Children’s Concert – Saturday October 8

“Food, Glorious Food!” Our children’s concert this year was themed around food and featured cockles, mussels, chick chick chick chick chickens, teddy bears’ picnics, spoonfuls of sugar and some TERRIBLE table manners.  (Barry’s burps and Hugo’s crowing are now firmly ensconsed in Leas’ folklore.) Our young audience joined in with aplomb, aided and abetted by wonderful animatrice Harriette Ashcroft, until it was time to retire for tea and circus games (organised by Nicky).   A splendid afternoon for all the family!

James Collier from St George’s School, Harpenden is providing a photographic record of our 2011/12 season as our photographer intern.  The Children’s Concert was his first assignment. See our flickr site for more of James’s  photos.

Victoria Requiem – Saturday October 29

Our performance of the Victoria Requiem was punctuated by English language anthems. Mudd’s “Let Thy Merciful Ears” continued the Kyrie’s plea for mercy, while the glimpse of heaven’s everlasting light in the Gradual was also caught in Tomkins’ “I Heard a Voice”.

The requiem service marks one of life’s most difficult moments and, above all, recognises the intense sorrow of grieving.  Weelkes’ “Laboravi in Gemitu” conjured the inconsolable, troubled spirit and made a startlingly close counterpart to Victoria’s own funeral motet.

But what of consolation? The Requiem’s many prayers for the departed were magnified by three later English settings – the Holst “Nunc Dimittis”; Bairstow’s “I Sat Down Under His Shadow” and Stanford’s “Justorum Anime”.

Victoria’s Requiem was written in loving memory of his patron, the Empress Maria. It was published in 1605, after which Victoria wrote no more music. We hope our concert was a fitting tribute to Victoria, and a swansong to his Empress.

Abridged from conductor Madeleine Lovell’s programme notes.

MerryLea – Charity Christmas Concert which raised £1,600 for Grove House Hospice

Craig McLeish returned by popular demand to conduct our Christmas concert – a wonderful mix of serious choral music, fun stuff, audience carols and jazz. The pairing of four Poulenc motets with settings of the same words by other composers proved stimulating and thought-provoking, but the loudest applause of the night was for Craig’s arrangements - the Brubeck-inspired ”God Rest You Merry” and “The Virgin Mary” for choir, jazz trio and audience. James Sherlock – this season’s featured artist – accompanied us with flair and panache, and the Duncan Fraser Jazz Trio contributed to the festive vibe. At Craig’s instigation, the Lea Singers limerick competition made a welcome return: here’s the winner.

An evening of carols and jazz
With solos by Frances and Baz,
And Duncan on flugel
And audience doodles
Is Christmassy razzamatazz!