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Autumn 2011 Russian Choral Master Works of the Orthodox Church Buckfast Abbey Saturday 12th November 7.30pm

The programme includes works by:   Tchaikovsky Rachmaninov Chesnokov Arensky Pärt Grechaninov During the 10th century, at a time when the people were still pagan, Prince Vladimir of Kiev sent envoys to study the various religious rites and to decide upon one of them. For a number of reasons they rejected the Roman Catholic church, Islam and Judaism. Then the emissaries visited the church of Hagia Sophia in Byzantium, with its central dome and smaller domes and half-domes, its lamps illuminating the gold silver and gems with which it was adorned. There they first heard the majestic music of the Byzantine church and wrote back "We no longer knew if we were in Heaven or on Earth; such beauty. We know not how to tell of it". Russian ecclesiastics have always objected to the use of musical instruments in church. No orthodox church in Russia ever has an organ. It was felt that only the human voice was worthy of use in the veneration of the Almighty. As a consequence, the arts of unaccompanied singing and composing for the choral medium have been carried to a high perfection.

Summer 2011 Requiem - Gabriel Fauré St Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh Saturday 16th July 2011 7.30

Featuring a small orchestra as scored in Fauré's 1893 version: - lower strings, French horns, harp, organ. "Of the many settings of the Requiem, this is probably the most widely loved. In comparison with the large-scale masterpieces of Verdi, Brahms and Berlioz, Faure’s setting seems gentle and unassuming, yet it is this very quality of understatement which contributes so eloquently to the work’s universal appeal. Whether the Requiem is performed in one of its orchestral versions or simply with organ accompaniment, it is impossible not to be moved by the ethereal beauty of this humble masterpiece." - John Bawden Also featured in the programme:   Durufle: Ubi Caritas Faure: Cantique de Jean Racine Faure: Maria, Mater gratiae Franck: Panis Angelicus Gounod: O Salutaris Hostia Saint Saëns: Ave Verum Corpus Widor: Tantum Ergo

Spring 2011 Folksongs & Ballads of The British Isles Vaughan Williams, Holst, Ravenscroft etc.

St Lawrence Chapel, Ashburton: Saturday 9th April 7.30 Church of St Peter & St Paul, Broadhempston: Saturday 16th April, 7.30 - Proceeds to Church Restoration Fund

Christmas 2010: Marc-Antoine Charpentier Messe de Minuit pour Noel (Midnight Mass for Christmas) - with recorders and strings   Noels pour les instruments

Buckfast Abbey: Saturday 4th December 2010, 7.30

Our Summer Tour 2010 - 'Midsummer Melody' Including music by Dvorak, Bruckner, Pearsall and Wood, and Kenyan Folk Songs Where and When: 3rd July, 7.30 St. Saviour's Church, Dartmouth 8th July, 7.30 St. Andrew's, Moretonhampstead 10th July, 7.30 St. John's, Bridgetown, Totnes 15th July, 7.30 St. John's, Lustleigh 17th July, 7.30 St. Michael's, Ilsington

Morning, noon and night Including music by Lassus, Dvorak, Whiteacre. Where and When: St.Lawrence Chapel, Ashburton: Saturday 27th March 2010

West Gallery Carols with wind quartet Where and When: St.Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh: Saturday 12th December 2009, 7.30pm

Venetian Church Music - summer 2009 by Gabrieli, Willaert, Croce, Monteverdi & Finetti Venues and dates: St.John's Church, Bridgetown, Totnes: Sat. 11th July, 7.30 Buckfast Abbey: Sat. 18th July, 7.30pm - with Sackbuts and Cornetts.

The Merry Month of May - spring 2009 Dowland, Morley, Gabrielli, Lassus, Tormis, Whiteacre, Elgar. Venues and dates: St.Paul's Church, Preston: Thurs. 14th May - Private Concert St.Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh: Sat. 16th May

Music for Advent - Christmas 2008 Music by Bach, Bruckner, Vaughan Williams, Arcadelt, Hassler, Stainer, Rutter, Britten & Pärt, with congregational hymns. Venues and dates: Sat.6th December 2008 - St.Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh Thurs.11th December 2008 - St.Michael's Church, Kingsteignton

English & French Music by Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Debussy, Stanford, Josquin, Lassus, Passereau and Lauridsen among others A younger RV Williams   Venues and dates: Sat.28th June - Totnes: St.John's Church, Bridgetown Tues.1st July - Landscove church Thur.3rd July - Rattery church Tues.8th July - Kingsteignton church Thur.10th July - Bovey Tracey Sat.12th July - Buckland-in-the-moor Also featuring were THE COURTENAY PLAYERS, with a programme of recorder music.

