Choral Society Concert
John Rutter - Sprig of Thyme
Alexander L'Estrange - ZIMBE!
Directed by Quentin Thomas
Accompanied by orchestra and the 'Call Me Al' Jazz Band
This'll be a corker and everyone will want a ticket!
We spend an evening focusing on folk song - first, Rutter's collection and arrangements of 11 folksongs. Then we move over to Alexander L'Estrange's work, published in 2009: simple children's playground songs from Ghana and Zimbabwe; a Xhosa lullaby for mothers of the victims of Apartheid; a raucous drinking song; sensuous wedding songs; and some beautiful funeral and worship music - all imbued with the spirit, energy and simplicity that is so typical of the African song tradition.
This was the perfect opportunity to invite Alexander's jazz band to play, and they'll be warming up the evening with two arrangements, inspired by folk songs.