English Choral Masterpieces from the 16th to 20th Century
Oxford Camerata and Mayfield Consort
Jeremy Summerly conducts the Oxford Camerata and Mayfield Consort in works by Purcell, Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Tavener and Thomas Tallis – Spem in Alium.
Oxford Camerata and the Mayfield Consort join forces again for a mammoth 500-year celebration of British choral music, bookended by two performances of Thomas Tallis’s 40-part motet. It will open the programme sung to its English text, ‘Sing and glorify’, and will end the concert in its original Latin version, ‘Spem in alium’. This surround-sound piece began life as a challenge to the middle-aged Tallis. An Italian composer, most probably Alessandro Striggio, brought his 40-part motet to England in 1567 and the Duke of Norfolk asked whether an English composer could compose anything as impressive. Tallis rose to the challenge and wrote something even better. The filling in this Tallis sandwich is a diet of choral and folk music dating from the 17th to the 20th centuries by the finest British composers of their day.
The Mayfield Wine Society will be selling wine from a marquee in the Churchyard before the start of this event and during the interval. Please click here to see the full details of the refreshment on offer.
This choral concert is kindly sponsored by Mr and Mrs Simon and Caroline Tindall.