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English Choral Masterpieces
3 August 2024, 8pm
St George's Church, Penang
700 Years of English a Cappella Music c.1310-2015
Performing for the first time in Penang, Singapore’s longest-running Early Music group Cappella Martialis present a programme inspired by the British link between Singapore and Penang.
Our overview of the English choral tradition spans some 700 years, from the monastic austerity of the 14th century Sanctus in the Worcester Fragments, to the ethereal 21st century harmonies of Lane’s There is No Rose. Byrd and Tallis feature heavily in the programme, as they spanned the Reformation period and composed both for the old Catholic liturgy as well as the new Anglican services. Our lineup includes Tallis’ O nata lux and If Ye Love Me, while Byrd’s staunch adherence to the old faith can be heard in his Ave verum corpus and his Ne irascaris Domine, a passionate but veiled lament for the passing of the old order.
The Pre-Reformation period is represented by Queldryk’s unusual Gloria from the Old Hall Manuscript and Fayrfax’s stunning Magnificat ‘Regale’ from the Eton Choirbook, while Weelkes’ Hosanna to the Son of David, Wesley’s Si iniquitates, Stanford’s Beati quorum via, and Attwood’s O God Who by the Leading of a Star, show the range that appeared post-Reformation.
Interspersing the choral pieces will be some short devotional lute songs and solos of the 16th and 17th centuries, giving the listener a peek into domestic music-making.
The items will be in Latin and English, with full texts and translations available, Admission is free, but a love offering is welcome to help defray the costs of production, as we are not regularly sponsored by any corporate body, private or public.
