William Hay » Choral Singing

Events Newsletter – Autumn 2011

Will Hay — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 21:57:54 +0000

I used to produce a paper newsletter featuring the dates for forthcoming piano exams and concerts along with other important information however this has now been superseded by the e-newsletter facility on the blog to which all of my students should be subscribed . It also gives me the opportunity to draw your attention to other professional activities in which I am currently engaged. I can heartily recommend the forthcoming Fauré Requiem performed in the Quire at Chester Cathedral by the cathedral choir. As a member of the choir, this is one of the highlights of the year, singing the requiem in the correct liturgical context and is a great chance to hear a delightful performance of a well known choral treasure! (see the video clip below)
I will post more precise details of exam times as soon as they are available. In your lessons this half term, I will be introducing some Christmas repertoire as I am planning that the recital this term might have a decidedly christmassy theme as well as audience participation and multimedia participation from the Chester Music Society Youth Choir! More information about the concert will be posted a little nearer the time…

Below are some important dates for your diary:
30th October – 1830: Fauré Requiem – Chester Cathedral Choir, Chester Cathedral
2nd November – 1700: ABRSM Theory Exam – Bishop’s High School
6th November – 1900: NES Songs of Praise, Parkgate URC
1st December – Autumn Leaves Compositions Due
2nd December – 1800: St. Oswald’s PTA Christmas Fair, Mollington
3rd December – 1100: Christmas Charity Recital, All Saint’s Church, Hoole
10th December – ABRSM Exams at Stanley Palace
10th December – 1930: CMSYC and Preludes Christmas Concert
13th December – Last lessons for the term at St. Oswald’s, Mollington
14th December – Last lessons for the term at Chester Catholic High
15th December – LCM exams at Stanley Palace
16th December – 1930: NES Christmas Concert, St. Winifride’s, Neston
17th December – 1930: NES Christmas Concert, Parkgate URC, Neston
21st December – End of Piano Teaching Term
24th December – 1500: Nine Lessons and Carols – Chester Cathedral Choir

This video clip from a couple of years ago shows a movement of the Requiem being performed in the Cathedral Choir Christmas Concert. The Requiem in it’s entirety will be performed in a more intimate setting in the quire of Chester Cathedral on 30th October at 1830. Admission free!

DevaLution – Close harmony ‘barbershop’ quartet in Chester

Will Hay — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:30 +0000

DEVA-LUTION a Chester-based barbershop group can provide vocal entertainment for your dinner party or wedding reception. Prices from £200 for a 30-minute set of vocal ‘barbershop quartet’ entertainment.

Sample Playlist:

Erskay Love Lilt
She was beautiful
Summertime
I got rhythm
The long day closes
The Bare Necessities
Greensleves
Slow motion time

Contact me if you would like a quote or to check availability for your event.

Ravishing company, opulent acoustics et beaucoup de biere belgique

Will Hay — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:44:28 +0000

I have just returned from a wonderful five day choir tour to the continent. The most striking thing about the choral experience had to be the acoustic properties of the wonderful churches in which we sang. Most resonant was La Madeleine, Paris where the reverberations could be heard as many as 10 seconds later and you could feel the echoes coming back at you from different parts of the building at different stages. St Salvator, Bruges and St Severin, Paris were about equally reverberant and much more alive than our familiar cathedral in Chester.

The repertoire suited these rather opulent buildings in which we sang. The insistent ’Maria’ of Gorecki’s ‘Totus Tuus’ haunted the psyche. Duruflé’s ‘Tantum Ergo’ and Ducasse’s ‘Crux Fidelis’ with French organ accompaniment floated around the many interior curves of La Madeleine. As a baritone though, Naylor’s ‘Vox Dicentis’ had to be the musical highlight for me.

Whilst the majority of the choir visited Euro Disney on our day off from singing, I was able to spend a day sight-seeing in Paris and fully appreciate the Parisian architecture set amidst seasonal colours. A selection of my favourite photos taken on this excursion have been posted into a flickr photoset. Whilst Paris was great, my recommendation would be not to take a taxi even half of the way into Paris if you value your Euros.

Alongside the musical, the social aspect of the tour was particularly fine. It was a pleasure to sing with both the boys and girls and to have additional support from numerous deputy lay clerks. Time was spent sampling some of the Belgian beers on offer in the bars around Dixmuide where we stayed for two nights as well as in the (rather extortionately priced) hotel bar at Mercure Coudray Parc, south of Paris.

Churches

France/Belgium Tour 2009

8 Photos

Social Life

France/Belgium Tour 2009

4 Photos

The Ashgrove (SATB, piano accompaniment)

Will Hay — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:00:42 +0000

Originally arranged for the Waverton Singers’ April concert in 2006, I have just produced an mp3 of this popular welsh folksong to accompany the score on Choralwiki., which is also available for free on Sibelius Music

The Ash Grove

Vivaldi Gloria and Walton Belshazzar’s Feast – Forthcoming Cathedral Choir Concerts

Will Hay — Thu, 07 May 2009 10:00:58 +0000

Forthcoming choral events over the next couple of months include:

By kind permission of their graces, the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, Chester Cathedral Choir along with musicians from King’s School, Chester perform in a Fundraising concert at the Long Room and Chapel, Eaton Hall. Tuesday 9th June 1930. Tickets £15, including light refreshments, available from Victoria Houghton.

Vivaldi Gloria with Chester Cathedral Nave Choir and the 18th Century Concert Orchestra- Saturday 13th June at 1930. Tickets are priced at £10 (children £5) and are available from the cathedral box office on 01244 500959, online or on the door.

Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast - Thursday 2nd July 1930 at Chester Cathedral. Chester Cathedral Choir will be joining together with Chester Bach Singers and the symphony orchestra and chorus from Chetham’s School of Music who are celebrating their 40th anniversary.
Opening the Chester Summer Music Festival, the concert will be conducted by David Hill, director of the London Bach Choir and The BBC Singers. He was one of the first students to be accepted at the specialist music school 40 years ago.