Britten and Purcell concert

The Nantwich Singers are planning to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Britten with a concert at St Mary's Church, Nantwich, on Saturday November 23rd.

They will be performing works by the celebrated English composer and also Henry Purcell.
"It is tempting to say that these two men were the greatest composers England has ever produced, but then we would get into an argument with supporters of Elgar," said conductor Tony Metcalfe.

The Singers will perform Purcell's opera 'Dido and Aeneas', which was originally written for a girls' school in Chelsea and first performed in 1689 with the male roles more than likely being taken by lay clerks from Westminster Abbey.

The piece will give the Singers, many of whom are solo performers in their own right, an opportunity to prove how versatile they are as they appear as a chorus of sailors, witches, courtiers or commentators as the plot thickens.

Two pieces written by Britten will feature in this 'Choral Celebration of St Cecilia': ' 'Gloriana', which was written 60 years ago to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and 'Hymn to St Cecilia'.

"Britten began writing 'Hymn to St Cecilia' in 1940 while he was in America. Two years later he decided to return to England but unfortunately the customs inspectors confiscated all his manuscripts because they feared they could be in some type of code,"said Tony.

Britten later rewrote 'Hymn to St Cecilia' and finished in April 1942.

The Singers will be accompanied by The Nantwich Singers Orchestra which will also perform movements from a suite of dances that Purcell wrote as incidental music to contemporary drama 'Abdelazer'.

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7.30pm, are £8.

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