Joyful Company of Singers

  • Home
  • ABOUT US
  • PERFORMANCES
  • RECORDINGS
  • GALLERY
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT

OUR BLOG

  • Towards the Light

    jcosco_admin
    Feb 26, 2020

    In ‘Towards the Light’ we explore music for Passiontide, setting works of the late Renaissance alongside music by 20th century and contemporary composers.

    In the Catholic liturgy, the offices of Tenebrae (Darkness) were specially celebrated in the three days leading up to Easter and were a combination of Matins and Lauds. The Responsories were sung before some of the Psalms chanted during the services. In the 16th Century the great Spanish composer Tomás Luis da Victoria wrote passionate and intense settings for these services, comprising 18 motets, of which we will be performing six drawn from the Matins of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

    Fast-forward some 350 years and we shall perform the Quatre motets pour un temps de penitence, written just before WW2 by Francis Poulenc, much of whose choral music was inspired by his Catholicism. Three of the motets are taken from the Tenebrae responsories, including Tenebrae factae sunt, which was the first he wrote and dedicated to the influential teacher and composer Nadia Boulanger.

    The two living composers represented in the programme are also Catholic, and a significant part of each’s output is religious music. Roxanna Panufnik came to the wider musical public’s attention with her Westminster Mass, commissioned to celebrate the 75th Birthday of Cardinal Hume in 1998 (and which the JCS performed with the City of London Sinfonia in Wroclaw, Poland in 2001). The motet Deus, Deus meus was included at the Cardinal’s request, and we shall perform this imaginative and sensitive setting which combines both Latin and English texts, sung by a Soprano soloist and eight-part choir.

    Sir James MacMillan is one of the UK’s most performed and respected contemporary composers. He has an active involvement in church music, and his Miserere setting (Psalm 51) written in 2009 includes typically decorative melodic ideas redolent of Scottish folk music, and a central section of free chant in harmony. It is a powerful and atmospheric work of that combines complexity with great sincerity.

    Do join us on 2nd April in St Gabriel’s Pimlico to hear these choral works – plus works for flute and piano by Malcolm Arnold and Jehan Ariste Alain, played by Kate Risdon (flute) and Fergus Black (piano).

Categories

  • News (73)
  • Repertoire (4)
  • Videos (10)

Archives

  • July 2022 (2)
  • May 2022 (2)
  • April 2022 (1)
  • February 2022 (1)
  • January 2022 (1)
  • October 2021 (3)
  • July 2021 (2)
  • May 2021 (1)
  • December 2020 (4)
  • November 2020 (1)
  • October 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (4)
  • June 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (1)
  • March 2020 (4)
  • February 2020 (2)
  • January 2020 (1)
  • November 2019 (1)
  • October 2019 (1)
  • September 2019 (1)
  • July 2019 (1)
  • June 2019 (1)
  • May 2019 (3)
  • April 2019 (1)
  • March 2019 (2)
  • February 2019 (2)
  • December 2018 (1)
  • November 2018 (2)
  • August 2018 (1)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • May 2018 (1)
  • April 2018 (3)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (2)
  • January 2018 (2)
  • December 2017 (1)
  • September 2017 (2)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (2)
  • March 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • October 2016 (1)
  • September 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (1)
  • February 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (1)
  • October 2013 (1)
  • September 2013 (2)
  • July 2013 (1)
© Copyright 2021 Joyful Company of Singers | Website by SMB Solutions | Background photo - Carol Hartfree | Privacy Policy
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • RSS Feeds
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT