At St Oswald’s Church SK10 5EG, an uplifting sequence of Renaissance and Baroque music celebrates Advent. Choruses and arias with soloists from the Choir, accompanied by strings and continuo led by Nicola Bright.
Bollington Festival Choir has been resident at the Arts Centre since the days when the building was still a Sunday School. Founded in 1964, its conductor for 37 years was Dr John Coope. Donald Judge succeeded him in 2002, and with the committee has continued John’s adventurous and unique planning.
Nowhere is that more evident that in this Advent Concert. It falls into two contrasting but complementary halves. In the first, some ancient Annunciation carols precede the Motet and Mass: Dixit Maria by Hans Leo Hassler. The motet quotes Mary’s reply to Gabriel and the Mass is entirely based on its melodies, a supreme feat of invention. Hassler was a 17th century contemporary of William Byrd, and the most respected composer in Germany. He influenced J S Bach, not least because he wrote many tunes for hymn words by Martin Luther, including the one we know as the Passion Chorale – O Sacred Head, Sore Wounded – that Bach used in the Passions. The movements of the Mass are interspersed with further reflections on the melodies; movements for strings penned by Donald Judge.
In part two, no fewer than fourteen composers wrote the music between 1500 and 1750, but all their pieces have one thing in common. They are all inspired by Martin Luther’s stirring hymn Nun komm der Heiden Heiland – Come Thou Saviour of the Nations. Luther adapted the melody and words from much earlier plainchant. The pieces are choral settings using the melody and string transcriptions of organ works based on it. Despite being based on a single tune, the variety is extraordinary, and the sequence ends with a complete cantata by Bach’s contemporary Telemann, before Bach himself is at his most triumphant in the final Amen chorus of Cantata no 61.
A new member of the Choir described it as “Beautiful, easily flowing music,” and went home from the first rehearsal “feeling uplifted.” It’s hoped to create the same effect on the audience at one of the first seasonal concerts of 2022.
The images show Bollington Festival Choir painted by Nola McGaul; St Oswald’s Church, the venue for this concert; and The Advent and Triumph of Christ by Hans Memling 1430-1494.
Tickets £10, £3 for anyone aged 18 or under. Tickets can be reserved on 01625 575554 and paid for on the door. Cash only please!
