Perhaps of interest..
​​​
- "Music Matters", broadcast on Radio 3 yesterday Saturday 15 March
Music Matters - Jenni Murray's Women Composers - Rich and powerful - BBC Sounds
Jenni Murray is presenting a series celebrating the music of women composers. In this sixth episode she considers the freedom afforded to women composers by money and connections, including Marianna Martines (at around 12 minutes).
- "Add to Playlist" Podcast
Add to Playlist - Maya Youssef and Ben Gernon take us to Syria and Hamburg - BBC Sounds
Here's a message from a choir member
"I highly recommend the podcast Add to Playlist. It is on BBC iPlayer. They have guests who choose 5 pieces of music which have a connection to the previous one. In the latest episode the conductor Ben Gurnon chose Mendelssohn’s Mache dich Auf! Werde Licht! from the oratorio St.Paul. He chose Mendelssohn as a youthful genius. He and the other guest (a Syrian qanun player) had a very interesting discussion about the piece and others played. The Mendelssohn was followed by Taylor Swift. Apparently Mendelssohn and Taylor Swift both had scoliosis!
It would be nice to sing the St Paul oratorio sometime."
​
- Opportunity to see the original manuscript of Mozart's Requiem and Ave Verum Corpus, 21 - 24 October 2025
(Note posted on 6 Feb 2025)
For full details see Mozart Requiem visit
Mark Strachan, who founded the Choir of The Earth in 2020 is now CEO of the company organising the trip - the Original Manuscript Society, see www.originalmanuscriptsociety.com
Mark will be accompanying the event, as well as Marina Maher, granddaughter of Gustav Mahler and other experts.
If anyone from TPC wishes to come, the company will make a donation of 10% of the trip's cost to the choir (£600)
​
- Documentaries about cathedrals
(Note posted on 17 Jan 2025)
Channel 5 are broadcasting two documentaries about cathedrals. The first yesterday was about St Paul's, Canterbury and Salisbury, and the one next Thursday is about Durham, Coventry and Lincoln.
NB Our residencies will be in Coventry next year, and Durham in 2027.
My5 - Britain's Great Cathedrals:. To the Glory of God - Season 1 - Episode 1 / Episode 1
Last November there was a series of six documentaries which are available until the end of March this year, about York, Canterbury, Salisbury, Durham, Liverpool and Winchester.
My5 - Britain's Great Cathedrals With Tony Robinson - Season 1 - Episode 1 / York Minster
​
​
- Songs of Praise from Bristol Cathedral
Shown on Sunday 5 January Songs of Praise - God’s Green Earth - BBC iPlayer
​
​
- Holocaust Memorial Day programme "The Last Musician of Auschwitz"
BBC2 transmitted this on Monday 27 January and now you can watch on the BBC iPlayer
BBC Two - The Last Musician of Auschwitz
​​
​​​​
- Opportunity to contribute to a studio recording of a new work "Six Infinity"
(Note posted on 11 Jan 2025)
The work is composed by Katrine Skovsgaard, PhD student at the Royal College of Art, and Swedish composer Rosanna Gunnarson, from the Royal College of Music.
Katrine is looking for experienced singers, please click here for the information Message from Katrine and contact Katrine if you are interested.​
Recent studies on the benefits of music / choral singing
-
The relationship between playing musical instruments and cognitive trajectories: Analysis from a UK ageing cohort Link
See BBC article for summary​
-
Beneficial effects of choir singing on cognition and well-being of older adults: Evidence from a cross-sectional study Link
See Neuroscience_blog for summary
​
Papers about Music Therapy by Amanda Thorpe, RHN
​
Konstanz pictures - thanks to Helen Sadler for these
Above: After a joint concert of Beethoven's Choral Symphony with the Konstanz choir and the John Bate Orchestra in Richmond, 30th October 1982. RIght: The poster to advertise the concert - Kathryn Harries was the soprano soloist.
Rehearsal aids (with links for the Spring 2025 repertoire)
​
-
Chris Hawkins (Bass) has kindly created some learning tracks for the Martines Dixit Dominus
Martines Dixit Dominus - Soprano 1
Martines Dixit Dominus - Soprano 2​​
Martines Dixit Dominus - Tenor
​
-
Choral Tracks
This option is recommended by Christina Northcott who says the quality is excellent.
choraltracks.com
-
​ChoraLine
Sandra recommends ChoraLine. It costs around £10 to download or you can buy a CD.
​
*** DISCOUNT CODE FOR FOR CHORALINE FOR TPC MEMBERS IS AVAILABLE VIA THIS LINK ***
​
-
John Fletcher’s recordings
Sylvia Walker and Sue Mason recommend John Fletcher.
Requiem (MozartWA) K626 - JohnF’s Rehearsal Files
Regina caeli (MozartWA) K. 276 - JohnF’s Rehearsal Files
​
-
Choralia
Scroll down to access voice parts other than soprano
W.A. MOZART - REQUIEM KV626 (COMPLETION BY D. DRUCE)
W.A. MOZART – REGINA COELI KV276 (ed. 1)
​​
-
Cyberbass
Mozart Regina coeli ​(Choose KV276, the second option)
​
Please tell Veronica (Veronica.Tuffrey@blueyonder.co.uk) about your experience using any of these or other rehearsal aids, so she can add more information about the options. Also please let her know if any of the links don't work.
Thanks
​
Articles
​
Podcasts and videos ​
BBC Sounds - Mozart Phenomenon - Available Episodes
Mozart: Rise of a Genius - BBC iPlayer
BBC Radio 3 - Composer of the Week, Janacek
Bob Chilcott - The Inside Voice (youtube.com)
​Mozart’s Requiem with Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus
Singing holidays and courses
​
Runbysingers Singing Holidays
(Info posted on 17 January 2025)
Booking for the 2025 season is now open at www.runbysingers.org and individual members of TPC can sign up for singing holidays ranging from weekends to full weeks at home and abroad.
This year these include a week of Early Music in Parma, Italy; the Matthew Coleridge Requiem in Sweden, and a winter visit to Dresden's Christmas markets.
At the moment they offer £100 discounts to tenors and basses who have not sung with them before. Strictly speaking, they should be introduced by a previous singer, but Nick Couchman is happy to 'introduce' anyone from TPC who writes to him directly (nick@runbysingers.org).
Also non-singing partners sharing a singer's room also get a discount on most courses - usually about £300.
Please note, Nick contacted us via the TPC website and asked that we share the info. This is not a recommendation for the Runbysingers company.
* Lacock Courses – Courses for choral and consort singers
* Benslow Music Courses and Concerts - Benslow Music Courses
​
​