BPS Britten Saint Nicolas programme

BRITTEN

SAINT

NICOLAS

Belfast Philharmonic Society in

a virtual concert for Christmas

From 19 December 2020, 7pm

www.belfastphilharmonic.org.uk/BPSSaintNicolas

Directed by Stephen Doughty, Lynsey Callaghan

and Caroline Jones

Ross Scanlon tenor

Britten Ensemble

Gail Evans piano

Belfast Philharmonic Choir

Belfast Philharmonic Youth and Chamber Choirs

Phil Kids

and a Community Chorus

Funded by

Britten

Saint Nicolas

Belfast Philharmonic Society in a virtual concert for Christmas

Welcome

(00:00)

Stephen Doughty (Chorus

Master of Belfast Philharmonic

Choir) and Lynsey Callaghan

(Artistic Director of Belfast

Philharmonic Youth Choirs)

I. Introduction

(07:11)

Belfast Philharmonic Choir,

Nicolas

II. The Birth of Nicolas

(12:19)

Belfast Philharmonic

Youth Choir,

The Boy Nicolas, Nicolas

III. Nicolas Devotes

Himself to God

(15:00)

Nicolas

IV. He Journeys to Palestine

(19:15)


and Chamber Choir Tenors

and Basses, Cross Border

Youth Choir Semi-Chorus,

Nicolas

V. Nicolas Comes to Myra

and is Chosen Bishop

(26:29)


Youth Choir, Nicolas

Hymn: All people that on

earth do dwell

(30:29)


Chamber and Youth Choir,

Phil Kids, Community Chorus

VI. Nicolas from Prison

(32:33)

Nicolas

VII. Nicolas and the

Pickled Boys

(35:30)


Chamber Choir, Youth Choir,

Pickled Boy soloists, Nicolas

VIII. His Piety and

Marvellous Works

(42:09)


Chamber Choir

IX. The Death of Nicolas

(47:19)


Chamber Choir, Nicolas

Hymn: God Moves in a

Mysterious Way

(50:39)


Chamber and Youth Choir,

Phil Kids, Community Chorus


Belfast Philharmonic Youth

and Chamber Choirs

Phil Kids

with the Saint Nicolas

Community Chorus

Directed by Stephen

Doughty, Lynsey

Callaghan and

Caroline Jones

Ross Scanlon tenor

Stephen Doughty organ

Gail Evans piano

Lucy Drennan 1st Violin

Hayley Howe 2nd Violin

Aoife Magee Viola

Andrew Nesbitt Cello

Martina Masterson

Double bass

Percussion:

John Campbell

Catherine Vincent

David Hanna

Joshua Booth

Robin Cassidy Taylor

Aoibh Devlin ‘The Boy Nicolas’

Ali Crawford-McCann, Eloise Cherry, India Clements ‘The Pickled Boys’ soloists

2

Britten Saint Nicolas

CHAIR’S WELCOME

Welcome to the

first virtual concert

from the Belfast

Philharmonic

Society

We are delighted that you have joined us for this

performance. In a year when we have been unable

to rehearse face to face, I have been extremely

impressed by the resilience and flexibility of our

talented singers across the Philharmonic, Phil Kids,

Youth Choir and Chamber Choir in adapting to a

new, online, way of rehearsing and recording. All of

our choirs have participated in this performance,

and we also welcome the congregational singers

who have added their voices for the two hymns.

This process was expertly led by our Chorus Master,

Stephen Doughty, together with our Youth Choirs

Artistic Director, Lynsey Callaghan.

We are working on a number of further digital

performances over the coming months, including

Kodaly’s Missa Brevis which we intend to release

in April 2021. We look forward to a return to live

concerts in the coming year.

I hope you enjoy this concert and that you will be

able to join us for our further performances in this

2020/2021 season.

Katherine Hanratty

Chair

Britten Saint Nicolas 3

PROGRAMME NOTES

Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976)

Saint Nicolas, Op. 42

For the general public, Britten (1913–1976)

is best known as a composer of operas, and

operas with often disturbing libretti. Such

masterworks as Peter Grimes and The Turn

of the Screw, and most tellingly, his last

opera, Death in Venice, deal with the darker

side of human nature. Yet the testimony of

his friends was that a part of him never grew

up, and he always looked back with longing

at the joys of childhood. One of his favourite

recreations after a day of composing was to

play children’s games in the evening. Saint

Nicolas is only one of twelve opus numbers

that either involve children as participants,

or are composed for their enjoyment.

