Category: Messiah

Christmas 2024

At the end of a busy term, I want to say thank you to everyone who has sung, played, or generally supported Invitatione this year.

We performed a superb concert in February 2024, at which we raised over £1,000 for Hull4Ukraine. The spirit of friendship and joy from rehearsing Dvořák and Lauridsen came to glorious fruition on 24th February in St. Alban’s Church.

We also enjoyed celebrating Alan’s 90th birthday together in the summer, making our own small contribution to a lovely event at All Saints’ Church, Hessle.

Since September, we have been gradually getting to grips with Puccini and, lately, Shostakovich. I have been delighted that we’ve been able to welcome new members to both the choir and the orchestra. The warm and generous way in which you all turn up to rehearsals and embrace new material is humbling. Keep spreading the word and bringing people along.

On Christmas Eve, I want to offer everyone good wishes for a peaceful and prosperous Christmas and new year. I have just given up my job, with no job to go to and little idea as to what happens next; thankfully, Invitatione feeds me with fulfilment, friendship and a sense of continually learning, and I am infinitely grateful to all of you wonderful people who keep coming along and participating.

Here is a reminder of our performance of Messiah from Hull Minster in 2018 – the part which covers the Christmas story.

Looking forward very much to all our activity in 2025.

Rachel

Easter greetings

This weekend, appropriately for Easter, Handel’s Messiah was the subject of Radio 3’s Building a Library. It is 280 years since the first performance of this mighty work, and four years since our memorable semi-staged performances in the Church of All Saints, Driffield, and Hull Minster.

Listening to the recordings, old and new, of the versions of Messiah preserved in wax and modern digital equivalents by famous conductors and ensembles, and discussed on Radio 3, I could not help but think of our own versions, every bit as powerful and engaging as anything that could be heard on the radio or, as they say, wherever you listen to your music these days.

Take another look and another listen to this music, and what we made of it, in a series of videos, and the programme, from the Hull Minster performance in April 2018.

Our next venture, which we have just begun, is not centred on world-famous music, nor on world-famous composers. Instead, we are getting to know music written by some of our own members.

All music starts somewhere. Who knows what people will be singing and playing in 280 years? Invitatione’s mission has always been to enjoy singing and playing together, and to grow and learn about ourselves and others through our experiences of rehearsing and performing.

Join us.

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