The Flower Singers June Workshop

“June – Summer Song for the Open Air”

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June
“Summer Song for the Open Air“
Eliza Flower (1803–1846)

This month’s song is still a work in progress! The sound file above consists of extracts from a Young Singers Programme Workshop (The Flower Singers) we ran on June 3rd, 2023, at Conway Hall, London. The singers tried out sections of the song; some vocal ensemble exercises created from the song, and new music created around Flower’s “Songs of the Months”.  We had a lot of fun! click on the blue arrow above to listen.

Five people standing in a row holding music scores in their hands and smiling at us

The Flower Singers (L-R) Garreth Romain, Maxence Marmy, Frances M Lynch, Phoebe Coco, Ruby Caddick Lawrence

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Flowers of the Seasons – Politics, Power & Poverty
 Celebrating the music of Eliza Flower (1803–1846)

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7pm October 27th 2023
Conway Hall, London, WC1R 4RL

An informal evening of songs, poetry and story-telling at Conway Hall Library, celebrating the music of Eliza Flower (1803–1846) in the context of her contemporaries, Franz Schubert and Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel. You will be the first to hear her work for at least 100 years and to see a display of materials from her archive below her portrait which hangs in pride of place above the enormous fireplace.

Library Fireplace- Courtesy of Conway Hall

Sepia drawing of the head of the composer surrounded by flowers

Eliza Flower (1803 – 1846)

Tinted lithograph of a drawing by Mrs E Bridell Fox, 1898/99 courtesy of Conway Hall Ethical Society

In nature the flower of this month is the rose – a universal symbol of love.a close up photo of 2 blood coloured roses in bloom

June – “Summer Song for the Open Air” is from “Songs of the Months” published by A J Novello in December 1834. The short editorial introduction explains that each song appeared throughout 1834 in the Monthly Repository – a publication associated with South Place Chapel where Flower’s life and work was based.

June
Summer Song
for the Open Air

O! this sweet summer weather
Brings joyous thoughts together,
Like drops of dew,
Glitt’ring at morn’s sweet prime
On a sunny bank of thyme,
With its blossoms blue.Thyme growing on a rock

The words of the song were written by Catherine Partridge about whom we unfortunately know absolutely nothing! We hope to discover something of her story as we continue researching with Oskar Jensen and Conway Hall Ethical Society.

We are releasing each song in its allotted month during 2023. Please go to our Flower of the Month page for more information and to hear all of the songs we’ve recorded so far.

3 women in a circle in the foreground and behind them across the wooden floor are a man and woman. All are concentrating hard on their music
3 women in a circle in the foreground and behind them across the wooden floor are a man and woman. All are concentrating hard on their music
People facing each other and walking
People facing each other and walking
two people sitting down and singing from music on their laps
two people sitting down and singing from music on their laps
The group examines the original score by Eliza Flower
The group examines the original score by Eliza Flower

YOUNG SINGERS PROGRAMME

The Flower Singers
Intensive Vocal Ensemble Technique Workshop
Sat June 3rd
Conway Hall
25 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4RL

Despite the workshop being heavily impacted by a rail strike which halved the numbers due to attend, we managed to go ahead with what turned out to be an inspiring day working with a very gifted quartet:-

 Maxence Marmy, Ruby Caddick Lawrence – Sopranos
Garreth Romain – Countertenor
Phoebe Coco – Alto 

We used Eliza Flower’s pretty Song for June “Summer Song for the Open Air” to work on techniques to help with tuning, unison, language, and vowel sounds. The full song will be recorded later this month. A sketch of new work by our artistic director, due to premiere in the October performance, provided intense work on rhythm. The words are from the Novello edition of Flower’s Songs of the Months: –

Children of the year,
We move in swift tho’ never wearying march,
Each richly gifted with a precious dower
Of differing beauty. Listen as we pass
Marking our pace by Music.

People facing each other and walking
People facing each other and walking
A woman in a green jumper is at the front of the photo, and a man in a lilac teeshirt is beside her. They are holding music that they are singing from
A woman in a green jumper is at the front of the photo, and a man in a lilac teeshirt is beside her. They are holding music that they are singing from
3 women in a circle, one holds a tuning ford to her ear. They are holding music
3 women in a circle, one holds a tuning ford to her ear. They are holding music
5 people standing in a row in frong of a wooden clad wall, holding music scores and smiling at you
5 people standing in a row in frong of a wooden clad wall, holding music scores and smiling at you

the electric voice theatre logo - just the words on some spikes of colour

raising the profile of music by women