2021 winter Concert
Saturday 27th November 2021
The Priory Church, Lancaster LA1 1PL
7:30 pm
The Priory Church, Lancaster LA1 1PL
7:30 pm
Conductor - John Perrin Accompanist - Richard McGregor Organist: Andy Plowman Harpist: Annakate Pearson Including Hallelujah Chorus - Cantique de Jean 'Racine O Magnum Mysterium - Zadok the Priest Songs from Les Miserables - Hallelujah from Shrek Audience Carols In order to follow the latest Covid 19 Government Guidelines for events such as this, we would ask that everyone attending this event please take a Covid 19 lateral flow test 24 hrs prior to the event. Thank you. |
Tickets £12.00
Benefit Claimants/ Students £10 Schoolchildren aged 18 and under - Free Online booking is available here: 
Tickets are also available from:
Choral Society members, also Lancaster Visitor Information Centre: 01524 582394 Morecambe Visitor Information Centre: 01524 582808 Getting There
Pedestrians may access Lancaster Priory via the medieval Priory Steps at the top of St Mary’s Parade, or from Castle Park passing the Crown Court. For Sat Nav: LA1 1YZ. The Priory is located just a few minutes walk from Lancaster Railway Station. Unfortunately there is no public parking available at the church. Disabled parking may be arranged for special events, please call the Priory office on 01524 65338 in advance to confirm availability. There is limited metered parking available on Castle Hill. The nearest car parks in the city are a short walk away – please click on the Lancaster Car Parks map to view a map which show our city car parks. |
Introduction
A huge welcome back from Lancaster and District Choral Society. To say we’re pleased to sing for you is a slight understatement. We are ecstatic to be singing in front of an audience again. For any of you who have ever sung in a choir, you will know what we mean when we talk about that ‘exciting buzz’ you get from singing with a group of other like minded singers. We have really missed that. We look forward to singing in your company once again.
Our Accompanist
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Richard McGregor - Scottish music professor and researcher
Richard is our regular LDCS accompanist and we are very grateful to him for joining us at all our rehearsals. He was born Glasgow and studied at the Universities of Glasgow, and Liverpool where he completed a PhD study of the music of Thea Musgrave 1959-67 and subsequently studied in Siena with Donatoni in the early 1980s. He worked as a teacher in Strathclyde, Essex and Bedfordshire, and from 1992-2006 was Head of Performing Arts at St Martin’s College (legacy institution of the University of Cumbria), and then Head of Educational Music. From 2010-13 he was the Director of Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Cumbria, and from 2006 Professor of Music there (now Emeritus). During the course of his career he was actively involved in the development of educational initiatives in both Music and the Performing Arts. He was a member of the group which created the ground-breaking first A level in Performing Arts and was a committee member for NAMHE (National Association for Music in Higher Education). From 2001-07 he was a member of the Music Benchmarking Group which created both the original statements and the revised benchmark statements for Music in Higher Education . He served as institutional representative to the TERN (Teacher Education Research Network) group and was a member of the research committee of UCET (Universities Council for the Education of Teachers). He is best known for his research and analytical work on the music of Peter Maxwell Davies, and has written a number of major articles on the composer’s works including on Davies’s use of plainsong and other source material; on the middle symphonies; on parody/pastiche in the composer’s music; on the decoding of Davies’s personal alphabet; on the music theatre work Mr Emmet Takes a Walk, and the ballet Salome. A jointly-authored major study of Davies’s music with Dr Nicholas Jones was recently published. He was recently described as a 'trailblazer’ for his work on the work of James MacMillan which has included studies of Veni Veni Emmanuel and O Bone Jesu; an interview with MacMillan with critical commentary; and an article on MacMillan’s musical identity. In the European context he has written major studies of Wolfgang Rihm’s Chiffre cycle and Tutuguri as well as more generally on music and spirituality, agency, identity and inspiration. His compositions, which are held at the Scottish Music Centre, include: Sarajevo 583 for string orchestra, 'I am the Rose of Sharon’ for solo, SSA and strings, ‘Greeks bearing gifts’ for two pianos, Three Medieval Love Lyrics for women’s voices, Tableaux for two pianos, and Madrigals (words by Lorca). He is a part-time lecturer Practical Musicianship, Study Skills (research, essay writing, planning) and Writing for the Arts at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Richard is currently developing involvements with the Department of Theology at St Andrew’s University around the music of James MacMillan and Music and Spirituality. Other recent publications include a book chapter on Simon Holt’s opera ‘The Nightingale’s to Blame’, an article on MacMillan’s Passion settings, and ‘Mind Games’ an article on Davies’s Music Theatre works. Future projects are the compilation of an edited volume on Music and Spirituality for Routledge and a book chapter on Scottish symphonists since 1900. Awards and achievements
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Richard McGregor
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Our Performers
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Andy Plowman - Organist
Andy is a retired actuary and spent much of his career in London. As well as playing for Sunday services at Kendal Parish Church, he organises their fortnightly Friday lunchtime concerts and has recorded there with BBC ‘Songs of Praise’. Andy is concert accompanist for around ten choirs in Lancaster and Cumbria and has played at cathedrals around the UK, including a dozen weeks in residence at venues such as Durham, Salisbury and York Minster. |
Andy Plowman
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Annakate Pearson - Harpist
AnnaKate is a Windermere based freelance professional harpist. Having studied for six years at the RSAMD (Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama: Now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), she gained her BA(Hons), PG Dip & Mmus in harp performance. Since finishing her studies in 2007 AnnaKate has built up teaching work in an around South Lakes, North Yorkshire & Lancashire. She also keeps busy performing with orchestras & choral societies on a freelance basis as well as performing recitals as part of a pedal harp duo ‘Style 85’ with Gwen Sinclair and a flute & harp duo ‘Leven Duo’ with Jo Ashcroft. AnnaKate has performed for events since 2000 and is much in demand for weddings and events within Cumbria. AnnaKates experience stems from her time at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. She played with all the RSAMD’s Orchestras throughout her six years studying which included tours around Britain and the RSNO (Royal Scottish National Orchestra) Scottish Proms. Masterclass opportunities involved playing for distinguished harpists such as Kathleen Bride, Frances Kelly and Natalia Sheymeyeva. AnnaKate has played within a Scottish Opera Apprenticeship Scheme which involved both orchestral playing & chamber music on stage. ‘Side-by-Side’ concerts with the Hebrides Ensemble and within college was given the opportunity to play Debussy’s concerto ‘Danse Sacree et Danse Profane’ with the RSNO. Through chamber music and orchestral work she has performed in and around Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Cumbria and Liverpool including work with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish Opera Orchestra and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Performance venues include the Glasgow Royal Concert hall, Edinburgh Festival theatre, Glasgow City Halls and Glasgow Theatre Royal. She is regularly playing at weddings as couples and their guests enjoy the sound and visual impact of this beautiful instrument within Cumbria and Scotland. AnnaKate offers flexible options to fit with your special day, please contact her to discuss. Additionally she teaches the harp locally in various schools and is available to give private tuition. http://www.annakatepearsonharpist.co.uk/ |
Annakate Pearson
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