[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

[this is a version of a post which first appeared on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   Many people have no idea how a song is learnt by ear. They assume that written music is a must. But don’t forget that people have been singing (and l...

[The views expressed in this blog are from my personal experiences from 25 years of leading non-auditioned community choirs in the UK, as well as adult singing workshops. My focus is on teaching by ear using a repertoire of songs from traditions across th...

1. God rest you merry, gentlemen (English traditional carol, harmonised by Sir David Willcocks) 2. Away in a manger (words anon, set to a traditional Normandy tune arranged by Reginald Jacques) These carols were recorded on Sunday 13th December 2009 ...  more1. God rest you merry, gentlemen (English traditional carol, harmonised by Sir David Willcocks) 2. Away in a manger (words anon, set to a traditional Normandy tune arranged by Reginald Jacques) These carols were recorded on Sunday 13th December 2009 during the first of St Peter's Singers' two now-traditional annual performances to guests at the Espresso Bar of Harvey Nichols' Leeds store in the Victoria Quarter. The choir is directed on this occasion by its regular accompanist David Houlder, Sub-Organist of Leeds Parish Church. The Music Director of St Peter's Singers is Dr Simon Lindley, Organist of Leeds Parish Church and Leeds City Organist, who has held this post since the choir's formation in 1977. More information about St Peter's Singers, including details of forthcoming concerts, recitals and church services, may be found on the choir's website www.stpeters-singers.org.uk or on the Facebook group 'St Peter's Singers of Leeds'.  less

[A version of this article first appeared as a post on my blog From the Front of the Choir]   I was at a business meeting recently and we were asked what we did. I explained as well as I could.   Photo © Copyright Anne Burgess an...

Live performance recording of the beautiful Christmas song "Star of Wonder" by Gordon Thornett. Performed by the Nidaros Cathedral Boys' Choir (Nidarosdomens Guttekor) on November, 26th 2017, in Ørland Church, Norway during a live performance of the ch...  moreLive performance recording of the beautiful Christmas song "Star of Wonder" by Gordon Thornett. Performed by the Nidaros Cathedral Boys' Choir (Nidarosdomens Guttekor) on November, 26th 2017, in Ørland Church, Norway during a live performance of the choir. Nidarosdomens Guttekor, conductor: Bjørn Moe Organ: Erling With Aasgård  

Vocal Ensemble "Quadrivia" Members: Alto: Tamara Ivanić Tenor: Jovo Ivanić Baritone: Karlo Hameder Bass: Aleksandar Mijailović Magnum nomen Domini is a Christmas Motet composed by Bartłomiej Pękiel (1633-1670). Pękiel served the court in Warsaw f...  moreVocal Ensemble "Quadrivia" Members: Alto: Tamara Ivanić Tenor: Jovo Ivanić Baritone: Karlo Hameder Bass: Aleksandar Mijailović Magnum nomen Domini is a Christmas Motet composed by Bartłomiej Pękiel (1633-1670). Pękiel served the court in Warsaw from about 1633. After the Swedish invasion of Poland in 1655 he then moved to Wawel Cathedral Chapel in Kraków, where he was Kapellmeister. 29 of Pękiel's works survive, mostly in manuscript. The musicologist Bartłomiej Gembicki divides these into two stages; early baroque (Warsaw) and church music in the style of prima pratica (Kraków). He wrote the only Polish church oratorio Audite mortales, on the topic of The Last Judgement. Magnum nomen Domini Magnum nomen domini Emanuel, quod annuntiatum est per Gabriel, hodie apparuit, apparuit in Israel per Mariam virginem in Bethlehem. Eia, eia. Virgo Deum genuit, quod divina voluit clementia. Gaudete, gaudete, Christus natus hodie, gaudete, gaudete, Christus natus hodie. Alleluia.  less