Choristers perform at the Ribchester Festival - 26/6/2010
Saturday June 26 heralded another first for the choristers of Blackburn Cathedral. Invited to perform in the Ribchester Festival for the first time, Director of Music Richard Tanner put together an enterprising programme, including the short opera by Benjamin Britten, The Golden Vanity. Based on an old English ballad and using the original folk-tune as the basis of much of the music, Britten wrote the work in 1966 for the Vienna Boys’ Choir. The choral forces represent the crews of two ships: The Golden Vanity and a pirate ship, the Turkish Galilee. Alex Wood & Esther Worrall sang the roles of Captain & Bosun of The Turkish Galilee and Christopher Snape & Harvey Finney those of Captain & Bosun of The Golden Vanity. William Fielding sang the part of the Cabin Boy of the Golden Vanity, who despite sinking the pirate ship is denied his promised reward and left to drown; reappearing as a ghostly off-stage voice. With a demanding part for the chorus, the work is a tour de force for its performers, who were conducted by Richard Tanner, with piano accompaniment by James Davy (Assistant DoM). Using some props and stunning costumes made by Mary Chivers (choir parent and wife of the Canon Chancellor), the choristers executed a simple choreography whilst singing the whole work from memory – no mean feat, given the complexity of the music and large amount of words to be remembered. Without a doubt, this played a great part in bringing the music to life. The sound of cannon fire was provided by Justin Miller (organ scholar). The audience reaction was very enthusiastic, and many concert-goers commented on the ambition of the work and on how good it was to see Cathedral Choristers performing such an unusual work in a concert setting.
The choristers began the first half of the concert of all-English music together, singing For the beauty of the earth by John Rutter. The Girls’ Choir then sang two folk songs arranged by Britten (The Salley Gardens and O waly, waly) and one arranged by Cecil Sharp (My boy Willie), followed by the Boys, giving the world première of Three Sacred Songs by James Davy; three short pieces on hymn texts. The last, Sun of my soul, to a text by John Keble, is dedicated to the Chivers family, as they prepare to move to John Keble Church in Mill Hill in the Summer). Two soloists (later to appear in the concert’s second half) sang items while the Boys put on their costumes for The Golden Vanity. Fortunately, another warm evening ensured that the changing could be done outside in the churchyard. Help from as-always hard-working choir parents ensured that the Girls (who had changed whilst the Boys sang) and Boys were correctly kitted-out and ready to go on at the right time.
The second half of the concert featured Bells! by Festival Director, Martin Bussey. Based on texts about bells from Shakespeare and a nursery rhyme to a Spiritual, the piece involved SATB chorus, String Quartet, Piano, Handbells, two soloists and our choristers, who had items to themselves as well as joining the massed forces for the bigger movements. Ingeniously scored and with memorable tunes, the work proved a big hit with the audience and the choristers’ contribution to the concert won widespread admiration and praise from audience and fellow-performers alike. The Ribchester Festival was founded in 1992 by Canon Sacrist, Andrew Hindley, then Rector of Ribchester and others and it was good to see him enjoying the concert in his former church.
Many congratulations to all who helped in this ambitious project and made the evening such a success!
