Julie Heptinstall has written this appreciation of the concert at Aston, gleaned from all the comments received afterwards. Pictures are below the report.
Immanuel’s Ground Quire concert at Aston Subedge, Glos, 4th May 2013.
This was another serendipitous concert arising from a quire member leaving a visiting card, this time at St. Andrew’s, a tiny 18C rural village church in Glos., complete with west gallery. The village population was around 26, but we managed to get about 30 in the congregation in addition to around the same number of quire members.
The programme consisted of about 21 sung items interspersed with readings, beginning with the old favourite Psalm 34 sung to Stephenson’s tune Wiltshire.
Some New England composers were also represented, including Elisha West, Daniel Read & William Billings. The programme was varied by including a round, She Who Lies Here, by Calcott, a glee (‘Avon’ by C.W.Bannister), and a folk song, The Ox Plough song, when the audience were invited to join in the chorus.
The early seasons of the year were acknowledged in song in the Seasons Anthem, Candlemas Eve, Hymn for Good Friday by James Evison and Billings’ Easter Anthem. We then had an interval with drinks and nibbles outside in the setting spring sun, with feedback being very encouraging..
The beginning of August was marked as Lammas-tide with Isaac Watt’s Psalm 92, to Thomas Clark’s tune ‘Cedar’, then including a summer time Wedding Anthem Psalm 128 from East’s book.
The agricultural season was celebrated with a Farmer’s Toast (also with audience participation) and Harvest Home from a John Sugden manuscript.
Advent was marked by the words ‘On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry announces that the Lord is nigh’ to the tune Gibraltar. For Christmas carols we had the Black Decree, collected in the Forest of Dean, Glos. and the Song of the Angels by Nahum Tate, tune by William Knapp.
The encore was another While Shepherds Watched to Thomas Jarman’s tune ‘Lyngham’, with which a number of the audience joined in, lustily!
We wished them a very early Happy Christmas, and received much positive feedback, including comments such as “It was as though the church was giving you all a big hug!” As it was by now dark, and there being no ‘facilities’ at the church, the majority of us retired to the Village Club where we took refreshment and continued fielding interested questions from the locals. It was one of our most successful and uplifting concerts in recent times.