Carmina
Burana
Featuring
Milby Primary School Choir
and Guest Soloists
Abby Rhodes - Soprano
Eliot Alderman - Tenor
Edwin Pitt-Mansfield - Baritone |
Nicholas Chamberlaine
Technology College
Saturday 15th November 2008 at 7.30pm
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Carmina Burana (composed
1935-1936) by Carl Orff (1895-1982)
Carl Orff is a familiar name to many music educators he was the creator
of a method of music education for children, and the composer of an
important body of educational music. Carmina Burana, composed in
1935-36, is the earliest of Orff's acknowledged works. In 1937, he
withdrew from publication everything else he had composed up to that
time. The success of Carmina Burana prompted the composition of two
related works: Catulli Carmina and Il Trionfo di Afrodite, both of
which were based upon medieval models
Carmina Burana (literally "Songs of Beuren"), is a
13th-century collection of over 200 poems that was compiled at the
Benedictine monastery in Benediktbeueren, south of Orff’s home town of
Munich. This richly-illuminated manuscript was probably put together
for a wealthy abbot of the monastery. Most of its poems are written in
Church Latin, but there are several poems in a Bavarian dialect of
medieval German, and a few poems that are partially in French. The
combination of an appealing text and instantly accessible music has
made Carmina Burana the most often performed choral work of our time.
Orff remarked that: "I am often asked why I nearly always select old
material, fairy tales, and legends for my stage works. I do not see
this material as old, but rather as valid. The time element disappears,
and only the spiritual element remains. My entire interest is in the
expression of these spiritual realities. I write for the theatre to
convey a spiritual attitude."
SUMMER SERENADE
Saturday 12th July 2008
On one of those rare hot evenings in July the Bedworth Singers
assembled at the Abbey Theatre, Nuneaton and prepared to delight the
audience with their Summer Concert.
A varied collection of music had been practised under the direction of
David Bray, ably accompanied on piano by James Morris. The first half
of the programme began with a selection of well known songs by Andrew
Lloyd Webber and concluded with a medley from the musical “Les
Miserables.” During this first half both the audience and choir were
entertained by guest performers. Amy Campbell and James Morris
delighted everyone with the flute and piano Suite Op. 93 by Thomas H.
Dunh, followed by some contrasting jazz arrangements on alto saxophone
and guitar played by Natalie Smith-Phelps and Philip Braithwaite.
After a welcome interval the choir opened with one of their favourites,
“Lead me Lord,” followed by “Serenade to Music.” In this beautiful
musical setting of Shakespeare’s words by R. Vaughan Williams the choir
were joined by Amy Campbell and another guest Ian Colling, and members
of the choir also contributed solo and group parts. Natalie and Philip
continued with more well known jazz arrangements and Amy showed her
versatility on the piccolo.
The choir’s Chairman, Colin Simmons, delighted everyone with “My Way,”
and the choir concluded the evening with the spirituals “Wade in the
Water” and “All my Trials.” The final item was “The Lord’s Prayer” from
the African Sanctus, music by David Fanshawe.
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