MFG Midwinter Festival 2022: Choral concert featuring works by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford

22 January 2022 14:00

For its 2022 Midwinter Festival, Music for Galway shines a light on a largely unsung hero of music history, the Irish composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. While many music-lovers might have a passing acquaintance with some of his choral music, the scope and breadth of his extensive musical output is worthy of far greater recognition. The influence and legacy of Stanford as one of the 20th century’s most important composition teachers is hard to overstate. Throughout the weekend, alongside chamber and vocal works by Stanford himself, we hear music by composers who influenced him, but also by many of the composers who studied with him in London.

“Mr. Stanford’s music is dramatically significant, as well as beautiful in itself. It has, moreover, that quality so are among modern composers – style.” The Times, London.

“Stanford’s teaching seemed to be without method or plan. His criticism consisted for the most part of “I like it, my boy,” or “It’s damned ugly, my boy” (the latter in most cases). In this, perhaps, lay its value.” His pupil, Edgar Bainton.

Performers

Collegium Choir; Christopher Bowen, tenor; Finghin Collins, piano;
Mark Duley, director

Programme

Parry - Music when soft voices die
Wood - Full fathom five
Grainger - Brigg Fair
Wood - Come sleep
Vaughan Williams - Turtle Dove
Parry - My delight and thy delight
Stanford - Op 53 Praised be Diana
Op 49 Corydon
Op 110 Heraclitus
Op 119 The Blue Bird
Op 119 Chillingham
Coleridge Taylor - Hiawatha's Wedding Feast