St. Nicolas, whose feast day is celebrated

December 6, is the patron saint of sailors,

scholars, and children, and is also the patron

saint of Russia, Greece, Sicily, and Lorraine. Most

information about his actual life is based on

oral tradition, but historians agree that he was

born to a wealthy family in Patara in Lycia near

the end of the third century. He was reported to

have worked miracles even as a child, fasting

and giving away his wealth to the poor. Nicholas

became a model pastor, noted for his charity,

and was appointed Bishop of Myra in the early

fourth century.

Saint Nicolas was written for performance at

the Centenary Celebrations of Lancing College,

Sussex… Inasmuch as St. Nicolas was the patron

saint of children (and co-patron of Lancing

College), one of the commissioners suggested “a

hymn to Saint Nicolas.” Basil Handford, a master

at Lancing, writes:

“Tell me about Saint Nicolas,” said Ben. So I told

him the legends. Almost immediately he saw

it as a series of episodes. “It will have to be a

cantata, I think.”

Eric Crozier [who had also written many of

Britten’s opera libretti] was engaged to write the

text, and Britten gave him Haydn’s Creation as

a model. The composition sketch was written in

three weeks, and Britten said he “was enjoying it

hugely.” This was his first major work intended

for performance by amateurs, and he relished

the challenge of making a profound statement

with simplicity of means. Britten writes:

I want to write for people…. There is something

very fresh and unrestrained in the quality of

the music produced by amateurs. What annoys

me more is the ineptitude of some professionals

who don’t know their stuff. I have no patience

with that.

4


PROGRAMME NOTES

Benjamin Britten (1913 – 1976)

Saint Nicolas, Op. 42

It is this quality of youthful playfulness

contrasted with a profound seriousness that

makes Saint Nicolas a unique work. The

seriousness is primarily allotted to the tenor

soloist, and Nicolas’ fervour, humanity, and

vision are passionately portrayed in this central

character. He grieves for the corruption of man

(“O man! … You hug the rack of self, embrace the

lash of sin,”), and accepts his death with hope

(“Lord, I come to life, to final birth,”) the legends

spring from his ardent pastoring (“O! he was

the prodigal of love! a spendthrift in devotion

to us all”). Britten achieves operatic clarity of

characterization in these few arias, which were

tailored to the dramatic gifts of Peter Pears.

This Nicolas is not a plaster saint or Christmas

ornament, but a vibrant, vulnerable human

being, whose life and works earned him the

honours he received.

A new and important element in Saint Nicolas

was the inclusion of the congregation in the

musical action. These hymn tunes were familiar

to a generation educated in English public

schools, where chapel and hymn singing were

daily events. It drew them back to their own

childhood, at the same time demanded a level

of participation beyond passive listening. This

remarkable layering of musical elements …

provides no small part of the pleasure we have

in listening to this work. And the humility of a

great composer writing serious music within

the capabilities of ordinary people explains the

continuing favour this music finds.

Programme note © Robert Scandrett

Britten had great fun with the choruses. Nicolas’

life story begins with a waltz, which includes

a bath scene with the orchestral equivalent

of water running out of the tub. Pianos and

percussion provide marvellous waves in the

storm scene. High voices strike lightning, and

choir men are the ship’s terrified crew.


Hymns

All people that on

earth do dwell,

Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice!

Him serve with fear, His praise

forth tell,

Come ye before Him and rejoice.

O enter then His gates with praise,

Approach with joy His courts unto,

Praise, laud and bless His name

always,

For it is seemly so to do.

For why? The Lord, our God is good:

His mercy is for ever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood,

And shall from age to age endure

Amen.

God moves in a

mysterious way

His wonders to perform;

He plants His footsteps in the sea,

and rides upon the storm

Deep in unfathomable mines

Of never failing skill

He treasures up his bright designs,

And works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy, and shall break

In blessings on your head.

Amen!

6


How do you put

together a virtual

concert?

2 We were lucky to

receive some funding

from the Department for

Communities to help with the

production of a big virtual

concert – all the singers of the

Society, fantastic professional

musicians and soloist, plus a

Community Chorus for the

hymns.

1

The choir hasn’t

been able to meet together

and sing since March, and there

is a lot of internet delay if you try to

sing as a choir online – we have tried

and the sound was interestingly chaotic!

