Lewisham Choral Society presents a Christmas concert with a difference! We will be premiering a specially commissioned piece, In My Way, by local composer Kate Whitley, which celebrates the life of one of our members, Miriam McCleod, who died in 2015. Miriam was a lifelong passionate peace campaigner and the words to Kate’s work are taken from a speech Miriam prepared for her appearance at Newbury Magistrates Court, following her arrest at Greenham Common Peace Camp. Christmas is a time when we will be wishing for peace in the years ahead, which makes this a very fitting occasion to pay tribute to Miriam.
The piece is both powerful and poignant. In Kate's words:
“In My Way was written to commemorate Miriam McLeod and the inspirational approach she took to living, and in standing up for what you believe in. I looked through Miriam's speech to Newbury Magistrates Court, as well as interviews she had given, and I selected phrases that struck me as best capturing what she stood for. From this, I created a short poem that has become In My Way. The piece is in three sections, and the opening and closing sections are to be sung freely by individual members of the choir, leaving them to find their own journey through the music in a way that I hope reflects Miriam's independent spirit!”
Alongside this exciting new work, we will of course be performing a sparkling selection of music for the festive season, for full choir and small ensemble, with plenty of opportunity for audience participation! Our selection includes both traditional and contemporary works, including the beautiful Snow by Ben Parry.
Kate Whitley has written choral, ballet and orchestral music which has been performed on Radio 3 and at the Proms. Her piece Speak Out, to words by Malala Yousafzai, was commissioned by the BBC for International Women's Day 2017 to campaign for better education for girls and has since been performed all round the world. She is also well-known for her work with the innovative Multi-Storey Orchestra, which takes music out of the concert hall to bring it to local audiences in car parks around the UK.
Lewisham Choral Society is a popular and highly accomplished community choir, performing widely around London and beyond, including several near sell-out performnaces at London's Southbank. The choir is accompanied by Nico de Villiers (piano) and James Orford (organ) under the baton of our Music Director, Dan Ludford-Thomas. Nico, assistant director of Lewisham Choral Society is a concert pianist, accompanist and voice coach who has performed all over the world. Earlier this year, he performed Schumann's Piano Concerto at the Festival Hall to great acclaim. James Orford is an organist, pianist and accompanist, performing widely at cathedrals and concert halls around the UK. He has held organ scholarships at several cathedrals, including St Paul's. Dan Ludford-Thomas enjoys a busy schedule as conductor, chorus master and teacher. He directs several other choirs, including the National Children's Choir of Great Britain.
Please come and join us for this very special Christmas concert for some wonderful music, wine and mince pies!