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About the Alvington Singers
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Performances. The choir's concerts take place in villages and
towns around the South Hams and are usually given in aid of a charitable
cause. The music sung includes part-songs, show songs, jazz classics,
spirituals, madrigals. Choral
works Once a year we present a performance of a major work with
small orchestra. These have included Gounod St Cecilia Mass, Beethoven Mass in C,
Mozart Requiem, Mozart's
Coronation Mass, Haydn Te Deum, Bach Peasant Cantata,
Handel Coronation Anthems - Zadok the Priest and The King Shall Rejoice, Vivaldi
Gloria, Faure Requiem, Karl Jenkins The Armed Man, Rutter
Requiem, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle and Morton Lauridsen
Lux Aeterna. |
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The Alvington Singers performing at
St. George's Church, Modbury |
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Diversity. The aim of the choir is to sing as wide a range of
music as possible, and under their present musical director have learnt to
cope with styles as diverse as madrigals and African music. Also,
contemporary composers often feature. Click here
for a list of recent concerts.
Workshops. Annual choral workshops are run in the spring by the
choir's musical director and deputy conductor. These have included such
works as Mendelssohn's Elijah, Mozart's Requiem, Haydn's
Nelson Mass, Poulenc's Gloria,
Lux Aeterna by Morten Lauridsen, as well as works featured in the
choir's programme.
Commissions. In 1998, the choir was awarded a lottery grant enabling them to commission a
work from the well-known West Country composer, Barry Ferguson -
Humbug, Mr Scrooge - based on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. This was
subsequently performed in Shaftesbury and Dartmouth and revived at Christmas
2005 in the composer’s presence to celebrate the choir’s 20th
anniversary.
Weddings. The choir is happy to sing at
weddings to enhance what is a very special occasion. Please apply to our
choir secretary (see below) if you would like to book us. The following list
gives a wealth of suitable music from which to choose, any of which would be
appropriate for the signing of the register, and some of which could be
included as part of the service. A CD containing all these pieces is
available on request: |
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For the beauty of the earth - John Rutter
The Lord bless you and keep you - John Rutter
Ave Verum Corpus - Mozart
Ave Maria - Bach/Gounod
Panis Angelicus - Franck
Jesu, joy of man's desiring - Bach
Locus Iste - Bruckner
Ave Verum Corpus - Elgar
God be in my head - Rutter
The Lord's Prayer - David Fanshawe |
All things bright and beautiful - Rutter
Gloria - Vivaldi
Be
thou my vision - John Rutter
Gaelic Blessing - John Rutter
Sheep may safely graze - Bach
Brother James' Air - arr. Gordon Jacob
Cantique de Jean Racine - Faure
Ave Maria - Schubert
My
spirit sang all day - Gerald Finzi |
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Community involvement. Weddings feature regularly in the choir's
activities; also singing at Civic functions and Care Homes. These
opportunities give the choir a rôle in the local community. Social
activities are included in the choir's programme and an annual
event has been the Singers' Supper. In May, choir members enjoyed a
wonderful walk through bluebell woods on Dartmoor; and in July, a barbecue
which has also become an annual event.
Choir secretary: Enid Jefferies, 6 Sherford Down Road, Sherford,
Kingsbridge, TQ7 2BQ.Tel 01548 531644
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Annual choir barbecue |
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| Musical Director The choir’s musical director, Alastair Durden,
who has been with the choir for ten years now, studied at London’s Royal
Academy of Music from 1966 to 1971. Here he gained teaching diplomas in
organ and piano playing, the prestigious Fellow of the Royal College of
Organists, as well as a B.Mus. degree from London University. He taught in
schools full-time (running the Music Department at a preparatory school in
Surrey for ten years) before moving to Devon in 1984. Since then he has been
active as teacher, pianist, accompanist, organist, conductor. His choral
arrangements for the choir can be viewed and downloaded from the website
www.scoreexchange.com |
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Musical Director, Alastair Durden |
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| Accompanist The choir’s accompanist, Kathy Kenny, has
been with the choir since 1998. She studied for a music degree at
Goldsmith’s College, followed by a year at Trinity College, London, studying
piano accompaniment. She comes from a musical family, her father having been
a distinguished professional violinist, and is herself a gifted violinist as
well as pianist.
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Accompanist, Kathy Kenny |
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