We knew that our rehearsals this season

would have to have the singers joining

online on mute (but singing loudly from

home) and the conductors and leaders

playing music from their own homes!

But we didn’t want to give up on a

Christmas concert.

We started

learning the music for

3

this concert way back in

September. Usually we

would have a few more

concerts in the autumn, but it

takes a lot of time to record

individual singers and then

put them all together

properly.

5 Singers and

musicians submitted

more than 900 individual

recordings to our producers,

who then spent weeks mixing

them back into the choral

movements. The last recordings

were sent in at the end of

November, but the producers

have been working on our

concert since the beginning

of October!

4

Every singer – from

our Phil Kids up to the

adult choir and the community

chorus – as well as all of the

musicians had to send in a recording

of themselves singing or playing in

each movement, being really careful

to stick to the timing. Our directors

created videos or vocal tracks to

help keep the choirs together, and

spent a lot of time on tempo

and rests during our

rehearsals!

6

The producers

then sent back draft

versions of the whole

concert so our conductors

could do what they usually do

live in rehearsal rooms – making

the balance of voices better and

checking that everyone starts

and stops when they’re

supposed to.

8

The video is

released online and

– for most of the

performers as well as the

audience – we finally get

to hear what the

performance sounds

like all together!

7

Once

everyone was

happy with the final

version, we were sent a

very big video file to

put online ready for

our launch

evening.


STEPHEN DOUGHTY

DIRECTOR/ORGAN

LYNSEY CALLAGHAN

YOUTH CHOIRS

DIRECTOR

Stephen Doughty enjoys a varied career as a

freelance musician. He is Chorus Master of

Belfast Philharmonic Choir who, in addition to

their performances with the Ulster Orchestra,

have given a number of world premieres

including James Whitbourn’s The Seven

Heavens and the European premiere of both

Stuart Scott’s Requiem Brevis and Christopher

Marshall’s Earthsong. He has been Musical

Director of the Garleton Singers since 1994, and

was most recently appointed to the position of

Musical Director of Edinburgh Bach Choir.

After almost 18 years, Stephen relinquished the

post of Organist and Director of Music of St

John’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh - the first

time since 1991 he doesn’t occupy a church

position! He plays harpsichord/organ continuo

and orchestral piano with all the Scottish

orchestras as well as the Ulster Orchestra and has

given frequent organ recitals including several

four-star recitals on the grand Mulholland Organ

in the Ulster Hall, Belfast, and recitals of French

and German music in St. John’s as part of the

Blow! concert series in aid of the St. John’s Organ

Fund.

He is in demand as an arranger and orchestrator

and has received commissions from Children’s

Classic Concerts, Ulster Orchestra and the

Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Recent

orchestrations include the premiere of Jonathan

Dove’s Seek him that maketh the seven stars and

a classical/folk crossover with award-winning

band Dallahan marking the anniversary of the

Battle of Loos. More information about his

arrangements, including commissions can be

found at www.stephendoughty.co.uk.

Following a degree in music education (Trinity

College Dublin and DIT Conservatory of Music)

and a master’s degree in choral conducting

(Royal Irish Academy of Music and Trinity College

Dublin), Lynsey Callaghan undertook a PhD in

medieval musicology in Trinity College Dublin,

Ireland. Lynsey is the Head of Research and

Programmes at the Royal Irish Academy of Music.

Lynsey is passionate about providing opportunities

for excellence in youth choral music. She is

the Director of the Belfast Philharmonic Youth

and Chamber Choirs. In October 2017, Lynsey

founded Dublin Youth Choir. Dublin Youth

Choir aims to fill the regional gap in incremental

choral music education in Dublin. As both the

Belfast Philharmonic Youth and Chamber Choirs

and Dublin Youth Choir share a philosophy of

music education that is inspired by Kodály, the

development of musicianship is at the heart

of the work of both organisations. The Belfast

Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Dublin Youth

Chamber Choir have joined together for a number

of projects as the Cross Border Youth Choir.

Since developing her pedagogical and

musicianship skills at the Kodály Institute in

Hungary, Lynsey has worked as a musicianship

tutor for the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain,

Irish Youth Training Choir, Irish Youth Choir, Ulster

Youth Training Choir, Ulster Youth Choir and

Youth Choir Kenya. She was conductor of the

Ulster Youth Junior Choir in 2018. She has taught

solfege on the undergraduate music degree in

Trinity College Dublin and has taught conducting

on the Kodály Society of Ireland’s annual summer

course. She has also worked as chorus master for

Chamber Choir Ireland (CCI), Ireland’s flagship

professional choir.

