THE Manning Valley Choral Society's major project for 2015, entitled "Hope and Glory", celebrates the golden age of choral music in Britain which flowered from the era of Queen Victoria.
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The program features choral works of varied styles, from the grandeur of ceremonial anthems, through lighter fare including some rollicking folk songs and even a medley from the beloved Gilbert and Sullivan.
Composers featured include Elgar, Parry, S S Wesley and Mendelssohn.
The concert will conclude with a musical reflection on the immense tragedy that was the First World War.
This year's program is being produced by Ian Carr in association with Musical Director, Deirdre Sutherland.
Inspired by the quality of the Society's 2014 Christmas performance, Ian proposed the theme and started researching the available repertoire. Researching the historical background to the music, Ian was struck by the magnitude of the change that had been achieved by the end of the nineteenth century.
With the exception of some colonial skirmishes, there was a century of peace in Britain between the ending of the Napoleonic Wars and the start of World War I.
At Queen Victoria's death, Britain - and much of the industrialised world - was recognizably "modern".
While much of the popular writing, art and music of the era has been caricatured as maudlin and uninspired, the best of our Victorian heritage still speaks to us.
The choir will be accompanied by Joan Saxby, piano and by Sydney-based organist Heather Boyd.
"Hope and Glory" will be presented at 7.30pm on Saturday, September 19 at St John's Anglican Church, Taree and at 2.30pm on Sunday September 20 at St Alban's Anglican Church, Forster. Tickets are available at Saxbys Pharmacy, Taree and Priceline Pharmacy, Stockland Forster.
