St Columba’s Women

Broadcast Live on Zoom
7th December 2021

A logo featuring a blue bird which is celebrating the 1500th Birthday of St Columba

A British Sign Language interpreted celebration of the life of St Columba
on the 1,500th Anniversary of his birth
through the sacred music of women composers

Portrait of Margaret Cavendish
Portrait of Margaret Cavendish
Caroline-Herschel-Image
Caroline-Herschel-Image
Black and White sketch of the composer's face
Black and White sketch of the composer's face

PROGRAMME

Anon (14th C)
“There is no rose of such virtue”          

Helen Hopekirk (1856 – 1945 Portobello, Edinburgh/ Boston USA)
“Slumber Song” for 4 part chorus of women’s voices; TEXT by Anon

Eliza Flower (1803 – 1846, Essex)

  • “Now Pray We for our Country” for SATB acapella chorus; Film by Jack Cornell
  • “Rebecca’s Hymn” from “Musical Illustrations of the Waverley Novels”; Text by Sir Walter Scott from “Ivanhoe”

Marjory Kennedy-Fraser (1857 – 1930, Perth, Scotland)
“In Hebrid Seas” from “The Songs of the Hebrides” for voice and piano, arranged from the singing of Joan Stuart, Lewis

Hildegard von Bingen (c.1098 –1179, Germany)
“Quia Ergo Femina” Antiphon D 156v, R 476

Rebecca Clarke (1886 –  1979, London/New York) 
“Ave Maria” for upper voices (SSA) unaccompanied

Elizabeth Poston (1905–1987 Hertfordshire)

  • Te lucis ante terminum” For mixed female voices and harp;  Text: The Wells Office Book, Sir Thomas Browne (1605–82) and Traditional
  • “Jesus Christ the Apple Tree” for mixed voices

Maria Barthélemon (1749 – 1799 London)

  • “The Weaver’s Prayer” for solo voice, strings and harpsichord
  • “Hymn the 1st – for the New Year” for 2 sopranos, chorus, strings and harpsichord

Nicola Lefanu (b. 1947, Essex)
“Paradise” from “Rory’s Rounds” thirteen rounds for young singers

Frances M Lynch (b. Glasgow 1959)

  • World Premiere of 3 settings of poems from “An Naomhsgeul as Buaine: Sgàthan Cinne-Daonna is Aiteal-Dhè/The Most Enduring Saint’s Fable: Mirror of Humanity and Glimpse of God” by Sandy NicDhòmhnaill Jones – 
    1. “Birth and Belonging/Breith is Buntanas”
    2. “Iona: Isle of Iona, O Lord, the Peace of Iona/ Ì: Eilean Ì, O Thì, Sìth Eilean Ì”
    3. “Testament/Tiomnadh”  
  • “My Mother” (2020) for 6 solo voices; Text by Eliza Westbury (1808 – 1828), Northamptonshire Lacemaker and Hymnodist
  • “Firmament” (2020) for solo soprano & tenor viol; Film by Jack Cornell; Text by Margaret Cavendish from Nature’s Pictures 1671; Performed by the composer with Annabel Malton (tenor viol)
  • “Remember” (2018) for women’s voices Text by Christina Rossetti

Performed by:-

electric voice theatre

Frances M Lynch – Soprano, Artistic Director
Margaret Cameron – Mezzo
Samantha Houston – Mezzo
Julian Stocker – Tenor
Lauren Lister – BSL interpreter
Herbie Clarke – Production Manager
Anna Thomas – Zoom Facilitator

Voices for the Future VIRTUAL CHOIR

and special guest
Sandy NicDhòmhnaill Jones – Gaelic Crowned Bard 2019-2021

All instrumental parts were realised at the keyboard by Frances M Lynch

in association with our Artistic Director, Frances M Lynch

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