Tamesis Chamber Choir’s Advent concert in Shiplake this Saturday

This weekend sees the start of Advent: a four-week journey towards Christmas Day. To celebrate, Tamesis Chamber Choir will be presenting a selection of music when they sing in the village of Shiplake.

People, Look East! is the title for the concert on Saturday, November 30.

The programme features some much-loved pieces of Advent reflection, including works by Monteverdi, Gibbons and Bach, as well as Rutter, Lauridsen and Chilcott.

Tamesis Chamber Choir is conducted by Louise Rapple Moore, and they will be joined for the concert by organist Simon Dinsdale.

What music is on the programme for People, Look East! from Tamesis Chamber Choir?

It starts with Bach’s Wachet Auf, also known as Sleepers Awake. A cantata of seven movements, it is a sacred piece originally performed in 1731.

Bruckner’s Virga Jesse has been sung since 1885, and is based on the Vigra Jesse – an artistic depiction of the ancestors of Jesus stretching back to King David.

Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium is a more modern composition: a Gregorian chant for Christmas first performed in 1994. Its title translates to O Great Mystery and is described as expressive ethereal sounds in imperturbable calmness.

It reflects first oxen and donkey next to the manger where Jesus is said to have been laid in, something first mentioned in the Bible text of Isaiah 1:3.

Wood’s O Thou, The Central Orb is next, an anthem which sees the organ accompany a melody sung carefully by the bases.

Never Weather-Beaten Sail, composed by Charles Hubert Parry, is a motet from his Songs of Farewell composed between 1916 and 1918, while many of his pupils at the Royal College of Music were killed serving King and Country in the Great War.

The lyrics are based on works by 17^th century composer Thomas Campion.

John Rutter’s There Is A Flower is a coral originally written for the choir of St John’s College Cambridge. It is based on a poem from 15^th century bard John Audelay, and was first performed in the mid-1980s.

Jesus Christ The Apple Tree is a poem that was written in the 18^th century, and has been set to music several times, including a more modern version by John Rutter. However, Tamesis have chosen the version by Elizabeth Poston.

The song is thought to be an allusion to an apple tree described in the Bible’s Song of Soloman, and a description of Jesus as the Tree of Life.

There will also be arrangements of The Angel Gabriel and Angelus ad Virginem.

Read more: Pantomimes and festive plays in and around Reading this Christmas

How much are tickets and where does it take place?

The concert will be held at St Peter and St Paul Church in Shiplake, a village close to Caversham.

The performance starts at 7pm and ends around 9pm on Saturday, November 30. During an interval, seasonal refreshments will be available.

Parking is available in the church’s car park, and at Shiplake College which is nearby.

Tickets cost £14, or £5 for children or students.

They can be booked by logging on to: https://tamesischamberchoir.com/eventer/people-look-east/edate/2024-11-30

Where else can I see Tamesis Chamber Choir this Advent?

Tamesis Chamber Choir are singing for Thames Hospice at their biennial carol concert.

This takes place from 7.30pm on Thursday, December 12.

It will be held at Eton College and raises funds for the charity’s work.

The concert is hosted by Rosemarie Ford, and special guests will be appearing during the evening.

Tickets cost £35.

For more details, or to book, log on to: https://www.thameshospice.org.uk/eton

Who are Tamesis Chamber Choir?

There are around 25 singers in Tamesis Chamber Choir, and perform concerts in Reading, London and surrounding areas.

They sing everything from contemporary, spirituals, pop and musical theatre to plainchant, classical staples and liturgical music.

For more details, log on to its website, https://tamesischamberchoir.com/about-tamesis