Menu
Hastings & St. Leonards on-line community newspaper
David and Absalom Marc Chagall, Russian-French, lithograph, 1956

David and Absalom by Marc Chagall, Russian-French, lithograph, 1956

Spiritual revival – time to join the bandwagon!

The Hastings Philharmonic Choir is presenting more contemporary classical choral music with a strong spiritual impetus. After Arvo Pärt last Autumn, the choir  put on an enormously well received Christmas concert which, together with the old favourites, included brand new works from Chilcott and Rutter. This week, the choir again presents some deeply religious modern music to move the soul. HOT’s Chris Cormack argues that this resonates with a growing need to revive true spirituality in an increasingly confusing world, where religious dogma lies behind some horrific acts of barbarity.

At the time of writing, thirty plus innocent British tourists have been massacred on a Tunisian beach where they lay sunning themselves – and there is a humanitarian calamity on Europe’s borders as thousands upon thousands flee the war zones of the Middle East and Africa. Religion has a bad reputation, whether it be those preaching sectarian violence in the Middle East or even the kind of religious fundamentalism in America that stokes the fires of intolerance rather than emphasizing brotherly love. One shining example of faith which counters this trend was the loving response of the black congregation in Charleston, who were slaughtered during bible study despite welcoming in their white oppressor.

Hastings Philharmonic Choir sing with gusto

Hastings Philharmonic Choir sing with gusto

The centrepiece of the Hastings Philharmonic concert this Saturday 4 July at Christ Church, St Leonards, is an Eric Whitacre composition, When David heard, which very fittingly tells of  King David’s grief, when he heard that his son, the rebel Absalom, had been killed in battle.  David went to his chamber above the gate and wept, saying, “O my son Absalom, would to God I had died for thee, O my son, my son Absalom.” (2 Sam. 18:33) Absalom, said to be very handsome and with charming manners, led a revolt against his father at Hebron and was eventually slain at Ephraim’s Wood.  This generational clash can easily be compared with the internecine strife taking place right now in the Middle East. How many fathers and sons fight now on separate sides and who will stop the brutality? This 12 minute gut-wrenching choral piece produces something of an emotional hiatus to the grief. To get an idea how well Whitacre’s music is received, it is educational to read the comments on his Youtube music: one example:  This is probably the closest I’ve been to a religious experience. I felt my heart soar and break and it’s just amazing, I’m so glad I found this.

Marcio Da Silva conducts

Marcio Da Silva conducts and composes

The rediscovery of the relevance of choral music in the first decade of the twenty-first century, is a most exciting trend to emerge in classical music. A wealth of contemporary composers have broken new ground in creating ethereal harmonies described as heavenly (according to Classic FM). Apart from Eric Whitacre, who has made a huge breakthrough in bringing choral music to the masses in the last few years, the concert also features another American composer, Morten Lauridsen, whose O Magnum Mysterium tells the story of the birth of Jesus with extreme sensitivity and spirituality; layers of sustained choral harmonies generate huge waves of optimism and hope intertwined in the religious fervour. Lauridsen himself said he wanted this piece to ‘resonate immediately and deeply into the core of the listener, to illumine through sound.’ Lauridsen’s work has been explained in an award winning documentary.

Polo Piatti masterminds another Composers Festival for this September

Polo Piatti masterminds another Composers Festival for this September

Apart from these two World famous American composers, the concert includes a brilliant new interpretation of Ave Verum Corpus by contemporary English composer, Colin Mawby, who has built a well-deserved reputation in  choral music through his position as Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral and choral director at Radio Telefís Éireann. All these choral pieces bear comparison with the pure harmonies of Gregorian chant, as does the slightly more pre-modern Ubi Caritas by Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986), also featured in the concert.

The programme accordingly has several Gregorian chants and early pieces by 16th century composers, Jacques Arcadelt and Tomas L de Victoria, performed by visiting soloists. The sets are a mixture of a Cappella and accompanied music with Francis Rayner on piano.

The concert also includes three songs in Brazilian Portuguese, composed by the choir’s own music director, Marcio da Silva. Marcio has a solid background in both the English and American choral traditions as a result of his early music studies with the Phoenix Boys Choir (USA) and the two English choirs he now oversees. Marcio will join the Hastings International Composers Festival this September as a tenor soloist and conductor of choral music; his compositions will also be featured alongside more works by Eric Whitacre and Polo Piatti.

To see what the power of communal singing can be, take a look at this video.

The Choir is inviting everyone to come to Christ Church, Silchester Rd, St. Leonards-on-Sea TN38 0JB at 4pm, Saturday 4 July,  for tea and cake followed by a 5pm concert. Tickets £12 (£10 concessions) & £3 under 17 years.

 

 

 

 

If you’re enjoying HOT and would like us to continue providing fair and balanced reporting on local matters please consider making a donation. Click here to open our PayPal donation link. Thank you for your continued support!

Posted 19:17 Monday, Jun 29, 2015 In: Music & Sound

Also in: Music & Sound

«
»
More HOT Stuff
  • SUPPORT HOT

    HOT is run by volunteers but has overheads for hosting and web development. Support HOT!

    ADVERTISING

    Advertise your business or your event on HOT for as little as £20 per month
    Find out more…

    DONATING

    If you like HOT and want to keep it sustainable, please Donate via PayPal, it’s easy!

    VOLUNTEERING

    Do you want to write, proofread, edit listings or help sell advertising? then contact us

    SUBSCRIBE

    Get our regular digest emails

  • Subscribe to HOT