8


CAROLINE JONES

PHIL KIDS ASSISTANT

DIRECTOR

GAIL EVANS

PIANO DUET

Caroline is a former member of the Ulster

Youth Choir, Ulster University Choir and

was a founding member of the early music

vocal ensemble, Sestina. Caroline’s operatic

experience includes chorus roles in NI Opera’s

productions of Puccini’s Tosca and Wagner’s

Flying Dutchman. Caroline has also played

the role of Micaëla in North West Opera’s

production of Bizet’s Carmen.

In 2017, Caroline completed a PGCE in Primary

Education at Ulster University, Coleraine, and she

currently works part-time as a primary school

teacher. Caroline is founder and Musical Director

of the Sperrin Kidz choir in Magherafelt. Caroline

works as a musicianship tutor with the Belfast

Philharmonic Youth Choirs and is trained in the

Kodály philosophy of music education.

In June 2018, Caroline was appointed the role

of Assistant Youth Choir Conductor, and was

appointed as Assistant Director of Phil Kids in

December 2019, taking responsibility for leading

sessions on Tuesday evenings and assisting

the Youth Choirs Artistic Director to set overall

musical direction for the programme.

AOIFE MAGEE

VIOLA

Aoife is a freelance viola player from Lurgan. After

graduating from the Royal Scottish Academy of

Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire

of Scotland), in Glasgow, she began working as

a freelance player with many orchestras, both in

Scotland (Royal Scottish National Orchestra, BBC

Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Opera), and

in Ireland (Ulster Orchestra, RTÉ Symphony and

Concert Orchestras, Camerata Ireland).

Having studied piano under both Elizabeth Bicker

and Stephanie Hughes, and organ with Desmond

Hunter, Gail Evans completed her bachelor’s

degree in Music at the University of Ulster.

Following a teaching career which led to the

post of Head of Music in Rainey Endowed School,

Magherafelt, Gail is now an active accompanist

and répétiteur throughout Northern Ireland and

further afield.

Gail is in her eleventh year as accompanist for the

various choirs that make up Belfast Philharmonic

Society: the Phil Kids, Phil Youth and Chamber

Choirs and the Belfast Philharmonic Choir. As

accompanist, Gail has played for (in addition to

the current Chorus Master, Stephen Doughty)

conductors such as Rafael Payare, Jac van Steen,

Christopher Bell, Stephen Layton and Lawrence

Cummings.

In addition, she is accompanist for the Ulster

University Choir and also enjoys working with

the National Youth Choir of Scotland, the Ulster

Orchestra and Northern Ireland Opera. She

performs regularly in masterclasses and workshops

and has had the privilege of working with some

internationally renowned musicians such as Sir

James Galway, Mary King, Iain Burnside, Paul

Farrington and Jonathan Lemalu.

She is also a founding member of the Belfast

Ensemble - a new and exciting music and

theatre company based in the city of Belfast. The

Ensemble, although still a very young company,

has already achieved quite a lot of success,

including winning Best Opera at the Irish Times

Theatre Awards in 2020, with their production of

Abomination: A DUP Opera.


ROSS SCANLON

TENOR

LUCY DRENNAN

1ST VIOLIN

Lucy Drennan studied violin at the Royal

Academy of Music, London (1986 - 1990),

where she gained an LRAM and Dip RAM. After

graduating, Lucy spent five years freelancing,

playing with various prestigious orchestras

(including the London Philharmonic Orchestra,

London Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert

Orchestra, Covent Garden Opera House

Orchestra, English National Ballet, to cite a

selection).

Tenor Ross Scanlon trained at the DIT

Conservatory of Music and Drama where he was

awarded the Michael McNamara Gold Medal

of excellence in performance and at the Royal

Academy of Music, London.

At the Royal Academy of Music Opera School

his roles included Lurcanio Ariodante, Masino La

vera Costanza, Monostatos Die Zauberflöte and

Scaramuccio Ariadne auf Naxos. Elsewhere, his

roles have included Le Thérière L’Enfant et les

sortlièges with the BBC Symphony Orchestra,

Barbican, London, Hot Biscuit Paul Bunyan for

Welsh National Opera, Irus The Return of Ulysses

for Opera Collective Ireland, Male Chorus The

Rape of Lucretia for Opera Collective Ireland, and

Ed A Belfast Opera for NI Opera.

