Cantores is 30!
Cantores Chamber Choir Choir formed in 1991 celebrated a belated birthday party at the GWSR at Winchcombe, with a steam train ride to Broadway.
Mystical Songs
Duruflé Requiem
Bernstein Chichester Psalms
Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs.
Cantores Chamber Choir and professional orchestra Central England Camerata collaborate to perform an exciting programme of 20th Century choral masterpieces. We celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ralph Vaughan Williams in a performance of his Five Mystical Songs, settings of texts by the 17th century priest and poet George Herbert, in a new chamber orchestration by Edward Pullin. This year also marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of French composer Maurice Duruflé, and we perform his exquisite reflective setting of the Requiem, inspired by the beauty and simplicity of Gregorian chant. The programme is completed with Leonard Bernstein’s colourful and dramatic Chichester Psalms, composed for the 1965 music festival at Chichester Cathedral, setting the texts of various psalms in Hebrew, in a three-movement work. The choir and orchestra will be joined by soloists Charlotte Sleet (mezzo soprano), Matthew Farrell (countertenor) and Robert Pritchard (baritone), and conducted by Simon Harper.
Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton
Saturday June 25th 2022, 7:30pm
Tickets £18, to include a programme, available here.
Under 18s free – no ticket required.
Choral Scholarship Scheme
Calling young singers!
Who Are We?
Cantores is a successful chamber choir based in the Cotswolds. We sing mainly a cappella, but occasionally perform with an accompanist, or an orchestra. We have a broad repertoire covering five hundred years of music, enjoying everything from Tudor Anthems to recent pieces from local composers, including our own commissions.
In an effort to support young singers whilst broadening our membership, we are excited to launch our choral scholarship scheme.
We invite all aspiring young singers (aged 16 – 22) to audition for a place in the choir. This could be to join us just for a term, or for up to a year.
What Are The Benefits?
- Vocal skills
- Ensemble musicianship
- Sight reading skills
- Knowledge and understanding of choral repertoire
- Listening skills Performance skills
- There will also be termly opportunities to perform with the choir.
Expectations and Application Process
Cantores is funding a number of places for young people in the choir and successful singers will receive a bursary of £100 per term. In return, we expect a good level of commitment, which will include practising the pieces in between rehearsals, weekly attendance at rehearsals, and all concerts.
If you know anyone who might benefit from this opportunity, please ask them to complete the form at https://forms.gle/52f4JYx7ggbCeoyZ7.
At the Water’s Edge
Cantores Chamber Choir directed by Simon Harper presents a varied programme of a cappella music on the theme of water, exploring its natural beauty in partsongs by Elgar, Stanford, Finzi, Delius and Whitacre, as well as British folksong arrangements by Vaughan Williams, Rutter and Willcocks; the power of water’s life-giving quality in Hildegard chant and sacred motets by Cardoso, Victoria and Walton; in contrast, the association of water with death in Gibbons’ madrigal The Silver Swan, alongside Bob Chilcott’s re-working of the same piece; and the significance of water and exile in Palestrina’s motet Super flumina Babylonis and Tippett’s arrangement of the spiritual Deep River.
19 March 2022 at St Peter’s Church Leckhampton, Cheltenham (7.30pm)
26 March 2022 at St Sampson’s Church, Cricklade (7.30pm)
Buy tickets in advance for £12 (U16 free) online or from Andrew on 07800 737078
Alternatively tickets are available at the door for £15 (U16s free).
Saints and Angels
Cantores Chamber Choir, directed by Simon Harper, presents an eclectic programme of music on the theme of saints and angels, spanning many centuries. We glimpse the choirs of heaven in plainchant and motets by Lassus and Weelkes, alongside Judith Weir’s depiction of the appearance of angels in My Guardian Angel, and two exquisite double-choir anthems – Harris’ Faire is the heaven, and Holst’s Nunc dimittis. Saints Michael, Peter and Mary are celebrated in music by Victoria, Palestrina, Dering, Parsons, Rachmaninov and Tavener. At the centre of the programme are two works commemorating the patron saint of music, St Cecilia – Cantantibus organis by Tudor composer Peter Philips is paired with Bernard Rose’s glorious Feast Song for Saint Cecilia, a setting of a text by his son Gregory.
13 November 2021 at Cirencester Parish Church (7.30pm)
20 November 2021 at St Mary’s Church, Prestbury, Cheltenham (7.30pm)
Buy tickets in advance for £12 (U16 free) online or from Andrew on 07800 737078
Alternatively tickets are available at the door for £15 (U16s free).
The Flight of Song
Cantores Chamber Choir, directed by Simon Harper, presents The Flight of Song, a celebration of music and singing: music about music itself, and songs about singing. An a cappella programme celebrating music and song, weaving together sacred and secular pieces from the 16th Century to the present day. The theme of singing and playing instruments in worship to God in motets by Byrd, Tomkins, Monteverdi and Palestrina is presented alongside music written in praise of the patron saint of music, Saint Cecilia, by Philips and Bernard Rose, with secular pieces by Weelkes, Lassus, Finzi, Sarah Quartel and Howard Skempton. At the centre of the programme is William Walton’s sublime setting of a poem by John Masefield, Where does the uttered music go?
