Lesley Jordan from Enfield Choral Society on the group’s November concert and what makes it special

A drawing of Christ Church (left) and Roderick Elmer (right)

Enfield Choral Society’s November concert is special in several ways.

The event on Saturday, 8th November at Christ Church URC will form a part of the church’s 150th anniversary celebrations. The Grade 2-listed, Gothic-style church opened in 1875, though the site had been used for Christian worship since 1780.

Enfield Choral Society’s involvement in these celebrations is particularly appropriate because our foundation in 1938 was by and at the church, as Christ Church Choral Society; and for its first 60 plus years the choir rehearsed and held many concerts there.

We were delighted to be invited to return to our roots for Christ Church’s special occasion.

The music for the concert has been chosen jointly by the choir and the church, to create an interesting and varied festive programme spanning several centuries.

The centre-piece is the joyous and popular Vivaldi Gloria (c. 1715) and the choir will also be singing other uplifting, well-known choruses in the Christian tradition: George Frideric Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus (1741); Hubert Parry’s I Was Glad (1902); John Rutter’s A Gaelic Blessing (1978); and John Tavener’s The Lamb (1982).

Less well-known are three beautiful motets by the 19th Century composer Anton Bruckner; Locus Iste (1869), Os Justi (1879) and Virga Jesse (1885).

The programme is completed by a brand-new piece of music written especially for the choir. Roderick Elmer is an accomplished local musician, composer and former music teacher. He is also a longstanding Enfield Choral Society tenor who, over the years, has generously given us six compositions to perform.

Roderick’s seventh work for the choir is a setting of Psalm 46, which he explains choosing as it is “optimistic in tone”. Our performance at Christ Church will be its world premiere. It is an enormous thrill to rehearse and sing a piece alongside its composer, and the choir is greatly enjoying the challenge of learning this exciting, lyrical and accessible work. We expect the audience to be fascinated!

Do join us for this concert if you can! It’s at 7.30pm on Saturday, 8th November at Christ Church URC, Chase Side Enfield EN2 6NU. Tickets are £16 in advance, £17 on the door, and £7 for under 25s in full-time education. Accompanied under 16s can watch for free.

To book tickets:
Call 07864 061755
Visit enfieldchoralsociety.org.uk

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