A warm welcome to you from AntiphonFounded in 2000, Antiphon is a chamber choir based in the Northumbrian Tyne Valley with a particular interest in early sacred music.
Under the leadership of our conductor and musical director John Roper, the choir has built up a wide repertoire. With a focus on Renaissance music, our repertoire includes music of Dufay and Josquin through to Tallis and Byrd amongst many other composers. We also excel in English music of the Victorian era, thanks to the particular expertise in this area of our music director. In addition we have performed technically demanding works such as Rachmaninov Vespers, and contemporary works such as Gjeilo Sunrise Mass. Antiphon has sung in well over 30 Northumberland churches for patronal and other festival services and also performed concerts in English Heritage and National Trust sites. In 2017 the choir performed live on BBC Radio 3 as part of the Free Thinking Festival and has also been on tour in Italy, France and Belgium, as well various parts of the UK including the Cathedrals of Ely, St.Edmundsbury, Wells and Salisbury. Antiphon has been delighted to collaborate with other professional groups both locally and further afield to produce works involving local composers, musicians, singers and artists.These include The Cantata of the Creatures (based on St Francis’ great hymn) and Northumbrian Fragments, a song-cycle devised by the choirs founder, Judy Lloyd in which music and prose combine to celebrate Northumbria’s saints. This was first performed at Hexham Abbey in 2011 and later revised and performed on Holy Island in 2013 as part of the Lindisfarne Gospels celebrations. Interested in singing with Antiphon? We are a sociable bunch of around 28 members and are always pleased to audition potential new singers who share our love of early music. Sight singing skills and an ability to hold your own part are essential.We practise on a Tuesday night in St John Lee church, which is about 1 mile outside Hexham. Please contact us through our email info@antiphonchoir.co.uk for more details. Would you like to be kept updated on Antiphon events? Please join our supporters list so that we can email you from time to time with details of our future performances and activities. Just send your name and email address to secretary@antiphonchoir.co.uk |
OUR DECEMBER 2021 CONCERT
WELCOME BACK! After many months, we are delighted to announce that our next Antiphon concert will take place on Saturday 11th December at 7pm St. Andrew's Church Corbridge. The choir have been invited to perform as part of a 2 day Christmas festival event produced by The ENGLISH MUSIC FESTIVAL and details on the full festival programme can be found on the EMF website:(Click here for link to site) Tickets are priced at £15 and available to purchase online through the English Music Festival box office: (Click here for link to box office) The Antiphon Concert comprises music by well known, and some not so well known composers and certainly has something for everyone to enjoy: Boris Ord: Adam Lay Y-bounden Thomas Ravenscroft: Remember, O Thou Man Malcolm Williamson: Dawn Carol Orlando Gibbons: This Is the Record of John Traditional: The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came William Ballet:(arr. Shaw): Sweet Was the Song Richard Rodney Bennett: Out of Your Sleep Benjamin Britten: A Hymn to the Virgin James Bell: The Prophecy * Premier performance of this new composition Ralph Vaughan Williams: he Blessed Son of God Arthur Sullivan: It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Richard Dering: Quem Vidistis, Pastores? Peter Philips: O Beatum et Sacrosanctum Diem William Byrd: Puer Natus est Nobis Jehan Tabourot: Ding! Dong! Merrily on High Kenneth Leighton: Lullay, Lullay, Thou Little Tiny Child Peter Warlock: Bethlehem Down John Gardner: Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day John Roper: Hodie! A Christmas Carmen Traditional: God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen William Mathias: Sir Christèmas Hubert Parry: Welcome, Yule! |