27 June 2020 at Holy Innocents Church, Highnam, Gloucester (7:30pm). POSTPONED.
Music for Passiontide and Lent
Cantores Chamber Choir, directed by Simon Harper, presents a sublime programme of music for Passiontide and Lent. A sequence of early pieces forms the first half of the programme, beginning with Monteverdi’s expressive setting of Christe, adoramus te which focuses on the adoration of the holy cross and Christ’s Passion. The Lenten theme of asking God for mercy and forgiveness is explored in Purcell’s motet Remember not, Lord, our offences. The crucifixion itself is portrayed in Gesualdo’s O vos omnes and Lotti’s Crucifixus, both full of characteristic dissonances. Byrd’s Ave verum corpus reflects on the meaning of the physicality of Christ’s body in his crucifixion, and Jesus is presented as the redeeming saviour of the world in Tallis’ Salvator mundi. The first half ends with Lassus’ Timor et tremor, exploring emotions of fear and trembling, which are overcome by hope and trust in God.
In the second half of the programme, the choir presents just two works: James MacMillan’s Miserere, an incredibly moving setting of verses from Psalm 51, and Herbert Howells’ Requiem, which has become increasingly associated with the tragic death of his son Michael, despite being written before his death. The work is formed of Howells’ personal selection of devotional psalms and passages from scripture. Howells was greatly inspired by the glorious architecture of his beloved Gloucester Cathedral, and this is very much reflected in the spacious luminosity of his Requiem.
14 March 2020 at St Mary’s Church, Prestbury, Cheltenham (7:30pm)
21 March 2020 at St John the Baptist Church, Cirencester (7:30pm) – Cancelled
Buy tickets in advance for £12 (U16s free) online or from Andrew on 07800 737078. Alternatively tickets are available at the door for £15 (U16s free).
Songs of Twilight
Our new conductor, Simon Harper, presents a delightful programme of music about eventide, sleep and dreams from the 16th century to the present day, including music by Pärt, Palestrina, Britten, Whitacre, Moore, Elgar, Skempton, and many others.
16 November at St Peter & St Paul’s Church Northleach (7:30pm)
23 November at St Peter’s Church Leckhampton (7:30pm).
Buy tickets in advance for £12 (U16s free) online, or in person from the Black Cat Café Northleach, or from Andrew on 07800 737078. Alternatively tickets are available at the door at £15 (U16s free).
The Land of Music
A feast of predominantly English music for our last concert under the direction of John Holloway at Highnam Parish Church on June 29th 2019. The programme will include Holst’s folk song arrangements, two of Parry’s Songs of Farewell, Irish-born Stanford’s Three Motets, William Harris’s ‘Faire is the Heaven’ and conclude with Vaughan Williams’ Mass in G minor. Some of the music will be performed in a concert the week before – on June 22nd in Wyck Rissington as part of the celebrations to mark the 750th anniversary of the church. Gustav Holst was organist at Wyck Rissington in the early 1890s and two organ voluntaries by Holst will be performed by Cheltenham organist John Wright.
John Holloway is retiring as musical director of Cantores after 12 years in the post. Cantores have appointed Simon Harper as their new musical director from September.
22nd June 2019 at 6pm – St Laurence Church, Wyck Rissington
In aid of repairs to the Nave and Tower. Tickets £25 to include interval drinks and nibbles are available only from Elizabeth Ransom on 01451 822275.
29th June 2019 at 7.30pm – Highnam Parish Church, Gloucester
Tickets £15 (Concessions £12, U16s free) are available online or from Aileen on 07722 027659 or at the door.
Serenade to Music
Our Spring programme on 16 March at Holy Trinity Church, Minchinhampton (7:30pm) and 23 March at Cirencester Parish Church (7:30pm) contains sacred and secular music from the 18th century to the present day. We’re joined by our regular distinguished string ensemble and by Julian Elloway at the organ.
The first half presents a range of works for choir and strings beginning with the Kyrie from Haydn’s famous ‘Nelson’ Mass. Less well known perhaps is Vivaldi’s setting of the Magnificat which is full of surprises and dramatic gestures. Lovers of his ‘Gloria’ will not be disappointed however!
Mendelssohn was an early admirer of the music of J.S.Bach and he wrote a number of pieces emulating his style. ‘Wen nur den lieben Gott läßt walten’ (If you but allow God to guide you) is the third of a set of chorale cantatas dating from 1828. Also, in the first half Julian will play Handel’s popular organ concerto known as ‘The Cuckoo and the Nightingale’.
The second half contains three works by the Latvian composer Ëriks Ešenvalds who was born in 1977. ‘Only in sleep’ sets words by Sara Teasdale and features a folk-song like soprano solo. ‘The Heaven’s Flock’ has words by Paulann Petersen conjuring up a scene of night-time in the countryside, the heavens full of stars, the title of the third piece. ‘Stars’ returns to Sara Teasdale and Ešenvalds evokes the impression of the night sky by including the sound of tuned wine glasses played by wet fingers; a magical effect.
We return to our own shores for the final works in our concert. Jonathan Dove wrote ‘Seek him that maketh the seven stars’ in 1998 and sets visionary words from the book of Amos.
Vaughan Williams’ Serenade to Music, with words from Act 5 of ‘The Merchant of Venice’, was written in 1938 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Sir Henry Wood’s first concert. For this work the choir is joined by the strings and Julian Elloway at the piano.
Tickets £15 (Concessions £12, U16s free) are available from Andrew on 07800 737078 or at the door, or online.