30 Sept 2023
Haydn: Missa Brevis St. Joannis de Deo Hob. XXII:7
Monteverdi: Magnificat a 6 from the Vespers of 1610
Haydn: Organ concerto in C major Hob XVIII:1
Bach: Cantata No. 72 Alles nur nach Gottes Willen
Jeremy Boughton was educated at the Blue Coat School. Reading and Newton Park (now part of Bath Spa University) where he studied piano under John Parry. In the 1990s Jeremy, together with his friend the flautist Tom Bell, created The Thames Consort who this year celebrate their 30th anniversary of their first concert for Wallingford Chameleon Arts. Jeremy, currently the Director of Music at Dorchester Abbey, enjoys a busy career as an organist, teacher, cellist and choir conductor.
Lisa Gifford-Guy read music at Royal Holloway, University of London before completing postgraduate study with Marjorie Thomas (Royal Academy of Music). She has performed extensively in the South of England and currently studies with Christine Cairns. Having previously enjoyed her role as Head of Vocal Studies at Cranford House School in Wallingford, she is currently living in Somerset, where she combines performing with running a thriving private teaching practice.
Elinor Carter was a choral scholar at Clare College, Cambridge  and continued her vocal training at the Royal College of Music. In her professional career, she has performed widely, notably under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
Haydn wrote several short settings of the mass including this one, composed around 1774 for the Brothers Hospitallers in the town of Eisenstadt where Haydn was Prince Nicholas Esterhazy’s court musician. The joyful work is scored for modest forces – strings, organ, choir and solo soprano.
Monteverdi composed two settings of the Magnificat for his Vespers of 1610. The setting for six voices is not often performed, being slightly cast into the shade by the extravagant magnificence of the seven voice alternative, but does have its own considerable virtues.
The optimism of the organ concerto in C major belies Haydn’s feelings on writing it, as it was composed for the dedication of Therese Keller as a nun, the woman with whom he was in love and hoped to marry.
Bach cantata Alles nur nach Gottes Willen was written for Epiphany 1726, early into his time at Leipzig. This lively and varied work is scored for choir, strings and oboes with solo arias for soprano and alto.