Richard Carr Organ Recital at St. Peter Mancroft Church

On Saturday 15th June 2013 I attended the Richard Carr Big Screen Summer Recital at St. Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich which featured some wonderful organ music, perfect for summer. It was a bonus to have a big screen installed into the church for this performance and made for an exciting event.

The programme consisted of Piece d'orgue BWV 572, version originale d'apres le manuscrit de J.G. Walther - Bach, Organ Sonata in G major K328 - Scarlatti, Organ Sonata in D major K288 - Scarlatti, Sinfonia from Cantata 156 - Bach, Three Pieces from Richard III - Walton, Sicilienne - von Paradis and Suite Gothique - Boellmann.

Richard Carr began his musical career as a county music scholar at the High Wycombe Music Centre, where he studied piano and cello. He studied music at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge and graduated in 2003. Richard is currently Director of Music at St. Michael's Church, Bishop's Stortford, where he directs the choirs of adults and children and oversees the church's music programme.

This was another fantastic afternoon at St. Peter Mancroft Church, Norwich in this year's Mancroft Music Summer Recital Series. Richard Carr gave us a memorable performance which included a wonderful Suite Gothique. I always enjoy my visits to St. Peter Mancroft Church to listen to the church's splendid organ.

Stabat Mater at the St. Giles on the Hill Church

On the evening of Friday 31st May 2013 I attended the Sacred Charity Concert at the St. Giles on the Hill Church, Norwich in aid of Cancer Research UK. Charlotte Ellerby, Katherine Horton and Timothy Patient performed the Stabat Mater by Alessandro Scarlatti.

In 1086 St. Giles Church is referred to in the Domesday Book. After the Norman conquest it was one of the three large parishes forming the French Borough, the richest part of Norwich. It's 120 foot tower is not only the tallest in Norwich, but rises from the highest ground.

The building as it is now was built around 1400, when the perpendicular style was first introduced in Norwich. The church is made of knapped flints, apart from the ashlar faced south porch, which was added in the 16th century, and ashlar decoration on the buttresses. The tower which dominates the city was a beacon tower, (the iron basket for the fire is still on view inside) and contains a peal of eight bells, the earliest dating from 1430. The decorative iron fence round the churchyard is famous for its wisteria in spring.

The Stabat Mater is a religious musical work written by Alessandro Scarlatti in 1724, on an order of the Franciscans, the Knights of the virgin of sorrows. The Stabet Mater is based on a liturgical text of the thirteenth century meditating on the suffering of the Virgin Mary. There is a first manuscript of the work dated 1715 and preserved in Naples. Considered outdated even by those who had ordered the piece, it was replaced by the famous Stabat Mater by Pergolesi.

This was a wonderful evening at the St. Giles on the Hill Church which overlooks the Fine City of Norwich. Scarlatti's Stabat Mater was performed brilliantly in this beautiful church. The concert finished with an organ recital from Timothy Patient. This was a great opportunity for me to visit the St. Giles on the Hill Church and to enjoy some splendid choral music.

A night of Baroque at Norwich Cathedral

I made my way to Norwich Cathedral on Saturday evening greatly anticipating the latest Norwich Baroque concert featuring Elizabeth Watts and Michael Chance. There was a large audience in attendance setting the scene for a brilliant night.

With Elizabeth Watts being described as a lyric soprano as ravishing as one could possibly want and Michael Chance as a musician of impeccable taste and expressive vibrancy this was always going to be a performance of the highest quality.

The programme consisted of Concerto Grosso Op.1 No.5 in D major - Locatelli, Nisi Dominus RV. 608 - Vivaldi, Arias - Scarlatti, Sinfonia for strings in B minor Al Santo Sepolcro RV 169 - Vivaldi, Concerto for strings in C major RV.114 - Vivaldi and Stabat Mater - Pergolesi.

Countertenor Michael Chance with Vivaldi's Nisi Dominus and Soprano Elizabeth Watts with an Alessandro Scarlatti opera arias both thrilled us but when they joined forces on Pergolesi's Stabat Mater it was a joy and truly made this a night to remember. A setting of the Feast of Seven Dolours of the Blessed Virgin Mary Pergolesi wrote it during the last months of his life. When my body dies, grant that to my soul is given the glory of paradise. Amen.

With great enthusiasm from the audience the two stars of the evening gave us an encore of Scherzano sul tuo Volto from Handel's Rinaldo that made for the perfect ending to the evening. A great homecoming for Elizabeth Watts and with Michael Chance showing his support as Norwich Baroque's patron this turned into one big Baroque party.