SWEMF Workshop with Philip Thorby.
5th October 2024 – St Thomas of Canterbury, Thorverton.
We convened in the beautiful church of St Thomas of Canterbury, Thorverton, on a day which surprised many of us by being both sunny and dry. Parking dealt with (sufficient, but had to be searched out), we arrived with instruments and voices in good fettle to be directed into our allotted seats. All three choirs had both singers and instrumentalists including strings (mainly viols), recorders, sackbuts, curtals and a cornett; and we were assisted throughout by a keyboard.
Giovanni Valentini, unknown to most of us, was born in Italy, probably Venice where he was probably a pupil of Giovanni Gabrieli. He moved to Poland and then Graz and Vienna, where he was appointed Kapellmeister, working for Ferdinand II and III from the early 1600s. The work Philip chose for us is a nuptial mass for three four-part choirs written in 1621 which borrows heavily from Gabrieli’s own wedding motet for 8 parts “Diligam te, Domine” written two decades earlier in 1597. The rhythm of those words matches exactly the first words of the catholic mass, “Kyrie eleison” and so perhaps inspired Valentini to enlarge the original. The music is both gentle, joyful and serious as befits music for what must have been an important wedding.
Philip led us through the Kyrie and Gloria movements before lunch, and we discovered much to delight and enjoy in the conversation between the three choirs as they passed ideas to and fro and then joined to emphasise more important phrases. At lunch most participants made their way to one of the two pubs in the village leaving just a few to choose between sunshine and wind outside or a quiet seat inside. Promptly at 2 o’clock we delved deeper into this work, omitting the Credo but attempting the Sanctus and Agnus Dei. The frequent changes in and out of triple time proved challenging but added to the overall satisfaction when we succeeded! Without realising how time had flown we gave a final performance of the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei to a small but discerning audience at the end of what had been a fabulous day for us all. Our thanks go to Philip and Marilyn for another successful workshop in this historic venue.
Jill Johns