Tag: Bach

Memorable Mass in B minor

Saturday 7 March 2020

The John Dethick Memorial Concert

The choir sings each of Bach’s most celebrated choral works in rotation every three years, and this year presented his choral masterpiece, the magnificent Mass in B minor as the 2019 John Dethick Memorial concert in Sheffield cathedral on Saturday 7 March.. Widely regarded as one of the greatest compositions in musical history, the B minor mass is a favourite of the choir’s, as was obvious on the night.

Sopranos Jane Burnell and Claire White–Mckay, alto Lucy Appleyard, tenor David Brown and bass Quentin Brown put in memorable performances, as did the National Festival Orchestra, ably conducted by Dr. Simon Lindley. The concert proved to be a highlight for local music lovers over the Easter period.

 

 

 

Bach awakes memories for Betty

21 October 2019 Sheffield Telegraph

Betty Grimsley first got to grips with Bach’s Cantata ‘Sleeper’s Wake’ over 70 years ago and she’s really looking forward to hearing it again in a concert she is thrilled to be sponsoring. ‘I studied it for my School Certificate in the early 40s’ said Betty, ‘and though Bach performed it just once in his lifetime, it became very popular – I have sung it with various choirs, including Sheffield Bach Choir. I’m can’t wait to hear them sing it in November’.

Betty GrimsleyBetty, born in Manchester but a resident of Dore for many years, is no stranger to choral works, having sung soprano with first-rate choirs throughout her life, in whichever city she happened to be living. She started by singing alongside her sister with the Manchester Cathedral Cantata Choir and with the prestigious Halle Chorus under Sir John Barbirolli.

‘My mother was the musical one in the family’ explained Betty ‘She was very artistic, attending Manchester Art School just after Lowri had left. She was a soprano, and I have always used – and still have – her copy of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio – though it’s rather well-thumbed now!’

Following her move to university in London, where she trained to be a music teacher, Betty joined Philip Ledger’s Chelmsford Cathedral Choir and the London Bach Choir.

‘I learned such a lot with the London choirs.’ remembers Betty. ‘The newly-formed South London Bach Choir, under Dr. Paul Steinitz OBE, later became the London Bach Society, the first to sing Bach with period instruments and in German. They were exciting times!’

Betty joined Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus on moving here in 1969, singing with them for over 30 years, and with the Sheffield Bach Choir until her retirement. She still sings with her local church choir, and has played the keyboard at local services since the organist left some years ago. She is also a keen bridge player and U3A member, and has two sons and three grandchildren.

‘Sleepers Wake’ is a shortened name taken from the opening words which translate as ‘Awake, calls the voice to us’. Bach’s only performance was in November 1731, making it a great choice for Sheffield Bach Choir’s Bach Festival concert this November.

Also on the programme is the Christmas Oratorio, created in six parts in 1734 using music Bach had already composed, with new words to describe the key elements of the Christmas story. The Sheffield Bach Choir will sing the first three sections – the birth of Jesus, the angel herald and the adoration of the shepherds.

With first-rate soloists, the National Festival Orchestra and conducted by Dr. Simon Lindley, this will be a great way to kick off your Christmas in true classical style.

Read the article as it appeared in the Sheffield Telegraph

Bach Festival

A BACH FESTIVAL
Saturday 16th November 2019, 7.30pm, Sheffield Cathedral

The Bach Choir, conducted by Dr. Simon Lindley, presented Bach’s beautiful Christmas Oratorio on Saturday 16 November in Sheffield’s Anglican cathedral, along with the well-known Cantata Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake, calls the voice to us), also known as Sleepers Wake. Soloists Stephen Liley, Philippa Hyde, Lucy Appleyard and Quentin Brown sang the solo movements with lyrical passion, and  the National Festival Orchestra played Bach’s beautiful music marvellously well, as always. The evening really did prove to be a great way to start Christmas early! The concert was generously supported by Betty Grimsley.

Bach round the font

Visitors to Sheffield’s Anglican cathedral occasionally happen upon a rehearsal for that evening’s concert – but there’s an extra treat in store on Saturday 9 March 2019. Dr Simon Lindley will provide a short talk about Johann Sebastian Bach around Brian Hall’s wonderful stainless steel font, as part of Classical Sheffield’s third weekend festival.

The talk, from 6.15 to 6.45pm, will be free to festival pass holders, and follows an afternoon open rehearsal of the St John Passion for that evening’s 7.30pm concert by Sheffield Bach Choir.

“One of the themes of this year’s festival is Future Makers” explained Dr Lindley, “and I hope to persuade visitors that Bach was a future maker of the past – especially with his choral music. Opera was quite a new form in Bach’s time, but his Passions are amazingly dramatic and innovative, and there is no doubt that his music has had a huge influence on other composers – including, I’m sure, some of the young Sheffield composers who have written new works for the 2019 Classical Weekend festival.”

It is 50 years since Dr Lindley’s first involvement with the St John Passion when he played continuo in a performance at Westminster Abbey in 1969. He marked the occasion by meeting up with Sir Ivor Atkins grand-daughter Katherine O’Carroll in Leeds last month.

“Atkins, who was born 150 years ago, was the editor of the 1929 edition of Bach’s St John Passion which choirs, including ours, still use to this day.” said Simon. “He and Edward Elgar had collaborated on an edition of Bach’s St Matthew Passion in 1911, and he also produced a new edition of the Brahms Requiem in English. It was wonderful to meet up with his grand-daughter on my anniversary to discuss how we might mark his.”

Bach’s St John Passion will be given by Sheffield Bach Choir at 7.30pm on Saturday 9 March in Sheffield Cathedral, with the National Festival Orchestra led by Sally Robinson, Alan Horsey on continuo and featuring tenor Stephen Liley and bass Thomas Hunt as Evangelist and Christ respectively. The open rehearsal will start at 1.30p (soloists only) and from 2.30 with the full choir and orchestra.