Ross sings widely in concert, his engagements

including Alexander’s Feast, Messiah and The

Creation with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Messiah

at the Halle Festival, Germany, at the Handel Music

Festival, Dublin, and with the Irish Philharmonic

Orchestra. Other oratorios include Britten Saint

Nicolas, Dvořák Stabat Mater, Handel’s Coronation

Anthems, Jenkins ‘The Armed Man – A Mass for

Peace’ and Goodall Eternal Light – A Requiem

(Irish Premiere).

Recent and future engagements include

performing for HRH, Prince of Wales, with The

Ulster Orchestra, Belfast, Irish Premiere of

Howard Goodall’s Invictus: A Passion with Bray

and Wicklow Choral Societies, Bach Magnificat

and Respighi Lauda per la Nativtà del Signore with

Ancόr Choir, Limerick.

During Lucy’s time in London, she also

played with many chamber ensembles, most

notably the London Salon Ensemble and the

experimental ensemble Bal, performing in

venues such as the Purcell Room, Southbank

Centre, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, the Brain

Club and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

In 1995, Lucy was appointed Assistant

Principal 2nd Violin with the BBC Philharmonic

Orchestra, Manchester - a position she held

until 1997. Lucy was Associate Leader of the

Ulster Orchestra from 1997, a position she held

for some thirteen years until a serious sight

ailment forced a period of leave from more

senior orchestral commitments. She currently

maintains a very active performance profile

as soloist and chamber musician, appearing

with regularity on television, radio, and in

recordings--notably with the Hyperion label-

-that include online media. She teaches in

various schools in Northern Ireland.

HAYLEY HOWE

2ND VIOLIN

Hayley Howe took a roundabout route to her

present career in Music. After reading Modern

Languages at Edinburgh University, she trained

as a teacher in Cambridge, before completing

a postgraduate performer’s degree at the Royal

Conservatoire of Scotland. She now divides her

time between work as a professional freelance

player and soprano soloist as well as running her

busy private violin tuition practice.

10


ANDREW NESBITT

CELLO

Belfast-born Andrew Nesbitt works regularly in

professional orchestras and performs as part of his cello

duo, The Cellists. As a composer and arranger, Andrew

has written music for cello duo and octet which has

been performed across the UK and Ireland. Andrew

is on the teaching staff at Oxford Cello School, and

teaches in a number of schools in Belfast and at the

Ulster College of Music. He is also the cello tutor of the

City of Belfast Youth Orchestra.

Andrew studied the cello at the Royal Northern

College of Music in Manchester. During his six years

there he gained both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s

degree in Cello Performance. As well as working

regularly with the Ulster Orchestra, Andrew also works

with the RTÉ Concert and RTÉ National Symphony

Orchestras in Dublin, and the English Symphony

Orchestra. Andrew has appeared as cello soloist,

notably in performances of The Armed Man in St

Anne’s Cathedral with the Belfast Philharmonic Choir,

and the Duruflé Requiem in St George’s Church with

Melisma. He has also performed as a continuo player

with other choral societies in Northern Ireland and

the North West of England. Andrew has been heard

performing on the Radio 4 Daily Service and can also

be seen from time to time performing on Songs of

Praise.

MARTINA MASTERSON

DOUBLE BASS

Martina Masterson studied and worked in London as a

freelance player before returning home and devoting

her time to teaching double bass in the Newry area. As

well as being passionate about teaching she continues

to balance this with a part time freelance career,

performing across a variety of genres throughout

Northern Ireland.

NORTHERN IRELAND

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE

JOHN CAMPBELL, CATHERINE VINCENT,

DAVID HANNA, JOSHUA BOOTH, ROBIN

CASSIDY TAYLOR

Northern Ireland Percussion Ensemble are a group of

local percussionists who have been playing together

for several years. Most of the group came through the

South Eastern Music Centre, taught by David English

and currently play together in a number of different

musical projects, including the Northern Ireland

Concert Band, award-winning brass bands, as well as

playing in several musical theatre productions.



