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Capel Choral Society – Leith Hill Festival

Capel Choral Society is now into the last couple of rehearsals before its big day at the Leith Hill Musical Festival on 14th April. The Choir,  small in number compared with  some of its rivals in the morning Competitions, is making the most of the set music which this year suits a fairly small choir. To this end the Conductor, Peter Ford, has been working the singers hard, concentrating on dynamics, expression and diction. The Haydn Harmoniemesse (‘Wind band mass’) was written for a church

choir, while the other  full scale work,  the Serenade to music by Vaughan Williams  was written for  just

16 soloists, in honour  of Sir Henry  Wood’s 50 years as a conductor.

The other, smaller, works  on which the Choir  is working  also have to be sung in the Competitions and these also suit a smaller choir, so a similar amount of effort  is being dedicated to these pieces each of which forms one of the Classes in the Competitions: Part Song, Madrigal, Ladies’ Song, Men’s Song, Ensemble (for groups of up to  12 singers) and an own Choice piece. The Part Song is actually a group of three folk songs by the Hungarian composer  Matyas Seiber, which are about some rather  strange goings-on in a Hungarian village! The Madrigal is All creatures now, by John Bennett, and is one of

many ‘Oriana’ madrigals in praise of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Men’s Song is a setting of Newbolt’s The Old Superb by Stanford – ‘Westward Ho to Trinidad, and Eastward Ho to Spain!’.

The Choir  will be getting rather  nervous as 14th April approaches, but also looking forward  to this great occasion of music making, although with some sadness too as it bids farewell to Brain Kay, the Festival Conductor of the last 21 years.

It is not too late to book tickets for the first two  nights of the Festival, but the last night (16th April)

which includes a performance  of Verdi’s dramatic Requiem is now sold out.  You can order  tickets through Capel Choral Society’s Ticket Secretary, Yvonne Allmond- contact her on 01403 269884, or ernail yvonneallmond@aol.com .

For more information about Capel Choral Society and how to  join, contact the Secretary, lan Moir at ianmoir20@yahoo.com or phone him on 01306 889817

See also the choir’s  website, www.capelchoralsociety.com

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