Opus 48 I Was Glad Great Church Anthems for Choir and Organ

Great church anthems, old and new, for choir and organSome of the greatest choral music ever written was intended for the church, but that encompasses far more than one period, one style or one kind of sound.I Was Glad explores that repertoire across the centuries, bringing together anthems that choirs and audiences have loved for generations with less familiar pieces that deserve a place alongside them.The church anthem is a remarkably flexible form. It can be just a few minutes of perfectly shaped unaccompanied writing, an intimate exchange between voices, or a huge statement for choir and organ capable of filling an entire building with sound. Composers across the centuries have returned to the same words and traditions and found strikingly different things to say with them.For this concert, Opus 48 will draw on that breadth: old and new, familiar and unexpected, with music chosen not to construct a history lesson but because these are exceptional pieces to sing and to hear.The title comes from one of the most famous anthems in the repertoire, Parry's I Was Glad, and captures something of the scale and immediacy that this music can achieve. But that grandeur is only one part of the programme. Alongside the big moments will be music of very different character: quieter discoveries, choir favourites and works that reveal what a group of unaccompanied voices, or voices joined by a great organ, can do.Opus 48 and David Crown return to the University Church of St Mary the Virgin for the final concert of the season: an evening devoted simply to some very good choral music, in the kind of building it was made to fill.Come join us this for our season finale this summer.
Opus 48 - named in honour of Faure's Requiem - is an exciting medium-sized choral society in Oxfordshire, performing an impressive range of repertoire to the very highest standard. Opus 48 rehearse and perform under the baton of Musical Director, David Crown, one of the leading choral conductors in the UK. To read more about Opus 48 and their upcoming season, please visit their website:
Www.Opus48Choir.Co.UK