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Sennocke
Consort
tour
to Tusc any
Tuscany boasts some of Europe’s most culturally rich and
artistically vibrant cities. It is for this very reason that the Sennocke
Consort undertook a tour of the area at the beginning of the
summer holidays. In the space of seven days the choir performed
in Montecatini, San Gimignano, Pistoia, Anghiari and Lucca.
Sunday proved a baptism of fire for the choir who were immediately
required to rehearse in preparation for singing at a Mass in the
Cathedral of Montecatini Terme. The congregation were treated to
music by William Byrd and Henry Purcell, an all-English programme.
The cathedral with its enormous dome above the altar provided
a resonant acoustic, perfect for the demands of the independent
weaving lines of the Byrd Mass setting.
On the second day we sang at the church of Sant’Agostino
which was possibly the finest of the venues we sang in. Singing
repertoire ranging from music by 12th century composer Pérotin to
Rachmaninoff in this fresco-adorned church seemed almost surreal.
One of the tour’s more peculiar performances then took place on
Tuesday evening at the nearby town of Pistoia. We were greeted
at the Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio by the priest, a music fanatic whose
church housed three organs, two harpsichords and a virginal.
Although we had our smallest audience at Pistoia we were certainly
aware that this man would recognise the quality of both the
repertoire and the performance.
A quite magical Wednesday evening was then in store for us in the
neighbouring village of Anghiari where we were invited to perform
an outdoor concert in one of the main village squares. The sound
of the choir’s performance attracted more and more of the village’s
residents as the concert unfolded. As the light dimmed towards the
end of the evening a hushed and reverential audience was gathered
around to catch the last strains of some beautiful singing.
The last full day in Tuscany meant a visit to Lucca with a morning
performance in the impressive San Michele in Foro, a Romanesque
church right in the heart of the walled city. The choir rose to the
occasion to give what was probably the best concert of the whole tour.
The tour was a resounding musical success but also a wonderful
cultural and social week. In each and every one of the concerts the
choir gave quality performances inspired by their surroundings.
Chris Potts
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MUSIC REVIEW
SERVI C E
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2016-2017
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