Collaborations and Guests
On this page we celebrate both our guest singers and musicians, as well as collaborations we have enjoyed in the last three years.
Rehearsing on an unusually warm afternoon in Brinkburn
In 2017 at Brinkburn Priory, one of our favourite venues and a regular slot in the calendar, we were joined by violinist Jessica Graham and organist Richard Wallhead for a performance of Gavin Bryars'
St Brendan arrives at the Promised Land of the Saints. The concert also included John Casken's Motet of the Rood for choir and organ in a programme called PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS - English Renaissance and Contemporary Music by Tallis, Bryars, Casken and Nigel Osborne (A Prayer and Two Blessings).
Collaborations are a relatively new venture, which we have greatly enjoyed. We will certainly be looking for more opportunities in the future. Here are examples of what we have done so far.
Occasionally we invite singers from other choirs to augment our numbers. Andrew Cantrill-Fenwick, who has not only become almost the resident organist for the Christmas concerts, but has taken that role on many other occasions and regularly boosts the second tenor numbers.
Our first collaboration was with local composer Fiona Lander www.landermason.co.uk. We gave the first two performances of The Silver Swan , the world premiere performance in Holy Trinity Church in Horsley, Redesdale, just about the north western extremity of North Northumberland. We went on to perform the same programme in Wooler at St Mary's Church, not quite the north eastern extremity.
In November 2018 we enjoyed a special collaboration with Durham Cathedral Consort of Singers conducted by Francesca Massey, (at the time Sub-Organist of Durham Cathedral), to perform a concert of Remembrance Music.
This was a moving programme that culminated in Francesca conducting the two choirs in John Casken's Memorial, a piece for choir, soprano and baritone solos (drawn from the Consort) and percussion. This is a work about the Firt World War that he composed for the choir to perform in 2014.
The concert was performed first in St Paul's Church, Alnwick and the next day in the Chapter House, Durham Cathedral.
We were proud to be asked as the only amateur choir at this lovely festival of music. On the day plan to sing outside in the garden were thwarted by the weather but we were very well received by an appreciative audience in the marquee.
