Roseland Music Society:
On 10th February, at 9.05 at The Roseland Academy, a motet by the 16th Century composer Thomas Tallis stilled students into an awed silence. Commenting afterwards, they said it ‘really unlocked a part of my brain’ and were ‘amazed that just four people can make that much sound’.
The four were members of the Selene Scholars, self-proclaimed advocates for classical music, who were singing at Gerrans Memorial Hall that evening. The Roseland Music Society had procured funding from ASONE for workshops at The Roseland Academy and Veryan School. The singers were there to ‘engage their core muscles and their souls’ as they put it.
After warm-up exercises and some rounds, at Tregony the students split into Sopranos and Altos, learnt and sang Orlando Gibbons’ ‘Drop, drop slow tears’ then, with piano accompaniment while walking around the room fully engaging whoever they passed, sang John Rutter’s ‘The Lord bless you and keep you’ again in two parts with the tenor and bass from the Selenes supporting them.
After lunch, the rest of the choir was due at Veryan to deliver a workshop to Key stage 1 and 2 classes but crashed their car just off the King Harry. Concerned for their friends, the original quartet hastily planned material for the younger age groups. Again they started with Tallis’s If ye Love Me and the wonder on the faces of the mesmerised children was enchanting. They learnt how to sing rounds (described by the Selenes as a bit like a Mexican wave) and those who wanted to, sang ‘Bella Mama’ to the delight of everyone at St Symphorian later. The sound of the Selenes there was even more amazing.
The programme for the concert had to be hastily rewritten for the depleted group. Gibbons and Tallis were joined by William Byrd and others. Just before the interval the driver of the written off car arrived on crutches wearing a hospital gown. To close their concert, he joined his friends to sing Arthur Sullivan’s ‘The Long Day Closes’ and the audience, cheering, rose to a standing ovation. Among them were four children from Veryan school. Though indeed long, it was a memorable and uplifting day.
This month, on the 21st, we are hiring a grand piano for Martin Jones’s recital. We would love to welcome first time concert goers. We’re a friendly and informal crowd. Why not come?
Emma Campbell
|
|
