Amateur Choir Amesbury Wiltshire
AVCS rehearsals start again on Thursday 5th September.
Rehearsals take place at Amesbury Methodist Church every Thursday at 7.30 pm under our Musical Director, Simon Irwin. If you want to join a friendly choir singing popular choral music please come along or drop us a line.
We are rehearsing for our Autumn Concert programme which includes Vivaldi’s Gloria and Captain Noah.
Details of our Autumn Concert and our Xmas Mince Pies and Singing event will be available shortly so watch this space
The choir is continuing its rehearsals for Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ and ‘Noah and his Floating Zoo’ every Thursday until 25th July at Amesbury Methodist Church. We will then take our summer break during August and return on Thursday 5th September to continue preparations for our next concert in November. If you would like to join us, please come and visit us, there, or drop us a line.
Following our very successful Cream Teas and Music concert where Helen Palmer, one of our singers, who is also a talented cellist, performed for us on her beautiful cello, made for her by her late husband, we have been asked to have another similar event before Christmas, so watch this space for details of ‘Mince Pies and Music’.
Following our very successful ‘Cream Teas & Music concert, we are having a short break for holidays so our next rehearsal will be on Thursday 4th July at 7.30 pm at Amesbury Methodist Church.
We plan to start work on Vivaldi’s Gloria and Captain Noah which we will be singing at our next concert in November, so, If you would like to join us, please come and visit us, there, or drop us a line.
Saturday 8th June
2.30 pm
Cream Tea and Music
Amesbury Methodist Church
High St, Amesbury. SP4 7ET
Come and join us from 2.30pm for an afternoon
of cream tea and a programme of English
Choral music. Also a chance to join in
some community singing of popular songs with the choir.
Tickets £6 – available at the door
AVON VALLEY CHORAL SOCIETY is holding a Cream Tea & Music Event on June 8th
Visitors will be welcome from 2.30 pm at Amesbury Methodist Church to enjoy a cream tea and listen to a programme of English choral music from the choir and soloists as well as taking part in some community singing of popular songs. Watch this space for more information, soon.
AMESBURY COUNCIL GRANT
Amesbury Town Council has awarded us a £250 grant to help our development as a new choir for singers in the Avon valley area from Amesbury, Shrewton and the Woodfords to Netheravon and beyond.
AVCS is keen to welcome new singers, particularly from the many newcomers who are expected to arrive in the community in the next few months and, eventually, to become a registered charity, supporting local events and raising funds for good causes.
We are very happy to encourage inexperienced singers – several of our Members have not sung in a choir before joining Avon Valley Choral Society – and we offer plenty of musical support from existing Members, our inspirational Musical Director, Simon Irwin, and our experienced accompanist, Ann Atkins. We are a friendly group who enjoy music and want to sing the popular choral works from Bach to Vivaldi. All voice parts are welcome. There are no auditions and the ability to read music is great but not compulsory. We meet on Thursday evenings at 7.30 pm at Amesbury Methodist Church. Please come and join us. You will be very welcome.”
For more information email Wendy at info@avonvalleychoralsociety.org.uk
There will be no rehearsal on Thursday 18th April as the choir will be taking a short Easter Break. Rehearsals resume on Thursday 25th April at 7.30 pm at Amesbury Methodist Church.
“I was glad” (Latin incipit, “Laetatus sum”) is a choral introit and which is a popular piece in the musical repertoire of the Anglican church. It is traditionally sung in the Church of England as an anthem at the Coronation of the British monarch.
The text of the anthem consists of verses from Psalm 122, from the psalter found in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer:
I was glad when they said unto me : We will go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand in thy gates : O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city : that is at unity in itself.
For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord : to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.
For there is the seat of judgement : even the seat of the house of David.
O pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls : and plenteousness within thy palaces.
For my brethren and companions’ sakes : I will wish thee prosperity.
Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God : I will seek to do thee good.
Most of the content of the psalm is a prayer for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem, and its use in the coronation service clearly draws a parallel between Jerusalem and the United Kingdom, as William Blake had in his poem “And did those feet in ancient time” (“Jerusalem”) (which Parry set to music in 1916).
The above from Wikipedia see the full entry here.
A message for our times?
If you want to see the score and hear it sung you can do so here on YouTube
If you found yourself singing along and would like to do so in a choir come along to a rehearsal – 7.30pm, Amesbury Methodist Church.
🎵 Some well known and not so well known pieces are being rehearsed in preparation for our June concert. Which will make it the final performance? You’ll have to come to the concert to find out.
Below is a list of works that have been rehearsed.
We’ve just listed the titles, can you identify the composers? No prizes will be given. Put your suggestions in the comment box at the end of this post.
I was glad
Northern Land
Beati Quorum Via
Ave Verum
My Soul, There is a kingdom
The Long Day
As Torrents
When evening’s twilight
Save us O Lord
If you are a singer and would like to join us come along to the Amesbury Methodist Church on a Thursday evening for 7.30 pm.
