus, Benedictus and Agnus Dei: Tallis; Hodie Christus Natus Est: Sweelinck |
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December 2006 – Ryedale Festival - Good Tidings of Great Joy
St Peter’s Church, Norton Iuxta Malton, Yorkshire – John Powell
The Christmas concert from the Ryedale Festival. Music for Advent leading up to the christmas celebrations. |
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November 2006 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 –
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October 2006 – Songs of Two Centuries
St Luke’s Church, Lowton – Marcus Farnsworth
English madrigals, part songs and solo songs of two centuries. |
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August 2006 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Stephen Jackson
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August 2006 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Stephen Jackson
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June 2006 – Spring into Summer
Holy Innocents, Fallowfield – Simon Lole
English madrigals and part songs welcoming the blooming growth of spring and the warmth of summer. |
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May 2006 – Sunday Worship, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 – Gordon Stewart
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April 2006 – Bandanna
Parr Hall, Warrington – Mark Heron
First European performance of the opera by the contemporary American composer Daron Hagen. |
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April 2006 – Daily Service, Radio 4
BBC Radio4 –
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March 2006 – Spring Flowers
Preston Minster – Richard Tanner
A selection of music to welcome the arrival of Spring.
The first half of the concert was dedicated to a mass interspersed with motets by Mexican and Spanish composers based around the Flos Campi words from the Songs of Solomon. The second half comprised songs again on the theme of flowers, including music by Brittain and Finizi. Performed in the delightful environment and acoustic of the recently restored St John’s Minster in Preston. |
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March 2006 – Songs of Praise - BBC1
BBC1, Preston Minster - Renaissance Singers – Richard Tanner
From Preston Minster |
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January 2006 – Daily Service, Radio 4
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December 2005 – A Christmas Celebration with Carols
The Grand Theatre, Blackpool - Manchester Camerata – Darius Battiwala
Poulenc’s Christmas Motets and music by John Rutter, plus familiar Victorian carols. |
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December 2005 – Messiah
Christ Church, West Didsbury - Royal Northern College of Music Chamber Ensemble – Malcolm Layfield
Back by popular demand following our previous year's successful performance. |
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November 2005 – A Celibration of St Celcilia
Manchester Cathedral - Jeffry Makison organ, Purcell Consort – Christopher Stokes
A concert to celebrate the patron saint of music, St Cecilia. English choral music from Byrd to Howells. |
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November 2005 – Sunday Worship, Radio 4
Christopher Stokes
Sunday Worship with Ken Dodd on BBC Radio 4. |
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September 2005 – A Little Bite Music
Bridgewater Hall - Eleanor Lighton flute, Alexander Knight piano – Richard Tanner
A lunch time recital of English and European madrigals and 20th Centruy light music, at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. |
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August 2005 – Radio 4 Daily Service
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August 2005 – Radio 4 Daily Service
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July 2005 – Ryedale Festival - Sunday Moring Service
Malton Priory, Yorkshire – Darius Battiwala
Matins in Malton Priory as part of the Ryedale Festival. |
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July 2005 – Ryedale Festival - Mozart Requiem, Palestrina
Ampleforth Abbey – Malcolm Layfield, Darius Battiwalla
Mozart Requiem, Palestrina's settings of texts from the Song of Solomon, and Gabrielli performed in Ampleforth Abbey as part of the Ryedale Festival in North Yorkshire. Palestrina was perfect for the acoustic of Ampleforth Abbey. |
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April 2005 – Radio 4 Sunday Worship
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March 2005 – Bach, St John Passion
Silk Hall Macclesfield – Northern Chamber Orchestra – Richard Tanner
We returned to the Silk Hall Macclesfield to perform Bach, St John Passion with the NCO under Richard Tanner. |
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January 2005 – Radio 4 Sunday Worship
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January 2005 – Tsunami, Songs of Praise, BBC1
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral – Christopher Stokes
A recording for a Songs of Praise special programme reflecting on the recent tragic tsunami. |
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December 2004 – Messiah
Christ Church, West Didsbury - Royal Northern College of Music Chamber Ensemble – Malcolm Layfield
A seasonal performance of the ever-popular Messiah |
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December 2004 – GMTV
The Trafford Centre, Manchester –
A pair of live broadcasts from the Trafford Centre as part of an (early) article on Christmas shopping. |
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October 2004 – I Was Glad
St John's, Buxton – Christopher Stokes
A varied collection of English sacred music from the sixteenth to the 20 century; from Byrd to Peter Maxwell Davies. |
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July 2004 – Summer Seranade
St Johns, Buxton – Hannah Roberts cello – Martin Bussey
A repeat of our June concert. |
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June 2004 – Music for a Summer Evening - Amnesty Summer Concert
Holy Spirit Church, Marple - Intriplicate – Martin Bussey
A concert of summer music - madrigals and songs by Debussy, Elgar and Stanford. |
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March 2004 – Shadows of the Cross
Holy Innocents, Fallowfield – Chester Viol Consort – John Powell
A lenten meditation in words and music for Passiontide. |
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December 2003 – St Niklaus Mass, Haydn
Silk Hall, Macclesfield – Northern Chamber Orchestra – Richard Tanner
Haydn's St Niklaus Mass With the Northern Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Richard Tanner in the Silk Hall Heritage Centre, Macclesfield. |
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October 2003 – A Merry Noise
All Saints Church, Stand – Lowry Brass Ensemble – Gordon Stewart
Encompassing works ranging from the 19 part "Buccinate" by Gabrieli, through Bach's Singet den Herrn, works by father and son, Lennox and Michael Berkeley and culminating in RV Williams' motet, "O Clap Your Hands" with brass and organ. |
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July 2003 – Rejoice in the Lamb
St John's Church Buxton – Richard Tanner
Our Blackburn Cathedral performance was repeated as part of the Buxton Festival Fringe, again to wide acclaim in the summer of 2003. |
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June 2003 – Rejoice in the Lamb
Blackburn Cathedral – Richard Tanner
A concert of renaissance and twentieth century English music, including Palestrina, Bach, Britten, Taverner and Finzi – a memorable performance of in the glorious acoustic of Blackburn Cathedral, under the direction of Richard Tanner. |
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February 2003 – England v Italy
Holy Innocents, Fallowfield – Stephen Williams
English and Italian Part Songs - Morley, Gibbons, Byrd, Monteverdi, Morenzio et al.
Our inaugural concert under the direction of Stephen Williams was a great success. |
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