Milton Keynes Chorale is hosting its Spring concert in Newport Pagnell this Saturday (Mar 19) evening, writes Sarah Davies. The Church of St Peter and St Paul in Newport Pagnell welcomes a chamber orchestra and MK Chorale’s own musical director, Victoria Ely (pictured) will be at the helm.
The concert will feature the beautiful works of Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria, Cecilia McDowall’s Ave Maris Stella and Benjamin Britten’s Simple Symphony.
The memorable tunes and infectious optimism of Vivaldi’s Gloria have made it one of the most popular choral works in the repertoire.
Gloria was written between 1713 and 1717 so it has a rather special birthday ahead in 2017.
McDowall’s Ave Maris Stella premiered on Armistice Day in 2001, but the events of 9/11 forced her to reconsider the harsh words of the war poetry she had intended to use.
The Simple Symphony is a work for the string orchestra.
Britten completed his final draft of this piece at the age of 20 and dedicated it to his childhood viola teacher. The debut performance of the work was given in 1934, at Stuart Hall in Norwich.
Tickets for Saturday's show, which starts at 7.30pm, will be available on the door, with prices ranging from £10 to £15 (falling to a mere £2 for children/full time students).
