Dame Ethel Smyth Mass in D – A resounding success!
20 March 2023
At the beginning of the year, we were wondering if we could pull it off. A new Mass that nobody in the choir had sung
before, a new orchestral arrangement especially commissioned by our previous Musical Director Lee Dunleavy, and a
guest conductor who was only 24!
Could we learn it in time? Would anybody buy a ticket? Well, the answer was Yes and Yes!
Ethel Smyth concert
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Bruch violin concerto
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It was good to be back in our old home of St. Matthew's church. Many of the new members had never sung there before and
were very impressed by the beautiful church and the amazing acoustics. The audience thoroughly enjoyed first the Bruch
Violin Concerto, with a virtuoso performance by Helena Thomas, who is from the Northamptonshire Music and Performing Arts
Trust, followed by our performance of the Ethel Smyth Mass in D conducted by Laura Bailie with soloists Soprano : Rebecca
Bottone, Mezzo-Soprano : Rhiain Taylor, Tenor : Robert Forrest (who stood with only 3 day's notice) and Bass : Adam Marsden.
Laura Presentation
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After the concert there was an Afterglow party in the church rooms where Jonny Alms, our chairman, presented Laura Bailie
with her own copy of the Ethel Smyth score. Because the arrangement by George Morton was specially commissioned by the
Northampton Bach Choir all future performances need to acknowledge this in their programme and quote that the first
performance was conducted by Laura Bailie on 18th March 2023.
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