We are delighted to have secured the services of Peter Phillips, world-renowned as the Director of the Tallis Scholars and now also Director of Music at Merton College, Oxford, who leads this Singing Day, which we intend to devote to preparing and singing Tallis's famous motet in forty parts, Spem in Alium, at the beautiful Parish Church of St Mary in Hitchin. To take part in singing this magnificent piece is an uplifting experience for every singer, and so the chance to do so under the direction of someone who has made the piece his own really is unmissable.

St Mary's is a vast church so we?ve room for plenty of participants. We will start work at 10 am and conclude at 3.30 pm at the very latest, with an adequate break for lunch.

A copy of the music is available here, which we ask you to get to know before you come. We will assign you a voice-part closer to the time.

Please book well in advance to be sure of your place.


Fee: ?24 Full time students: FREE Code: 12/PHI



http://www.benslowmusic.org/index.asp?PageID=370

Thank you for posting this. I've just sent off an enquiry form. Would love the chance to sing this lovely piece.

probably will book myself on as I live 5 minutes away

Is there any specific singing standard needed for this day?

(apart from obviously reading the music and being able to sing it.)

EDIT- also could you book on as a choir as a whole?

Me too! Am scanning the post to try to see a date but so far have failed ....... !

According to the link, 20th October.

Great! I explained on the enquiry form that I'm studying for Grade 6 singing this winter, and they've just e-mailed back with an application form! I assume so long as you have a voice and can learn the music in time, then you'll be in with a chance. Not sure about the choir bit..ask when you complete the form on the link.



Excellent!

Yes - thanks KJ - I did eventually click on the link.

I am very familiar with the piece - but have never sung it.

I find the instruction a bit strange - the next step would be to actually learn the part one would be going to sing.

I thought that too. My singing teacher suggests I'm a contralto, so I'll print off the score from the link and try anything that's not too high. There's a lot to learn though..

Does it not just mean they want you to be reasonably au fait with how it goes so you're less likely to get lost in three feet of vocal parts?

Do you think that's it? I'd end up singing bits of 17 different parts of familiarity was all. I'd imagine counting the gaps between entries might be one of the trickier thing for someone who 'knows' the sound of it.

I've sung it before a couple of times (I sang at the ridiculously large one at the Bridgewater Hall organised by the BBC a few years ago).

The music isn't difficult. However, if your singing frm a choir part (e.g. you just have "choir 4" music, it can be tricky to work out where you come in and pitch your note. It's easier if you ahve what they call a half score - i.e. choirs 1 - 4 or 5 - 8. Singing off the full score, unless you are singing in say choir 1, 2 or 3 is just about impossible.

..and you have arms like a gibbon...

True...

Im booked! Who else is coming?

Sent my form off today!

Sadly, having looked at the date, it's the wrong time for me: there is no way I can take that Saturday off. We have a family wedding in the same month, and I will need to cancel a weekend's teaching for that.

Impossible to do it twice in such a short space of time.

Aww..sorry I won't be seeing you there, maggie!

Got my confirmation email this morning! Looking forward to the day now.

Thanks, Primrose.piano. It is really bad luck - bit of a lifetime opportunity, really, and there isn't any way I can see round it. You'll have to keep me posted!