As part of our December concert season, the University Chorus and Orchestra will be giving the UK premiere of Winter Nights, a marvellously-colourful seasonal cantata by the Canadian composer, Stephanie Martin.
Associate professor of music at York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance, and Design in Toronto, Stephanie also directs Schola Magdalena, a women’s ensemble for chant, medieval and modern music, and is also conductor emeritus of Pax Christi Chorale, and former director of music at the historic church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Toronto. We’re delighted that Stephanie will be flying in for the performance – so no pressure at all…!
Winter Nights sets a series of poems including a vivacious setting of Tennyson’s ‘Ring Out, Wild Bells’ and Thomas Campion’s ‘Now Winter Nights Enlarge’ as part of an evocative sequence supported by string orchestra. The piece revels in a richly-colourful harmonic landscape, with contrasting rhythmic energy, closing with a wonderfully pastoral-like setting of the lines
The summer hath his joys
And winter his delights;
Though love and all his pleasures are but toys,
They shorten tedious nights.
Alongside the cantata, the orchestra will be performing a seasonal pot pourri of works including movements from Tchaikovsky’s glittering Nutcracker Suite, Prokofiev’s Troika, Delius’ Sleigh Ride and the concert-suite from Polar Express to reflect the Christmas spirit.
More details and tickets online here.