Launch write-up in the Reading Chronicle

Lovely write-up in the Reading Chronicle. Great to see all the artists from Reading featured here.

Artist of the Week - Mervyn Williams - Track Title Announcement

Artist of the Week, Mervyn Williams, Recording with the Choir - Part 2

Meet the choir!

Soprano 

Erin Tingle (Student - At time of recording playing Narrator in Joseph!)

Freya Wilson (Student - At time of recording playing Narrator in Joseph!) 

Mary Tingle (Student - At time of recording playing Narrator in Joseph!)

Alto

Daisy Screen (Student - At time of recording playing Narrator in Joseph!)

Amy Rushent (Student and Actor)

Cathy McAllister (Head of Business Studies)

Liz Kirkhope (Resources Manager)

Tenor

Phil Hull (no relation) (Teacher of History)

Steve Henderson (Head of Music)

Bass

Nigel Wilson (Illustrator and Drama Technician)

Chris Lambert (Writer and Head of Drama)

Mervyn Williams (Composer)

Recording

Tim Edwards (Music Technician)

Artist of the Week - Mervyn Williams - The Book of New Introits

The Call - featured earlier this week is available to buy as part of the collection "The Book of New Introits" available from Shorter House Publications.

"The Book of New Introits is a unique collection of over thirty short pieces, ideal for opening any service or concert. The selected works span the church year and are wide-ranging in style and scoring, but have been selected for accessibility and interest."

Artist of the Week - Mervyn Williams - Choirmaster

So many different artists from so many different backgrounds and walks of life.

In this video Mervyn Williams explains his music and his work with the Choirs of Christchurch Reading.

His section in this evangelical video by the Diocese of Oxford begins at 6.44 and showcases the talents of Mervyn Williams as organist, director and conductor.

Artist of the Week - Mervyn Williams - Recording with the Choir - Part 1

On Wednesday 2nd July Theale Green Senior Choir got together to learn and record a new composition arranged by Mervyn Williams (based on the melodic ramblings of Chris Lambert).

This song uses one of the songs captured by Roger Mullins in "Tales from the Black Meadow".

The original melody was lost but the words survived, scribbled in lemon juice in the back of an old Hymnal in Old Saint Peter's Church (an example of the pagan infringing on the established religion). Roger Mullins noticed some discolouration and using a candle flame revealed this fascinating heathen paean to the land.

Mervyn Williams teaches the Alto line.

The hymn follows a similar structure to its Christian brothers in that it begins in unison in the first verse with soprano and alto singers only, introduces an element of the complex harmony in the first chorus. Male voices sing the second verse with full harmonies for the second chorus. The third verse is in full harmonic sweep and the hymn ends with a descant soaring over the top.

Mervyn Williams leads everyone in the final verse.

As the choir are part of a very busy school it was extremely difficult getting everyone together so they were only allowed an hour to learn, practice and record the piece.

The results are impressive and capture a real sense of how this song may have been sung over one hundred years ago in village halls on the Black Meadow..

Cathy McAllister (Alto) and Mervyn Williams check the recording with Tim Edwards (Music Technician)

Artist of the Week - Mervyn Williams - The Call

An incredible piece of music.

The richness of the harmony is phenomenal.

A little slice of heaven.

This recording is taken from the European Grand Prix Association For Choral Singing

44th Tolosa Choral Contest 2012, Basque Country, Spain. It was performed by the very impressive a cappella group Apollo 5. 

Artist of the Week - Mervyn Williams