Echoes from Northamptonshire
WELCOME TO DAY 5 OF
“Echoes from Northamptonshire”
BRIXWORTH ONLINE MUSIC FESTIVAL
ZOOM WORKSHOP 11 – 11.30am
and look out for a final Zoom session on Sunday 17th
PREMIERE OF A NEW WORK BY FRANCES M LYNCH
FIRST PERFORMANCE OF A HYMN BY
Maria Barthélemon (Polly Young ) 1749-1799
FOR 250 YEARS
Today we celebrate the story of a young Lacemaker
Eliza Westbury (1808 – 1828) from Hackleton in Northamptonshire.
She wrote 150 poems and hymns in the last 2 years of her life and one of them, a tribute to her mother, receives it’s premiere today in a setting for acapella voices by Frances M Lynch. Our electric voice theatre singers recorded their parts individually in their homes on May 10th and Herbie Clarke has just finished producing the results at Birnam Studios in London a few hours ago! Listen by clicking the play button below and read or sing-a-long – the full text is at the bottom of this page. Or go to her page on Minerva Scientifica and read her full story while you listen – you can download the text there.
This is very exciting for electric voice theatre as it is our first ever Lockdown Ensemble Recording!
The parish church of St John the Baptist, Piddington, Northamptonshire where Eliza Westbury was christened
Maria Barthélemon (also known as Polly Young ) 1749-1799 wrote a hymn in 1790 which was dedicated to the distress’d weavers which she sang at a benefit concert to raise funds for them. We have changed 2 words in order to re-dedicate it to the memory of Eliza Westbury and the Lacemakers of Hackleton and Northamptonshire. You can hear the music, download the text and score, and read about this once famous yet forgotten composer and singer on Maria’s page on the Minerva Scientifica Website
Women Composers Page on the Minerva Scientifica Website
Minerva Scientifica – Connections 2020
TEXT for “My Mother” by Frances M Lynch
On the death of the Author’s Mother by Eliza Westbury 1808 – 1828
1. Who fed me from her gentle breast,
And hush’d me in her arms to rest
And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
My Mother
2. Who taught my infant lips to pray,
And love God’s holy book and day,
And walk in wisdom’s pleasant way?
My Mother
3. Who was my counsellor and guide,
In whom I safely might confide,
Whenever sorrows did betide?
My Mother.
4. Who griev’d to see that I, when young,
Chose for my friends the giddy throng.
And often told me that was wrong?
My Mother.
5. Who led me to the house of prayer,
That I might gain instruction there,
And made my good her greatest care?
My Mother
6. Who lov’d to see me walk the way
That leads to everlasting day,
And check’d me when about to stray?
My Mother!
7. It has pleas’d God her soul to take
To heaven, where no alarms can shake;
There may I meet, for Jesu’s sake,
My Mother!
8. Then with my Saviour I shall be,
And I shall from all sin be free,
And there is glory I shall see
My Mother.
Minerva Scientifica https://minervascientifica.co.uk/
