Church concert all set to be an amazing treat
This week I’m in the company of Shipley Arts Festival Director Andrew Bernardi who is busily preparing for this coming weekend’s concert at Steyning Parish Church at 6–9pm, on Sunday 2nd June.
The concert at Steyning has for many years formed an important part of the Shipley Arts Festival’s summer season with the support of Christine Aubrey.
This year the concert unites the Shipley Arts Festival and the 2019 Horsham District Year of Culture with Steyning.
The Chapel Choir of Royal Holloway, conducted by Rupert Gough, will once again be performing.
The evening’s repertoire will include a number of pieces by the Sussex composer, John Ireland. Andrew Bernardi enthuses: “John Ireland’s Holy Boy is very often played at Christmas – it’s an absolutely beautiful piece of choral music which is sometimes performed as violin or viola solo with piano – but it’s really exciting for the audience and the players that it will be sung by the wonderful Royal Holloway Chapel Choir.
‘‘John Ireland’s funeral was held at Steyning Parish Church and he was buried at Shipley so it’s especially appropriate that his work is being performed at Steyning.
‘‘We will also be playing Ireland’s Concertino Pastorale, Toccata which he wrote very near to the church at Shipley. It’s a very fast and exciting piece - a favourite amongst Shipley Arts Festival supporters.”
Andrew is also excited to be performing Mozart’s ‘Serenata Notturna’.
He says: “It’s a wonderful string piece with some violin solos which I’m forward to playing.
‘‘The work is incredibly light and joyful. It has a real sense of fun. Mozart was really happy when he wrote this.
‘‘The interaction between the two soloists and the orchestra has a playful question and answer quality to it.”
The Parish Church of St Andrew and St Cuthman at Steyning has Saxon origins. The current building replaced a timber structure built by St Cuthman.
Inside, in the south aisle, alongside the fine Norman arcading, is an arch exquisitely carved with fabulous beasts.
Contemporary historians are increasingly of the view that this arch dates from the late Saxon renaissance.
John Ireland’s funeral was in good company at Steyning, the Saxon St Cuthman and King Aethelwulf (839-858) are both said to have been buried there.
Aethelwulf was King Alfred’s father and it is believed that his body was later moved to Winchester.
It is a beautiful church with superb acoustics – the perfect setting for a concert like this.
Tickets are still available. They can be bought in advance from the Steyning Bookshop and by going to www.thecapitolhorsham.com or telephoning 01403 750220.
Treat yourselves it will be amazing!
For more information on all the forthcoming Shipley Arts Festival concerts go to www. shipleyartsfestival.co.uk. looking
Rupert Toovey is a senior director of Toovey’s, the leading fine art auction house in West Sussex, based on the A24 at Washington - www. tooveys.com - and a priest in the Church of England Diocese of Chichester.