Radiant Dawn
songs of light in winter
First half: Darkness and dawn
Francis Poulenc
Un soir de neige
- De grandes cuillers de neige
- La bonne neige
- Bois meurtri
- La nuit, le froid, la solitude
James Macmillan
O radiant dawn
Sarah Quartel
A winter’s day
- Timid star
- A winter dawn
- Into morning
- A winter day
- Snow toward evening
Second half: Warmth and light
Thomas Tallis
O nata lux de lumine
Te lucis ante terminum
William Byrd
Laudibus in sanctis
The Real Group
Gøta
Andrew Carter
The lark in the clear air
Cole Porter
Let’s do it
George Shearing
Blow, blow, thou winter wind
What do we mean by 'immersive'?
We want this to be more than just a listening experience; we want to take you from cold to warm, from darkness to light, from winter to spring, in the space of an evening. We will transform the space into an immersive soundscape, with lights, candles, screens, images, cushions and blankets, themed drinks and snacks, and the use of the entire space to surround you with our voices.
The programme has been carefully designed to make you feel the chill of winter in Poulenc’s Un Soir De Neige and a sudden burst of warmth as the sun rises above the horizon and bathes the Unitarian Chapel in light and hope with Macmillan’s O Radiant Dawn. Thereafter, the warmth and joy only increase, as we take you across landscapes and seasons to finish with a mocking of the winter chill in Shearing’s setting of Shakespeare’s text Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind.
Every aspect of the evening has been thought out and planned to take you on this journey with us, and transform the darkness of a January evening into a few hours of warmth and light. We hope you will join us and enjoy!
This group of singers has come together specifically for this concert. With musicians hailing from the UK and Belgium, this one-time ensemble is a mixture of musicians who have sung together in York for many years, and more recent connections made along the way.
We hope this collaboration brings you some much-needed light in the darkest month of the year.
Émilie
Soprano
Project Manager
Rachel
Soprano
Cello
Buffy
Alto
Gem
Alto
Daniel
Tenor
Toby
Tenor
Musical Director
David
Bass
Piano
Mbola
Bass
Our charities for this event are St Nicks (York’s centre for nature and green living, registered charity number 1153739) and Send A Child To Hucklow (convalescent holidays for disadvantaged children, incorporated charitable organisation number 1189260).
Our charities for this event are St Nicks (York’s centre for nature and green living, registered charity number 1153739) and Send A Child To Hucklow (convalescent holidays for disadvantaged children, incorporated charitable organisation number 1189260).
Thank you!
You filled the Chapel beyond our expectations, every single seat was taken, all the mulled wine was drunk, and your support was invigorating!
We are pleased to announced your donations raised over £550 for our chosen charities, an incredible achievement in just one evening.
Thank you for joining us on this immersive choral experience, we will hopefully come back with more exciting ideas and concepts.