Summer Concert 2023 - The King's Music
Summer Concert - Saturday 17th June 2023 in Christ’s Hospital Chapel.
Our summer concert includes music associated with Cornations past and present as well as music by composers known to be liked by our new King.
As Prince of Wales, King Charles presented a BBC programmes entitled 'The Prince and the Composer' about the life and character of one of his favourite composers, first broadcast in 2011. The BBC described it like this :
"Sir Hubert Parry is simultaneously one of Britain's best-known and least-known composers. Jerusalem is almost a national song, regularly performed at rugby grounds, schools, Women's Institute meetings and the Last Night of the Proms, while Dear Lord and Father of Mankind is one of Britain's best-loved hymns. Everyone knows the tunes, yet hardly anyone knows much about the man who wrote them."
We aim to put that right by singing three more of his pieces, the last of which 'I was glad...' may well be better known by then as it is very likely to be included in the music performed at the King's Coronation.
One composer whose work we know will be performed at the Coronation is George Frederic Handel. We can only assume that this will be 'Zadok the Priest' (as a minimum) as this has been played just before the anointing of every sovereign at every Coronation since that of George ll in 1727. We will be singing this anthem as well as part of another of Handel's Coronation Anthems, 'My Heart is Inditing'. (The text of this anthem is from Psalm 45, and is 'My heart is inditing of a good matter. I speak of the things that thou hast made'. Inditing means to speak from the heart).
The music of Ralph Vaughan-Williams will also be well represented as we sing three pieces by him. He was comparatively local to Horsham, living in the Dorking area for most of his life. One of the pieces, 'The Turtle Dove', has particular local significance. Vaughan-Williams recorded it in the early 1900s, seemingly using a wax cylinder recording device, being sung by David Penfold, the landlord of The Plough inn at Rusper, just up the road from Horsham. It has become well known as piece for choirs, and also as a folksong and is known the world over.
Tickets are £12.50 each, or £10 for Concessions and £5 for children.
Our full concert programme is as follows
Zadok the Priest - Handel
My heart is inditing - Handel
As torrents in summer - Elgar
How beautiful upon the mountains - Stainer
The Hills - Ireland
Behold, O God our Defender - Howells
Greensleeves - Vaughan-Williams
The Turtle Dove - Vaughan Williams
The hundredth psalm - Vaughan Williams
My soul there is a country - Parry
The Mountains Shall Bring Peace - Joanna Forbes L’Estrange
I was glad when they said unto me - Parry
You can hear nearly all of this music at this Spotify playlist :
Tickets are available from this website, from Christ's Hospital Box Office, from choir members or on the door.