Brian Kay, pictured above, is our conductor for the 2019 Summer School.  He writes the following about the works he has chosen for the 2019 repertoire.

It is a huge pleasure for me to have been invited once again to direct the Teapot Valley Summer School and I very much look forward to sharing with you some of my favourite choral music.

Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise

Mendelssohn’s Hymn of Praise is a glorious outpouring of celebratory music with the composer of the much-loved oratorio ‘Elijah’ at the peak of his powers. It sets a variety of Biblical texts, beginning and ending with words from the psalms. The central theme is one of general thanksgiving and the music and the action are propelled mainly by the dramatic and rhythmically exciting writing for the choir, with contributions from three soloists, all of it enriched by a composer who really knew how to write great tunes.

CHILCOTT’S FIVE DANCES OF TIME

On the occasion of my twentieth anniversary as conductor of Vaughan Williams’ Leith Hill Musical Festival, the committee generously commissioned a fifteen-minute work in celebration from Bob Chilcott, one of my oldest and dearest friends and now among the most popular composers of choral music in the world today. His five choral Dances of Time are beautifully written, with an excellent selection of texts, all to do with the passage of time. They are a joy to sing and deliciously audience-friendly and I know you will love them!

Dyson’s Three Songs of Praise

As a complement to the ‘Hymn of Praise’ we shall include the charming settings of Three Songs of Praise composed in 1935 by Sir George Dyson, with words by the 16th and 17th century writers George Herbert, George Gascoigne and Robert Herrick.

Artley’s May God Bless You

We will also sing another recent gem – May God Bless You – by the summer school’s resident composer Chris Artley.

If you have experienced the Teapot Valley Summer School before (and many come back time and time again) or if this will be your first time, I can guarantee that if you enjoy singing wonderful music in a beautiful place with lots of like-minded enthusiasts, then this is the perfect place to be and I greatly look forward to seeing you there.

Practice resources

For those who feel the need to be a bit familiar with the music before 11 January 2019 (not required by the Summer School!).  As yet there is no recording of Chilcott’s piece.