To celebrate the reopening of Notre-Dame, Valentine Singers invite you to join them for a day of singing in South Woodford as they prepare for a concert inspired by the cathedral. Oliver Mason reports
On 15 April 2019, Parisians looked on in horror as the roof of the cathedral of Notre-Dame was consumed by fire, and the famous flèche collapsed and crashed through the ceiling of the nave. The damage to the cathedral was extensive and regarded as a cultural disaster across France and the wider world.
Immediately after the fire, President Macron promised that Notre-Dame would be restored, and called for the work to be completed within five years. An international architectural competition was announced to redesign the flèche and roof. The work has now been completed, and the cathedral reopened in December.
To celebrate the reopening, Valentine Singers, with organist Jonathan Dods, will perform two works for choir and organ, which have close links with Notre-Dame: Louis Vierne’s Messe Solennelle and David Briggs’ Messe pour Notre-Dame. The concert will take place at St Gabriel’s Church in Aldersbrook on 15 March. But before this, on 18 January, we are holding an all-day open workshop, where we will be exploring and singing one of the works, the Messe Solennelle. This will take place at St Mary’s Church in South Woodford and anyone who enjoys choral singing – or would like to sample the experience of singing with a large chorus – is invited to join us (observers are also welcome). The day will be led by the choir’s musical director, Christine Gwynn, with pianist Tim Smith.
Vierne composed his rich and thrilling Messe Solennelle in 1899, setting the mass text, minus credo, for choir and two organs. For practical reasons, arrangements of the mass for choir and one organ have since been published. The mass was premiered in 1900 at Saint-Sulpice, in Paris, with Widor and Vierne playing the glorious organ parts. By this time, Vierne had become organist of Notre-Dame, where he remained in post until his death in 1937.
David Briggs studied with Jean Langlais in Paris and was profoundly influenced by the playing of Pierre Cochereau, organist titulaire at Notre-Dame (1955–1984). Briggs’ Messe pour Notre-Dame features four movements – the Introït, Offertoire, Élévation and Sortie. This is a mass with a difference: not only does it have four interpolated organ improvisations as part and parcel of the setting, but also the composer estimates that 15% of the scored material is ‘sampled’ from organ improvisations by Cochereau.
Valentine Singers is a friendly choir based in Ilford. We relish the challenge of singing a wide range of choral music and we are proud to bring high-quality music to Redbridge for the local community to enjoy.
Valentine Singers will hold an all-day open workshop at St Mary’s Church, South Woodford on 18 January from 10.30am to 4.30pm (tickets: £25). For more information, call 020 8504 1261 or visit valentinesingers.org
