The concert programme for the final Gloucester Choral Society concert of the season marked the Vaughan Williams anniversary with a selection including some of his best-known shorter works. We sang in all of them apart from The Lark Ascending, played by Hannah Roper.
The Mass in G minor is a work I’ve sung parts of many times. But I’d never sung the Creed for an audience, only in a Come and Sing, so there was a first performance for me in this concert. I’m always glad to have a chance to do this piece and particularly enjoy the parallel fifths at the end of the Gloria.
I sang the Serenade to Music a few years ago with Bristol Choral Society. That time we dispensed with soloists and everyone sang everything, but in this performance we had a solo quartet, and organ (or rather toaster – Gloucester’s organ has just been taken out of action for repairs) accompaniment.
Otherwise: I revisited the Five Mystical Songs after a few months, with James Geidt as soloist this time. This performance and the one last autumn confirmed my view that no two people conduct the end of Let all the World the same way.
We sang the Te Deum in G, rather faster than I’ve done it in previous performances, and the concert concluded with O Clap Your Hands.
We had a very complimentary review: Seen and Heard International.
A week later I was back in action with the Bath Abbey Chamber Choir, singing a Sunday evensong. As (I think) the only soprano familiar with Britten’s Festal Te Deum in E, I was volunteered for the solo part, which I’d never done before. Our canticles were Wood in F for double choir.