Tickets, available from www.sheffieldbachchoir or on the door, must be purchased separately rather than via Classical Sheffield, but there’s a £5 discount for festival pass holders. The talk at 6.15pm is free.

Chair’s 5th anniversary

22 October 2018

It’s five years this October since Chris Walker was elected as Chair of Sheffield Bach Choir – and he isn’t likely to forget the date! ’Our eldest daughter gave birth to our first grandchild Elizabeth a few hours earlier.’ said Chris, ‘I dashed to the AGM straight from the hospital – if I hadn’t been standing for Chair I might have played hooky I think!’

chris walker 1Chris was born in California USA but came to Sheffield to study dentistry in 1978 and decided to stay, working at busy practices in Rotherham, then Wombwell. ‘I fell in love with the rural feel to the city and being able to escape to somewhere wooded or green so easily.’ Now retired, he has an allotment near Ecclesall library, sits on five committees, and helps look after Grade 2* listed St James’ Church, Norton.

He joined the choir almost by chance. ‘I was moaning about work-life balance to my Dad, he happened to know someone in the choir and before I knew it I’d auditioned and was in!’ Chris remembers that first audition, given by Dr Roger Bullivant, who heard Chris sing, then took out an old envelope, drew a bass clef and five lines, scribbled a few notes and barked “Sing that!” The choice of singing was no accident though, as Chris had been a boy chorister at Magdalen College Oxford – as was the choir’s current conductor Dr Simon Lindley. ‘I remember walking across Magdalen Bridge in cap and gown – they don’t do that anymore. I wonder how many tourists still have the faded photographs they snapped as we passed by!’

Some 35 years later Chris still enjoys singing bass in the choir. ‘I’ve loved singing the great choral works including an annual Messiah and our three year rotation of Bach’s St John Passion, St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor  – maybe one of the greatest pieces ever written. There’s something special about singing with a professional orchestra in Sheffield cathedral, which has a lovely acoustic; it sends a shiver down the spine and you just can’t beat it! We’ve had a fair few younger people joining us recently but we’re still looking for new members so do give us a go!’

Chris is looking forward to the choir’s next concert, Lest we forget, featuring the Armed Man by Karl Jenkins as well as works by Elgar and Blatchly – but he’s anticipating quite an emotional sing. ‘Remembering the Great War is important, and the Armed Man is a good choice; Jenkins wrote it as a mass for peace.’ explains Chris ‘It’s a really popular atmospheric work and a joy to listen to, especially poignant for me as it was played at Dad’s funeral last year. He and Mum were great supporters of the choir and the Agnus Dei from this work was a particular favourite.’

The choir presents Lest we forget in Sheffield Cathedral on Saturday 17 November at 7.30pm. Tickets from www.sheffieldbachchoir.org.uk; www.wegottickets.com, cathedral shop, or at the door.

Rising stars move mountains to sing Bach in hometown Sheffield

Sheffield Telegraph 5 April 2018

Booking musicians with growing national reputations is difficult; getting them a second time following a postponement is well-nigh impossible – but not when they are committed to singing in their hometown!

Rising stars Anna Harvey and Ella Taylor from Sheffield have moved mountains to sing Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the cathedral on Saturday 14 April, following a snow-enforced postponement of the original concert.

Both live in London but despite busy schedules are adamant about meeting their commitment to sing Bach’s masterpiece. Sheffield Bach Choir faced a herculean task in bringing together soloists, choristers and orchestra for the re-scheduled concert. ‘The Passion obviously has to be performed within the Easter period’ said Music Director Dr. Simon Lindley, ‘ It is a delight, as well as something of a relief, that Anna and Ella, along with tenor Stephen Liley and bass Thomas Hunt in the roles of Evangelist and Christ, all happen to be free for the rearranged date. We are very pleased to have secured Quentin Brown to make up our team of soloists’.

Hailed as ‘simply wonderful’ by the New York Times, mezzo-Soprano Anna Harvey was a pupil at Broomhill, Lydgate and Tapton schools, and graduated in Music from Cambridge University. The holder of a number of prestigious awards, Anna recently sang in Mozart’s Requiem on a national tour that included Sheffield City Hall, and is thrilled to be back: ‘Having grown up in Sheffield, I am very excited to be returning to my home city to sing this wonderful and monumental work by my favourite composer, Bach’.  Anna, who sings with the Welsh National Opera and enjoys a busy concert schedule, counts performing at the 2016 Last Night of the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall as a particular highlight.

Ella, whose earliest musical memory is being ‘part of a string group called ‘Fiddle Fingers, where I first picked up a violin!’, cut her teeth as a chorister at the cathedral, winning BBC Chorister of the Year in 2010. She went on to graduate in Music from the University of Sheffield and is currently studying for a Masters in Performance at the Royal Academy of Music. ‘My passion lies in performing new/contemporary works’ says Ella, ‘I have been lucky to premiere several pieces by up-and-coming composers, as well as works by Schönberg and George Benjamin, among others’.

The Bach choir will be joined by members of St Peter’s Singers from Leeds in the celebrated choruses for double choir, while the acclaimed young Choristers of St John’s Ranmoor will provide the thrilling chorus of upper voices required by Bach in the first half. The audience is encouraged to sing the chorale hymns as would have happened in Bach’s day.

However, you’ll need to set out early – it starts at 6.30pm and there is always competition for prime spots in the cathedral’s grand acoustic. Tickets for the original concert are valid, those without tickets can get them from http://www.sheffieldbachchoir.org.uk/

Link to the article in the Sheffield Telegraph