Sopranos

Clare Bradley

Helena Carlin

Keri Cassidy Taylor

Elizabeth Clark

Karine Cramsie

Áine Darnbrook

Clíona Donnelly

Katie Egan

Liz Jones

Clare Kelly

Rachel Keown

Fionnuala Lennon

Mary Maxwell

Elizabeth McConnell

Heather Moore

Sally Picton

Alison Piggott

Rachel Reid

Gillian Ringrow

Sharon Robinson

Helen Rogers

Laura Smyth

Rachel Smyth

Ciara Timoney

Adrienne Toner

Altos

Cecilia Agnew

Gemma Armstrong

Cathy Blake-Knox

Alex Brownrigg

Miriam Crozier

Yvonne Duff

Oonagh Griffith

Katherine Hanratty

Donna Johnston

Sandra Kernohan

India MacDonald

Jane Matthews

Joanna McConnell

Helen McKelvey

Grainne Morgan

Una O’Hara

Joanna Patton

Amanda Piesse

Wendy Poxon

Gillian Rankin

Aoife Rooney

Lou Sayers

Hilary Speers

Clair Stevenson

Colette Stuart

Eileen Sung

Hilary Warnock

Ruthanne Williamson

Tenors

Robin Adams

Geoff Brooks

Michael Chambers

Martin Donnelly

John Healy

Andrew Hughes

Rab Mollan

Brian Poxon

Iestyn Rees

Basses

Keith Bailie

Grahame Capper

Tom Coard

Pat Davis

Georg Graninger

John Hayes

Frank Jones

Feidhlimidh Magennis

Michael McDowell

Michael Paul

Alastair Rankin

Timothy Rankin

Colin Steele

Graeme Stevenson

Noel Thompson

Belfast Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Aidan MacLean

Aisling Ward

Alaia Oscoz*

Amy Patton

Annabel Wright

Annabelle Burton*

Beatrice Tinsley

Ben Gallagher

Caitlyn Corbett

Cece MacMahon

Conor McCann

David Dunlop

Elinor Bradley*

Emma Kane

Erin Harding

Euan Short

Finn Brooks

Gloria Ifonlaja

Hannah Cairns

Hannah MacLean*

Lucy McCarroll

Luke Fields

Patrick Devlin

Rachel Green*

Rebekah Devlin

Saioa Oscoz *

Sarah McCourt

Soma Lengyel

Sophie Toal

Stephanie Abogunrin*

12


Belfast Philharmonic Youth Choir

Alexa Thompson

Ali Crawford-McCann

Alice Brearton

Anna O’Kane

Anna Wilson*

Annabel Pollin

Aoibh Devlin

Aoife Beggs

Aoife Lynch

Ava Hudson

Cara Buchanan

Cassia Moore

Ciara Turkington*

Ellen Patton

Eloise Cherry

Emily Lynch

Emma Mackey

Grace Ward

India Clements

Iseult McEnoy

Izzy Collins

Joshua Abogunrin

Julia Kennedy

Maria Rafferty

Mateya McLean

Molly Agnew

Naomi Moore

Niamh Curran

Niamh Grimley

Nina Lyness

Olivia Orr*

Ruby Elliott*

Sarah Prendergast

Victoria Ifonlaja

*Members of the Cross Border Youth Choir semi-chorus alongside: Anna O’Connor, Chloe Donnelly, Grace O’Duffy, Hannah Crowley

