Fitzhardinge Consort & Bristol Ensemble present
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
by Candlelight
Part of Christmas 2022
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We round off our celebration of Ralph Vaughan Williams in his 150th anniversary year with a special choral and orchestral tribute performed by local favourites Bristol Ensemble and the Fitzhardinge Consort.
Pre Concert Talk | 6.15pm – 7pm
Register for free when booking your ticket
Jonathan James discusses Ralph Vaughan Williams’ deep connection to folk and sacred music, the inimitable way he blends them, and what lies behind our much-loved carol traditions.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Suite for Viola
Valiant for Truth
Thomas Tallis
Tunes from Archbishop Parker’s Psalter
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Lord, Thou Has been Our Refuge
Serenade to Music
Charterhouse Suite
Fantasia on Christmas Carols
We will explore the different influences on the composer, from his love of metrical psalms which is clearly evident in his Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Lord, Thou Hast been Our Refuge – and we shall perform the original psalm settings to demonstrate this – to his detailed research around English folk-melodies which form the basis of his popular Fantasia on Christmas Carols, an opportunity to hear some seasonal music in a different guise.
Our programme also includes the rarely-performed Charterhouse Suite, a charming set of dances in the English style, and the sublime Serenade to Music, for sixteen solo voices, setting words from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. Rachmaninov was at the first performance of the work and was so overcome by the beauty of it that he wept.
Festive Pre-event Food & Drink
Enjoy delicious drinks and seasonal light bites from our Café Bar ahead of the event.
Available to pre-order when booking your tickets, you can choose from a selection of house drinks on arrival, including mulled wine, accompanied by a board of bread, olives and dips and special festive treats (all Vegetarian). Just select which option – for one or two people – you would like, before checkout.
Your pre-ordered food and drink will be available to collect from the Café Bar from 60 minutes before the event. It’s the perfect way to begin your event experience at St George’s!