Exaltation!
Violin: Elizabeth Cooney
Organ: Philip Scriven
Vaughan Williams: Te Deum in G
J.S. Bach: Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 582 (Organ Solo)
Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending (choral version, arr. Paul Drayton)
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Vaughan Williams: Mass in G – Kyrie, Gloria
J.S. Bach: Violin Sonata No.1 in G Minor, BWV 1001 – Adagio, Fuga
Vaughan Williams: Mass in G – Credo
J.S. Bach: Violin Sonata No.1 in G Minor, BWV 1001 – Siciliano, Presto
Vaughan Williams: Mass in G – Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei
Alongside organist and friend of the choir Philip Scriven, who performed Bach's Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, we were delighted to welcome Elizabeth Cooney as our violin soloist for this concert. Elizabeth performs worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player, touring extensively with ensembles such as the English Chamber Orchestra and the Aurora Orchestra, with whom she has memorised thirteen symphonies, including performances at the BBC Proms. She has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras across Europe and beyond, recorded live for BBC Radio 3, and performed in major venues including Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall and Carnegie Hall.
We were very pleased to be able to record this podcast interview with Elizabeth ahead of the concert:
The concert featured works by JS Bach, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. (Because of technical difficulties, we were unable to include the advertised 'Vespers for Violin' by American composer Missy Mazzoli.)
In Vaughan Williams’ Te Deum in G, we were accompanied by Philip Scriven on the organ, and Elizabeth Cooney joined us for the same composer’s ‘The Lark Ascending’ in Paul Drayton’s choral arrangement. The following short but magical video is of Elizabeth playing the first and last two minutes of the piece:
In the second half of the concert, Elizabeth performed Bach’s Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor, interspersed with the movements of Vaughan Williams’s ‘Mass in G Minor’. This wonderful work of austere beauty was well suited to Guildford Cathedral’s expansive acoustic.
Oakleaf, which works in mental health and is based in Guildford, was our supported charity.
After the concert, the Guildford Dragon published a piece by choir member Mike Aaronson, recounting the extraordinary experience of singing in this concert. See the published article here, or the text submitted below.