South Devon, April 2011
The choir toured to South Devon at the beginning of April 2011. We kicked off with a concert of sacred music in the beautiful Buckfast Abbey. We greatly appreciated the turnout of Lincoln Devon alumuni and current members. The music ranged from the 16th Century to the modern day, including pieces by Byrd, Tallis, Parry, Rachmaninov, Poulenc and Stanford. The magnificent acoustic of the abbey really enhanced our singing, as we were able to perform beneath the Abbey’s tower. The audience was very responsive, with such positive comments as “a real treat expressed with emotion”. The local landlord was also very welcoming, on the condition that we would sing to him on our next visit!
The next morning we explored the coast path and beaches around the picturesque village of Thurlestone, where Decani soundly thrashed Cantoris in a highly competitive game of rounders. Most of the choir had a paddle in the sea, while one brave choirmember went for a very brief swim. Our evening concert in the village hall, warmed by the sunburn we picked up earlier, was to a packed house. In addition to a selection of our sacred repertoire, we performed a number of secular pieces of French chansons, English madrigals and partsongs by Dowland, Morley and Finzi, and 20th century standards such as ‘Fats’ Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. Our deepest thanks go to the wonderful host families who were so welcoming. We bade a fond farewell to Thurlestone, well-rested and well-fed.
We sang Sunday morning mass to a large congregation, followed by the first ever Choral Evensong service at Buckfast Abbey. We were lucky enough to use the Abbey’s fine organ and sang music by Dyson, Byrd and Palestrina. Our stay at Buckfast Abbey was very enjoyable and we are particularly grateful to the Abbot for all of his support and to Brother Stephen who hosted us so warmly.
Our performances over, we spent the last day of the tour exploring the wonderful scenery of Dartmoor. After a short drive through wooded glades, past thatched cottages and babbling brooks, we were able to hone our tor-climbing skills and tackle a pub lunch. A day in the fresh air was just what we needed after a great deal of singing in a few days and we were all bowled over by the beautiful views from the top of the tors. A steam-engine trip and a look around Totnes finished off a perfect tour.
The next morning we explored the coast path and beaches around the picturesque village of Thurlestone, where Decani soundly thrashed Cantoris in a highly competitive game of rounders. Most of the choir had a paddle in the sea, while one brave choirmember went for a very brief swim. Our evening concert in the village hall, warmed by the sunburn we picked up earlier, was to a packed house. In addition to a selection of our sacred repertoire, we performed a number of secular pieces of French chansons, English madrigals and partsongs by Dowland, Morley and Finzi, and 20th century standards such as ‘Fats’ Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’”. Our deepest thanks go to the wonderful host families who were so welcoming. We bade a fond farewell to Thurlestone, well-rested and well-fed.
We sang Sunday morning mass to a large congregation, followed by the first ever Choral Evensong service at Buckfast Abbey. We were lucky enough to use the Abbey’s fine organ and sang music by Dyson, Byrd and Palestrina. Our stay at Buckfast Abbey was very enjoyable and we are particularly grateful to the Abbot for all of his support and to Brother Stephen who hosted us so warmly.
Our performances over, we spent the last day of the tour exploring the wonderful scenery of Dartmoor. After a short drive through wooded glades, past thatched cottages and babbling brooks, we were able to hone our tor-climbing skills and tackle a pub lunch. A day in the fresh air was just what we needed after a great deal of singing in a few days and we were all bowled over by the beautiful views from the top of the tors. A steam-engine trip and a look around Totnes finished off a perfect tour.