All That Jazz – Enfield Dispatch

Ian Mackenzie from Enfield Choral Society on what people can expect at the group’s summer concert

Do you like jazz? Would you enjoy an evening of easy listening jazz?

If so, make sure you come along to Enfield Choral Society and Ben Saul Jazz Ensemble’s Summer Jazz Concert at Christ Church in Enfield on Saturday 22nd June.

We will perform some of the usual jazz favorites and also focus on three big pieces: Songs and Sonnets by George Shearing, Nativity Madrigals by John Rutter and Little jazz liturgy by Bob Chilcott.

Jazz pianist and composer George Shearing was blind from birth. In 1947 he moved to New York, where he developed his own style, influenced by swing, bop and classical music, and wrote famous songs including Lullaby from Birdland, which we will sing. He also recorded collaborations with several singers, including Dakota Staton, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Mel Tormé and, most famously, Nat ‘King’ Cole.

In 1986, Shearing set a series of pieces for choir, jazz piano and double bass with lyrics by William Shakespeare that he called Music to hear which was widely well received and frequently performed. As a result, he was commissioned to compose seven more songs based on Shakespeare’s words. Songs and Sonnets was the result, and its world premiere was conducted by John Rutter with Shearing on piano.

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Shearing and Rutter became good friends, and Rutter composed Nativity Madrigals to celebrate Shearing’s 75th birthday in 1995. This collection was written at the invitation of Brian Kay, conductor of the Cheltenham Bach Choir, the composer conducting the premiere and Shearing in the audience. The text of the madrigals comes from the Elizabethan madrigal era, and the musical style features a mixture of light jazz and the English part-song tradition.

While a member of the King’s Singers, Bob Chilcott performed with Shearing and other important jazz figures such as John Dankworth, Richard Rodney Bennett and Art Farmer. This strongly influenced his compositional style. The Little jazz liturgy is an extremely effective jazz setting of the Latin Missa brevis. The Kyrie has a relaxed, easy tempo, the Gloria swings, and the Agnus Dei is clearly blues-inspired.

We hope you will join us for an excellent evening of jazz.

Enfield Choral Society Summer Jazz Concert is from 7.30pm on Saturday 22^when June at Christ Church in Chase Side, Enfield. Tickets cost £15 for adults (£14 in advance) or £7 for under 25s in full-time education. Book through any choir member or contact us:
Call 07864 061 755
Visit enfieldchoralsociety.org.uk

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