Light and Enlightenment - Songs to Brighten Your Day

The Renaissance Singers under Christine Archer Lockwood are to present a mostly a cappella concert at 2.30 pm Saturday, 9 September, in the Pathways Presbyterian Church, 338 Church Street, cnr Ashley Street. In singing a cappella, the choir will be going back to its roots. On this occasion they perform about twenty songs concerned with light, including three by local composer and Renaissance Singers' patron, Graham Parsons. Graham was commissioned by the choir to write a song honouring past member and president, the late Lucy Broadbent. Knowing that Lucy came from the Latin name of Lucius, born at the dawn of light, Graham penned three songs we shall be performing, two for the first time.

The audience will enjoy a variety of genre. American composer, Gary Walth has integrated the spiritual, This Little Light of Mine into his piece, One Small Light. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown will be known to many as a book parents have read to their young children. Children often gathered up objects to put aside as they wished them goodnight - as per the story. Eric Whitacre has created a delightful choral version, albeit quite challenging for the choir with clever counterpoint and changing rhythm. Norwegian composer, Ola Gjeilo was fascinated with the Aurora Borealis and consequently penned his mesmerising and beautiful Northern Lights. In similar style is Morten Lauridson's gorgeous O Nata Lux from his Lux Aeterna, as is Will Todd's haunting Christus est Stella with its text from above the 8th century tomb of the Venerable Bede in Durham.

But there is light in other ways, too. Aucklander, David Hamilton has penned two pieces the male choristers sing. The first is based on the witty text of poet, Roger McGough, entitled: Poem about the Sun Slinking off and Pinning up a Notice. The second, a little less light written for a memorial service, was based on an Irish blessing. For a full choir, Hamilton penned a spiritual-like number based on a traditional text – Walk You in the Light. Cole Porter's very familiar Night and Day was a number one hit in 1933 for Fred Astaire. Over the Rainbow won an Academy Award for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. DeRose's Deep Purple got to number one in 1963 with Nino Temple and April Stevens and was a hit in 1976 for Donny and Marie Osmond. Another tune that became popular in 1839, over 100 years earlier, was a madrigal by De Pearsal using text from Bulwer's novel, Siege of Granada. Listeners will be able to point to particular cases where De Pearsal engaged in word painting, having the music behave as if suggested by the words sung.

Mark Sirett honoured an organist and music director by composing The Blessing of Light, based on a Scottish blessing with lines such as – May sunlight shine from your face like a candle set in a window pane.

After the critical acclaim for the choir's last concert with percussionists, the choir is conscious of the standard it has set itself. Christine has had the choristers pay very close attention to the power of each song's music and words to create an impactful message for the audience. The choir has heard explanations of the nuances of the lyrics, and choristers have cues to remind themselves of concepts that they will be singing of, setting the mood and ensuring that the choristers are singing from the same song-sheet. For those who love unaccompanied choral music that is moving in all manner of ways, sung by a choir that has developed an enviable reputation, then the Pathways Presbyterian Church at 2.30 pm Saturday, 9 September is the place to be.