Folksongs from Poland, Yugoslavia, Bohemia and Estonia by Gorecki, Seiber, Kodaly, Dvorak and Tormis with Hungarian Dances for Wind Quintet by Farkas and Dvorak

Gorecki:  Broad Waters   Kodaly:  Matra Pictures   Seiber:  Yugoslavian Folk Songs, Hungarian Folk Songs   Dvorak:  Ukolebavka, Nepovim   Tormis:  Songs from Ingrian Evenings   Saturday 5th April 11am - 12am - St. Mary's Church, Totnes Saturday 19th April 7.30pm - St. Lawrence Chapel, Ashburton

In Dulci Jubilo Christmas Music for choir Buckfast Abbey Saturday 8th December 2007 Featuring instrumental consort led by Gillian Taylor

Buxtehude:  Magnificat, Das Neugeborne Kindelein, In dulci jubilo, Befiel dem Engel, Dass er komm

Pergolesi:  Magnificat

Praetorius:  En natus est Emmanuel, In dulci jubilo

Summer Programme 2007 ХВАЛИТЕ Khvalitye! O Praise Him! Russian sacred music for unaccompanied choir by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Stravinsky, Arvo Part, Arensky, Kodaly, Grechaninov, Tavener   Saturday 7th July 11.00am - St.Mary's Church, Totnes Saturday 14th July 7.30pm - Buckfast Abbey Thursday 19th July 7.30pm - Harford Church, Ivybridge Excerpt from this programme:  Priiditye - Rachmaninov Ashburton Singers Recorded Buckfast Abbey 14th July 2007

Christmas Concert - 2006

Nowell Sing We The Ashburton singers, under the musical direction of Bridget Ansell present a varied and evocative programme of music for Advent and the Christmas season to include accompanied and unaccompanied carols from the medieval ages to the twentieth century. Many of the texts such as The Coventry Carol and Sir Christemas date from the fifteenth century and, while some of the melodies are equally ancient there are also beautiful settings by Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Elizabeth Postern. The French composer Jean Joubert's well-known carol Torches and his less famous but equally exciting Nowell Sing We are in the programme, together with serene nativity lullabies, French shepherds' carols and rustic wassailing songs from Sussex and Gloucester. The audience will have the opportunity in some of our best-loved carols to join their voices with choir, organ and thrilling descant! The programme was presented at: St. Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh St John's Church, Bovey Tracey Admission was free with a retiring collection. For more information email: info@ashburtonsingers.co.uk      charity no 1033752

Christmas Concert 2005
Concert From the Ashburton Singers directed by Bridget Ansell When, Where: Saturday 10 December 2005 St Petroc's Church Harford, near Ivybridge

Autumn Concert 2005
Concert From the Ashburton Singers directed by Bridget Ansell When, Where: Saturday 15 October 2005 St Andrew's Church Harberton For more information: Tel: 01803 864462

Summer Concert 2005
Concert From the Ashburton Singers directed by Bridget Ansell When, Where: Saturday 16 July 2005 Denbury Church Denbury

Winter 2004
Concert From the Ashburton Singers directed by Bridget Ansell When, Where: Thursday 16 December 2004 St Mary's Church Totnes Saturday 18 December 2004 St Luke's Church Buckfastleigh

Summer Tour 2004
Summer Tour 2004 From the Ashburton Singers directed by Bridget Ansell When, Where: Tuesday 6 July 2004 Methodist Church Ashburton Thursday 8 July 2004 Staverton Church Tuesday 13 July 2004 Ilsington Church Thursday 15 July 2004 Buckland-in-the-Moor Church Saturday 17 July Mortonhampstead Church

Handel ~ St John Passion Schubert ~ Mass in C
The Ashburton Singers last concert directed by Bridget Ansell St Lukes Church, Buckfastleigh Saturday 3 April 2004 at 7.30pm Handel ~ St John Passion Schubert ~ Mass in C Soloists: Janna Bulmer, Sarah Farleigh, Leslie Baker, Garreth Davies & Nicholas Merryweather Instrumental Ensemble directed by Gillian Taylor