French Impressions: An Evening of French Choral Music
An evening of French choral music featuring the rarely performed Poulenc Gloria with its distinctive style of harmony moving between dissonance and lush chord progressions and a colourful musical palette being used to express a wide range of emotions from lyrical serenity to unashamed glee. The choir is joined for these performances by Adrian Bawtree and Helen Crayford and vocal soloists Helen Vincent (Canterbury Cathedral choir) and Joseph Morris (Royal Holloway Choral Scholar).
Lili Boulanger's Hymne Au Soleil is perhaps reminiscent of an impressionist painting, Claude Monet’s painting Sunrise. The rich, sometimes blurred harmonies of Boulanger’s piece evoke the colours of Monet’s clouds, while the ostinato quarter notes throughout the piece suggest the infinite waves that envelop the harbour in the painting.
Like his fellow Frenchman Fauré, Duruflé intended the mood of his Requiem to be largely contemplative, though there are moments of fire and brimstone too, not least when it is performed in the original version for choir and full symphony orchestra. The superb setting of the Requiem Mass by organist and composer Maurice Duruflé mixes Gregorian chant and splendid harmonies, to make what is without doubt, one of the most moving religious works from the 20th Century.
Following graduation, Stephen Barker studied for a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and qualified as a secondary teacher of Music. Composition remains an enjoyable passion, and while not having the time to be particularly prolific, Stephen tries to write two or three significant pieces a year, along with a wide range of smaller pieces of music suitable for liturgical use. Much of his music is available on his website.
Canterbury Cantata, with around 26 singers, is the chamber choir of Canterbury Cantata Trust, a charity whose guiding principle of Caring through Singing supports the creation of singing groups for many around the country.
Event date:
Saturday, 16 March 2024 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm
Monday Music on Tour: Sounds Beaney, Canterbury, 12th December 2023
Monday Music Canterbury and Folkestone groups joined together to raise the roof at the Beaney in Canterbury for Sounds Beaney, a music for wellbeing session. Returning to their pre-COVID venue, they demonstrated the enjoyment, camaraderie and feel-good sensation engendered by singing with others. The well-known tunes such as Amazing Grace and Little Liza Jane soon had everyone on their feet, blending their voices in harmony.
Phil Self, the ‘pied piper’ of the Canterbury group and Grenville Hancox who inspires Monday Music Folkestone, led the songs familiar to these singers in the wonderful surroundings of the Explorer’s and Collectors Gallery at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge.
Both groups meet at 11am on Monday mornings in Folkestone and Canterbury. Anyone can join and there is no need to be able to read music as they use lyric sheets for the songs, and no other musical knowledge is required with the repertoire built around familiar songs, new ones, and simple fun rounds.
More than sixty attended and filled the beautiful gallery, splitting into three groups to sing in canon, following the familiar and well-trodden path of their weekly workouts.
What a wonderful way to lead up to Christmas and celebrate the joy given by singing together in harmony!
GRENVILLE HANCOX MBE becomes Honorary President of Canterbury Cantata Trust
“Singing should be on prescription,” he said many years ago…
Grenville has championed engagement in the arts as a means of social regeneration and cohesion, with the firm belief that music should be at the heart of every community.
So many important milestones have been achieved over the years with opportunities being provided by Canterbury Cantata Trust for thousands to join together in demonstrating the benefits of singing, often performing with and supporting local musicians. The establishment of our “Sing to Beat” brand continues apace with 35 groups currently, and the recent incorporation of the Skylarks sessions into the ground-breaking Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapies in Canterbury is a very exciting development with endorsement by “Movers and Shakers” (a remarkable podcast series )member Mark Mardell. Meanwhile, Canterbury Cantata, Amici Chorus and Monday Music prove their worth at every rehearsal and performance, invigorating and lifting the spirits of all those taking part.
Since Canterbury Cantata Trust’s birth in 2012 when, as the founding father of CCT, his belief in the power of singing to enhance well-being (observed first-hand in his original sessions in Canterbury and Folkestone) galvanised him into setting up the organisation, he has forged a path towards his original aim with imagination and immense enthusiasm. I am extremely proud to be have been a part of this evolution.
Whilst Grenville will still be involved as an ambassador for the Trust, crusading for singing as the perfect path to well-being, it will now be as Honorary President of our wonderful organisation. Emily Renshaw-Kidd, an alumna of Canterbury Christ Church University from Grenville’s time there, continues the crusading work of the Trust as Artistic Director with immense passion and conviction. He can be immensely proud of the legacy of “Caring through Singing” he has created and we are indebted to him for his time, endless energy and inspiration given to the Trust.
Roshna Ahmad, Chair, Canterbury Cantata Trust.
Emily Renshaw-Kidd takes up the reins as Artistic Director of Canterbury Cantata Trust
Following over 10 years as founder and Artistic Director of Canterbury Cantata Trust, Professor Grenville Hancox MBE has handed over the role to his successor Emily Renshaw-Kidd. Grenville has been a long-time mentor, inspiration and friend to Emily through her music degrees at Canterbury Christ Church University and their numerous musical partnerships; they share the same passion for and ethos of “caring through singing”. Following a handover period, Emily is now working as Artistic Director for the charity and will begin to undertake the tasks that this role presents, acting as a principal singing ambassador for the charity. We thank Grenville for his huge dedication to the advancement of music for wellbeing and the trust is delighted that he has accepted the position of Honorary President of Canterbury Cantata Trust.
Emily in action at the tenth anniversary celebrations
Emily Renshaw-Kidd
Emily said: “I am extremely honoured and excited to become the new Artistic Director for Canterbury Cantata Trust. My present involvement with the trust as Musical Director of the Canterbury Cantata Choir and lead facilitator for Canterbury Skylarks' Sing to Beat Parkinson’s group gives me a deep understanding and admiration for the trust, whilst giving me plenty of ideas for building and developing relationships and projects in the future. My involvement in several other local singing groups and my role as Director of Music at Langton Boys’, will enable us to create even more new opportunities for bringing the community together in a caring way, through singing and music. The Langton’s involvement and participation in the Skylarks sessions is a most unique and exciting partnership; not only is it helping to build an understanding of the benefits of music on conditions such as Parkinson's in our 'leaders of tomorrow', but it also bridges generation gaps, whilst encouraging an altruistic outlook as well. It is our hope that future students will work together with members of Skylarks to create a recognised methodology for Singing with Parkinson's and encourage other people far and wide to become facilitators and recognise the benefits of music on many health conditions"
The launch of the Parkinson’s Centre for Integrated Therapy in Canterbury was a great success, receiving excellent coverage and the Skylarks singing session, led by Emily, was mentioned by Mark Mardell, a member of the podcast group, 'Movers and Shakers', alongside Jeremy Paxman, Rory Cellan-Jones and others. We look forward to the coming together of all the trust's singing groups, building many more musical friendships and exciting projects.
Mark Mardell @MarkIMardell Former BBC R4 presenter, North America Editor, Europe Editor, Chief Political correspondent. Now Ronin, freelance writer and broadcaster. 2,737 following 37.7K Followers “The all singing, all dancing centre is now launched! Ever since I first heard about it I thought the Parkinson Centre for integrative therapy in Canterbury was a good idea. But visiting it in person convinced me it is a brilliant one”
