Voces8 Education Day at Bedford School (5.10.09) - Concert

The concert was BRILLIANT!!! I can't remember all of the songs they sang, although I knew most of them (hooray for the internet! The internet doesn't do them justice though, by any means). These are the ones I can remember (in no particular order):

Magnificat Primi Toni - Palestrina
Nunc Dimittis - Gustav Holst
I Got Rhythm^ - Gershwin (^ = arr. Jim Clements)
Me and My Shadow^ - Jolson/Rose/Dreyer
Jailhouse Rock^ - Leiber/Stoller
Il est Bel et Bon - Pierre Passereau
Mack the Knife^ - Kurt Weill
Hark by the Crystal Fountain* - Thomas Weelkes
O Clap Your Hands - Orlando Gibbons
Steal Away - spiritual
Straighten Up and Fly Right^ - Cole/Mills
Fever^ - Davenport/Cooley
Feelin' Good^ (possibly; I'm not sure) - Newley/Bricusse
Let's Do It^ (again, possibly – but I'm really not sure) - Cole Porter

Encore: James Bond Medley^ (I think it was a medley; it may not have been. Could just have been one I don't know.) - various

*Charles took great delight in telling us a little about the character of Thomas Weelkes. He was fired from his post as .. what was it? Organist and master of the choristors at Chichester Cathedral for being drunk, and he wasn't best pleased. So he waited until a procession of archbishops? well, dignitaries of the church, anyway, and urinated on them from the gallery! (How verifiable this is I don't know, but it was certainly an amusing anecdote. Numerous sources report that he was dismissed from his post for habitual drunkenness, profanity, and blasphemy.)

Um, it was amazing. Such great fun! I knew from YouTube videos that they really perform, rather than just sing, and I saw a bit of that during the performances earlier on in the day. But the concert had a completely different atmosphere; they were really engaging with the audience and having a ball ~grin~. The audience was – well, I was pleasantly surprised at the turnout, but it wasn't huge. So it kind of felt quite an intimate concert, which was really nice. I think it's probably the best concert I've ... what's the word? seen? heard? both. Hehe, it turns out the controller of Radio Three, who also happens to be involved with organising the Proms, was there. I have no doubts he will have been impressed ... watch this space?

It was an amazing, fun, educational day. Really, really brilliant. I'm so glad they invited us along; it's a real shame the others missed it (most likely because they were working. Alas).