Choir To Sing At Cathedral

The Choir of Salisbury Cathedral, directed by Simon Lole and accompanied by organist David Halls, is touring the Northeast this spring and will perform their final U.S. concert at the Cathedral of the Incarnation on Saturday, April 9th at 7:30 pm.

Salisbury Cathedral, UK boasts the tallest spire in England and, in tandem with the Cathedral School, houses a boy chorister tradition that has been singing daily liturgical services since 1091. The Salisbury Cathedral Choir is comprised of 18 boys (aged 9-13) and nine men for this tour.

Alongside their duties at the Cathedral, they have made numerous appearances on BBC Radio and TV and in the Royal Festival Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. They have sung for members of the royal family, have entertained the present British Prime Minister and have sung on the soundtrack of the Hollywood movie "Prince of Egypt." Salisbury Cathedral Choir records on a regular basis and will bring with them their last three releases, "Praise and Thanksgiving;" "Darkness to Light - The Salisbury Advent Service;" and "King of Glory - Evensong from Salisbury." Autographs will be available after the concert.

Their 75-minute performance will cover the full gamut of music composed throughout the last 600 years. Works by Palestrina, Byrd and Purcell will start off the program. Following the death of Purcell in 1695, the English church music scene went into a decline until the 19th century when composer Charles Villiers Stanford brought about an English musical renaissance. His unaccompanied "Three Motets" "Justorum Animae," "Coelos Ascendit" and "Beati Quorum" will be performed by the Salisbury Cathedral Choir.

Edwardian works by Bairstow, Lloyd and "Faire is the Heaven" by William Harris are considered by many to be the cornerstones of Anglican Church Music. These pieces ring with nostalgia of a perfect world before the First World War and will also be presented by th Cathedral Choir. To conclude their journey through time and music an offering of more contemporary composers will include works by Philip Moore, Lennox Berkeley, Howells, C.H.H. Parry and a new work written especially for this tour by the director, Simon Lole.

The Cathedral of the Incarnation, a perfect example of mid-19th century gothic style architecture, is a superb setting for this concert of well-known English Cathedral Choir repertoire. Tickets are $15 for general seating, $5 for high school and college students, and children under 13 will be admitted free. Tickets will be available at the door. For concert information please call (516) 248-5704. For additional information about the Cathedral of the Incarnation please visit www.cathedralmusic.info .