As I sit at the (computer) keyboard on Valentine’s Day, I am delighted to write about my deep love for choral music and about Vivamus’ forthcoming concert, Gloria (St Clement Danes, 16 April).

I’ll be exploring the pieces a little more in the concert programme, but one benefit of writing about repertoire is the fascinating facts and theories one gets to share. The headline piece, Vivaldi’s Gloria, may have been written primarily or exclusively for female singers, it turns out. Handel’s Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (“Eternal source of light divine”) celebrates both Queen Anne’s birthday and the Treaty of Utrecht that ended the War of the Spanish Succession. Bach’s Jesu, meine Freude is not only thought to be one of his most complex motets, but is also one of few Bach vocal works in five parts. Monteverdi’s Beatus vir, with its wealth of madrigal-like material, is seen by at least one editor as a parody psalm settling. And, like truths on Radio 4’s The Unbelievable Truth, it is possible to smuggle the Oboe Concerto in B-flat major (HWV 301) into a primarily choral concert. Thanks again to Handel, and to the wonderful Brandenburg Sinfonia for leading the instrumental charge.

The factoid I really can’t resist, though, is the alternative name of Purcell’s Rejoice in the Lord alway ‒ ‘The Bell Anthem.’ A simple descending scale appears repeatedly in the accompaniment, imitating the pealing of bells. I just love the idea of singing one of the most famous works of one of England’s greatest composers with a bell motif in a venue as famous for its bells as St Clement’s!

And the reference to Bangers? This working title of this concert was, at one point ‘Baroque Bangers.’ We swore never to reveal this. Well, that’s what happens when you put an alliteration junkie in charge of the pre-concert blog.

We hope to see you at the concert!

Post written by Kieran Morgan
Image credits
By Diliff – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,