What a tease!  This Mass by Gounod, his St Cecilia Mass (she is the Patron Saint of Music) really catches us singers unawares much of the time.  The notes are largely straightforward.  The words – well, they are not the easiest to read in our scores, even though they are familiar.  But the expression markings – the pianos and and the fortes and so-on, well, they can be quite unexpected.  Every movement starts quietly, even the Gloria.  And then most of them move up and down the loudness scale time and time again, often up and down in the space of just a couple of bars.  The Sanctus is the most interesting movement.  It’s as though we start in the celestial darkness, far away from the throne of the Almighty.  We seem to move towards the throne in stages, the light gradually increasing, until there is a burst of light – and accompanying sound – when we finally are ushered into the presence of the Almighty.  It’s great theatre – very dramatic – and the music matches the ideas perfectly.  I can’t wait to sing it with the orchestra accompanying us!

Once again the Manly Warringah Choir brings to lovers of classical music on the Northern Beaches a choral and orchestral concert in the run-up to the Christmas season.  Feast your senses on the majesty of Handel’s Coronation Anthems, on the romance of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings and on the exciting bravura of JS Bach’s Magnificat.  Then join with over 400 other voices to raise the roof of the Cardinal Cerretti Chapel in Manly by singing some well-known Christmas Carols.

The concert is at 7.30pm on Saturday 1st December 2012, at the Cardinal Cerretti Chapel on the St Patrick’s Estate in Darley Road Manly.  Car Parking is provided free in the school yard opposite and will be available from 6.30pm.  The Chapel doors open at 7.00pm.

Standard tickets are $40, for concessions $35, and for students $15.  Premium seats are also available at the front of the Chapel.  They are $45, for concessions $40, for students $20.  Children under 12 are admitted free but need to have a ticket.

Refreshments are available in the College during the interval.

Tickets are available through trybooking.com  or by telephoning 9953 2443 or 9977 4776.

The Choir is very privileged to have received a grant from Warringah Council to assist in defraying the expenses of the August concert “Renaissance to Rutter”.  In common with most arts organisations, we cannot cover all our expenses from ticket revenue alone.   In fact, a full house just about pays for the orchestra, leaving Chapel hire, soloists and conductors fees, music hire, royalties and much more to be found from elsewhere.

There was a modest ceremony on July 30th at the Council Offices where the grants were handed out.  It was interesting to learn that Warringah has doubled the community grants budget over the past few years from  $100,000 to $214,000.

“Thank you” again to Warringah Council for including the Choir in this year’s awards.

The Manly Warringah Choir’s next concert will be held on Sunday August 12th at 2.30pm at the Cardinal Cerretti Chapel in Manly.  This concert will once again be a real treat for Northern Beaches lovers of classical music.   The concert will be conducted by Dr Carlos Alvarado and in keeping with our tradition will include both orchestral music and choral music.

Mediaeval madrigals

Bach: Orchestral Suite No 2 in B minor

Bach:  Jesu, joy of man’s desiring

Mozart:  Ave verum corpus

Vaughan Williams:  Fantasia on Greensleeves

John Rutter:  Requiem

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We are delighted that Bridget Bolliger will play the captivating flute solo part in the Bach Orchestral Suite and that Bryony Dwyer will sing the soprano solo part in Rutter’s beautiful Requiem.

After the concert, we invite members of the audience to join us for afternoon tea on the terrace – all included in the ticket price.

Concert details are:  Cardinal Cerretti Chapel, Darley Road, Manly.

2.30pm Sunday 12th August 2012  (Doors open at 2.00pm)

Tickets cost $40; Concessions $35;  Students $15; Children under 12 free with booking.

Tickets are available by telephone:  9953 2443 or 9977 4776 or through www.trybooking.com

Parking will be available in the grounds of St Paul’s School opposite the Chapel from 1.30pm.

The Choir wishes to record its thanks and appreciation to Warringah Council for their generous sponsorship of this concert.

Thank you to the twenty or so members of the Choir who joined the chorus for the Manly Choral Concert last Thursday.  Our contribution really helped to ensure a full sound, especially in the Vivaldi Gloria and the Hallelujah Chorus.  There may not have been as many people there as in previous years, but the weather was probably somewhat discouraging to many.  I must admit that singing the Hallelujah chorus outside in the rain and to the accompaniment of fireworks was quite a new experience for me!