• Canterbury Cantata Trust Blogs

Songs of Love

Dear friends,
I hope some of you may be able to come along to Canterbury Cantata’s next concert showcasing some delightful love- themed choral music performed with the superb pianists, Helen Crayford and David Knotts who also perform Schumann piano duets.

Book Tickets Here

The Liebeslieder waltzes by Brahms form the heart of the repertoire with their lilting rhythms and pastoral imagery, the texts touching on birds, stars, the moon, nature, and given the name, Liebeslieder, translates to “Love Songs”, matters of the heart both happy and sad . This beloved set of pieces for vocal quartet and piano four-hands, are often praised for their charm, beauty, and lively spirit.

Will Todd's Songs of Love is a three-movement work exploring love through musical settings of beautiful poetry by Nils Peterson, based on words of Greek origin From impassioned declaration, to sensual imagery and sorrowful remembrance of love lost, the work takes the performer and listener on an emotional journey to which Todd’s characteristic luscious harmonies, melodic impassioned craftsmanship, and mastery of varied, often jazz-influenced styles are particularly suited.

Eric Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby is a loving and dreamlike work capturing the undulating rhythm of a mother rocking her child to sleep. The piece was inspired by classic Rudyard Kipling: “Oh! Hush thee, my baby, the night is behind us, And black are the waters that sparkled so green. The moon, o'er the combers, looks downward to find us, At rest in the hollows that rustle between.” Magical

Let’s do it (Cole Porter), The Call, by English composer and campanologist Gail Randall and Love Divine by Howard Goodall complete this eclectic collection of pieces based on the oldest theme of all.

Tickets also available on the door. Free entry for students and children.

Canterbury Cantata present Songs of Love

Emily Renshaw-Kidd awarded a Canterbury Christ Church University Alumni Community Hero Award

We are delighted that our CCT Artistic Director Emily Renshaw-Kidd has been recognised and awarded a Canterbury Christ Church University Alumni Community Hero Award. I was very pleased to see her hard work, enthusiasm and perseverance for both the Trust and music education recognised by her alma mater . The Trust is so very lucky to have her at our helm as artistic director.

Canterbury Cantata presenta un po'di Musica Italiana

Responding to the award Emily said:

“I was lucky enough to choose Canterbury Christ Church for my music degree, with a department led by the inspirational Grenville Hancox and a wealth of renowned, talented and dedicated music staff. I’m also lucky enough to make music every day with incredible people of all ages.
I couldn’t have achieved this without the most inspirational and dedicated teachers who started me off on my musical journey and continued to nurture and develop my knowledge and skills as I grew.

That’s what led me into my own career as a teacher and the wonderful Vanessa Young who guided and supported me through my PGCE is here tonight; thank you Vanessa. I have felt for the last 20 years that it is my responsibility to pass on this baton - we always use the analogy at the Langton of standing on the shoulders of giants and I truly hope that I can be some small part of encouraging these talented and very intelligent young people to go on and do much better things than me whilst also continuing to inspire the next generation.

Canterbury Cantata presenta un po'di Musica Italiana

We also want to ensure that our leaders of tomorrow, understand the power of music on all aspects of our lives. Our medical professionals, researchers, therapists and politicians of the future need to witness the benefits of music on physical and mental well being, specifically for us at the Langton and Canterbury Cantata Trust discovering and celebrating the ways in which singing can help relieve the symptoms of Parkinson’s. Not only do our young people get to be part of this on a regular basis but they gain an important lesson in empathy and altruism, they gain pearls of wisdom from our older generation, whilst bridging a generational gap and finding common ground.

Music is all about caring - when we sing together we are caring for each other and I don’t think there is anything more innate or powerful than that.

My plea to anyone here in education, especially at a leadership level, is that you continue to give music and the creative Arts the importance they deserve, for if education is the beating heart of humanity, surely music is the soul.”

Canterbury Cantata presenta un po'di Musica Italiana

An Interview with Emily

We are delighted to share the super interview with Emily by CCCU on winning her recent award, where she talks about her delight in continuing the work of Grenville Hancox in the Trust and the vital relationship between CCT and the Langton.

Read the full interview here.

Canterbury Cantata presenta un po'di Musica Italiana

Our next Trust event is the upcoming Cantata choir concert at the Colyer-Fergusson hall, which promises to be a super celebration of Puccini and Verdi and other Italian composers.

Greg Tassell and Orlando Barton Hodges will be joining Cantata choir to perform the Puccini Messa di Gloria and also some wonderful solo Italian operatic arias. There is also a short Bellini aria sung by Joseph Morris who sang in our concert featuring the Goodall 'Eternal LIght'.

Stelios Chatziiofidis will lead a superb group for our orchestra and the excellent pianist, Helen Crayford, will accompany the arias, so it will be a talent-filled afternoon!

Transport yourselves to Italy with this wonderful romantic programme.

Students and children are free and tickets are available via the Gulbenkian box office.

June 29th at 3PM

Buy Your Tickets

There will also be a retiring collection in support of the Parkinsons Centre for Integrated Therapies.

Canterbury Cantata presenta un po'di Musica Italiana

A Nearly Midsummer Concert

Amici Chorus sings to Friends
Music by Weelkes, Fauré, Finzi, Stanford and Misa Criolla by Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez

Wednesday, 4th June at 7.30pm
St Pauls Church, Church Street St Pauls, Canterbury, CT11 INH

Tickets £10 in advance or on the door

Greg Tassell, tenor. Krish Parthiban, tenor. Christopher Gower, piano. Roan Kearsey Lawson, percussion. Grenville Hancox, director.

A Nearly Midsummer Concert”

Canterbury Cantata Trust

Canterbury Cantata Trust Registered in England and Wales
Company No. 8293466 (Limited by Guarantee)
Registered Charity No. 1163197.

Registered Office:
April Cottage, Cherville Lane,
Bramling, Canterbury,
Kent. CT3 1LZ

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