The Nantwich Singers will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten with a concert at St Mary’s Church.
They will be performing works by the celebrated English composer and also Henry Purcell this Saturday November 23.
“It is tempting to say that these two men were the greatest composers England has ever produced, but then we would get into an argument with supporters of Elgar,” said conductor Tony Metcalfe.
The Singers will perform Purcell’s opera ‘Dido and Aeneas’,which was originally written for a girls’ school in Chelsea and first performed in 1689 with the male roles more than likely being taken by lay clerks from Westminster Abbey.
The piece will show off the Singers’ versatility as they appear as sailors, witches, courtiers or commentators.
Two pieces written by Britten will feature in this “Choral Celebration of St Cecilia” – ‘Gloriana’, which was written 60 years ago to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and ‘Hymn to St Cecilia’.
Britten began writing ‘Hymn to St Cecilia’ in 1940 while he was in America.
“Two years later he decided to return to England but unfortunately the customs inspectors confiscated all his manuscripts because they feared they could be in some type of code,” said Tony.
Britten later rewrote ‘Hymn to St Cecilia’ and finished in April 1942.
The Singers will be accompanied by The Nantwich Singers Orchestra which will also perform movements from a suite of dances Purcell wrote as incidental music to contemporary drama ‘Abdelazer’.
Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7.30pm, are £8.
Start time is 19:30, NOT 20:00. Apologies…