Phil Kids

Abbie Irwin

Ailbhe Brennan

Alexandra Patterson

Amelia McGarry

Anna Anderson

Anna Calvert

Anna Lyons

Anna Muir

Aoife Brady

Ayla Hunt

Béibhinn Speirs

Belema Sotonye-Frank

Beth O’Neill

Caitlin Ferguson

Caitlin Murtland

Callum Dunnion

Cara Coman

Cara Fleming

Catherine Pringle

Charlotte Nicolls

Christian Smyth

Clementine Donnelly

Conor Armstrong

Cormac Bryan

David Oke

Eilidh Burns

Eleanor Goodwin

Elianna Lundie

Ella Weir

Ellen Prunty

Ellie Mae Donnelly

Emma Collins

Erin Gallagher

Erin Murtland

Eva Clarke

Eva Pringle

Evelyn Lindsay

Feah Scullion

Fern Mellor

Fintan Hughes

Francesca Hanna

Francesca Wilson

Freddie Conlon

Grace Kelly

Harley McKeag

Isibéal Gray

Isla Wiltshire

Isobel Turkington

Joaquin Ang

Johanna Zaguirre

Josi Diesel

Juliette Loughrey

Katherine Woods

Liam Lynch

Lilith Maguire

Lily Sharma

Lola Diesel

Lucy Weir

Lydia Carson

Lyla Ireland

Maisie Lucas

Maisie Tolland

Martha Carron

Mia Blackburn

Michelle Fadeyi

Mollie Lucas

Mollie-Rose McCartan-Regan

Molly McGrath

Niamh Coman

Olivia Neill

Oscar Hadwen

Rain Akpojivi

Raoul Hillis

Rebecca Smyth

Robyn Hillis

Sadhbh Brennan

Sarah Barrett

Shauna Joseph

Siofra Speirs

Sophie Moseley

Thomas Loughrey

Zafira Rahayu-Bell


Thank you to our Saint Nicolas

Community Chorus

Jayne Agnew

Ethel Armstrong

Laura-Ashley Brown

Lydia Chapman

Brenda Daly

David Dow

Selda Dow

Susan Durston

Charlotte Glasgow

Jane Green

David Hall

Helen Hyland

Winston Irwin

Jackie Johnson

Lois Kane

Claire Kelly

Rosemary Lendrum

Cait Lennon

Peter Lyness

Lin Macmillan

Margaret Mccabe

Fiona McConnell

Jo Anne McCourt

Elaine Milton

Éilis O’Gara

Allison Orr

Ted Osborne

Marcus Patton

Beth Picton

Carole Scott

Pauline Taggart

Eadaoin Ward

John Woodall

Thanks

This virtual concert would not have been possible without the support of the

Department for Communities Organisations Emergency Programme.

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland

The Esmé Mitchell Trust

Cleaver Fulton Rankin

Zenith Communications

Rebekah Devlin for her assistance with the Movement 7 soloists

Our musicianship team: Keri Cassidy Taylor, Anne McCambridge,

Catherine Dalzell and Laura Smyth.

Will Anderson and Ken Blair from BMP The Sound Recording Company Ltd

(https://www.bmp-recording.co.uk).

And all of the partners, spouses, family members and housemates who have

coped with their homes becoming temporary recording studios all through

the autumn.

To keep up-to-date with the work of Belfast Philharmonic Society subscribe to

our email list at www.belfastphilharmonic.org.uk

14


Support Us

Belfast Philharmonic Society is a charity, and usually we raise

approximately 20% of our income from live events. Since March, all of our

live rehearsals, workshops and concerts have either been cancelled or moved

online because of pandemic restrictions, requiring more time and resources

to keep us running.

To make sure that we could keep providing opportunities for amateur and

young singers across Northern Ireland, we have developed new projects and

new ways of singing and learning together.

Since March 2020 we have:

• Run online music games sessions four times a week for our Phil Kids while schools were closed,

plus weekly sessions with Youth and Chamber Choir.

• Commissioned a new piece of music by Irish composer Laura Sheils, written with our Youth Choir.

‘Hope’ received a commendation at the Royal Philharmonic Society Inspiration Awards and has

been watched more than 6000 times online!

• Our Cross Border Youth Choir (with Dublin Youth Choir) attended an online speaker series where

they met exciting figures from the world of music including Voces8 and Eric Whitacre.

• Cross Border Youth Choir members are taking part in a virtual Composer Club to share ideas about

composing and notating new music, as well as a project with experimental music group the Vocal

Constructivists.

• Our choir directors led a free workshop for more than 100 members of the public to teach vocal

technique and the two hymns from Britten Saint Nicolas, while singers have not been able to attend

their own church or local choirs. Some of these singers contributed to the Saint Nicolas Community

Chorus in this virtual concert.

• Our musicianship team led an online workshop afternoon for music teachers to discuss the best

ways to teach singing online or over distance for young musicians.

• Our Cross Border Youth Choir met online for an afternoon to learn a brand new Christmas carol – A

Tender Shoot – which they then went away to record that evening. The final mixed recording was

one of five winning entries in the Making Music carol competition and was played on Classic FM

this December!

If you would usually attend one of our live concerts at this time of year, please

consider donating the value of your ticket – or whatever you can afford – to

help us keep the Phil going this season. We are looking forward to being

able to resume rehearsals and live performance whenever that is safe for

everyone, and we hope to be able to come back as strong as possible.

www.belfastphilharmonic.org.uk/donate



@BelfPhil

Belfast Philharmonic Society

www.belfastphilharmonic.org.uk

BPS Britten Saint Nicolas programme

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?