Programme Announcement
Here at HMS we’re really excited to announce the massed choir items in the programme for the Gala 2023 and we’ve got a great line up this year. The theme for this Gala is ‘Give life to music’. The massed primary and secondary choirs will sing Jonathan Dove’s Seaside Postcards as well as arrangements of Daft Punk Give Life Back to Music, John Miles’ Music and From Now On from The Greatest Showman. Secondary school choirs will also sing Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque and Hubert Parry’s I was Glad. Find out more about each of the songs and have a listen below to get a feel for the upcoming programme!
Seaside Postcards by Jonathan Dove – massed primary and secondary choirs
Commissioned and premiered in 1995, Seaside Postcards consists of three movements. Jonathan Dove wrote “In each movement there are four sea-shanties. I haven’t changed these songs at all – I’ve woven them together with music for the orchestra to make three sea-pictures, perhaps the kind of postcards you might send back from a holiday.”
Here are the three movements and a glimpse of two of the four sea shanties in each one:
1. The sea is calm – features Row, row, row your boat and My bonnie lies over the ocean
2. Wish You Were Here – features Bobby Shaftoe and What shall we do with the drunken sailor?
3. Having a Lovely Time – features Donkey Riding and Rio Grand
Give Life Back to Music by Daft Punk – massed primary and secondary choirs
Give Life Back to Music, released in 2014, will be the first song that the massed choir will sing in the Gala. On the original track you may be able to hear that the vocals sound robotic which is an effect applied using something called a vocoder. This is a great opener for the massed choir for our Gala theme this year with the recurring lyrics:
Let the music in tonight (Just turn on the music)
Let the music of your life (Give life back to music)
Take a listen: Daft Punk - Give Life Back to Music (Official Audio) - YouTube
From Now On from The Greatest Showman – massed primary and secondary choirs
Musical film The Greatest Showman was released in 2017 inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum, a famous showman and entertainer, and his creation of his circus and the lives of its star attractions. Starring Hugh Jackman, it features nine original songs composed by Oscar and Tony winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. It was hugely popular and achieved 11 consecutive weeks at number 1 in the UK charts.
Take a listen: The Greatest Showman Cast - From Now On (Official Audio) - YouTube
Music by John Miles – massed primary and secondary choirs
The finale of the Gala will be the 1976 rock ballad Music. Melody Maker magazine named John Miles "the brightest, freshest force in British rock” and he received an outstanding contribution prize at the Progressive Rock awards in 2017. The lyrics to this song are a perfect rousing finale to the 2023 Gala for our theme this year:
Music was my first love, And it will be my last
Music of the future, And music of the past
Take a listen:https://youtu.be/lAsvjVx-Mg4
Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre – massed secondary choirs
Secondary school choirs will sing this a cappella (unaccompanied) choral work written by Eric Whitacre in 2000. It is sung in latin, translated from an English poem meaning light and gold and creates a magical performance. Whitcare wrote “A simple approach was essential to the success of the work, and I waited patiently for the tight harmonies to shimmer and glow.”
Take a listen: Whitacre: Lux Aurumque - YouTube
I was Glad by Hubert Parry – massed secondary choirs
Secondary school choirs will also sing I was Glad by Sir Hubert Parry. Written in 1902 for the coronation of Edward VII, the text of the anthem consists of verses from Psalm 122. You may recognise it from the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in 2011.
Take a listen: Parry: I Was Glad - YouTube
One year to go!
With less than a year to go we’re really looking forward to Gala 2023! Head back to this page for next month’s blog post for more exciting content and Gala updates.
See you next time!
Lucy
Hertfordshire Music Service
rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
#hertsschoolsgala
Welcome!
Welcome to the very first post of the new blog all about the Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala 2023! We are now one year to go and will be posting a new blog post here every month in the lead up to the Gala on Sunday 30th April 2023 with lots of exciting content and updates. Keep an eye out for announcements, quizzes, interviews, behind the scenes footage and lots more…
For those of you who are new here, read on to find out more about the upcoming Gala and what’s in store. The Hertfordshire Schools’ Gala is a celebration of music with school choirs from all over Hertfordshire taking to the stage for one day at the Royal Albert Hall. Dancers, instrumental players, and winners of the composers, producer, rapper and songwriter competition also get to perform on stage. Secondary schools have applied this term and Primary schools will be able to apply in September 2022.
Sneak peek of what’s to come
If you’ve never been to a Gala before, take a look at our highlights video from Gala 2020 so you can see what it’s all about. You can see the schools singing together, the orchestra, the dancers and the big screen where the action can be seen from all areas of the audience!
Programme announcement coming soon!
Here at Hertfordshire Music Service (HMS) we’re really looking forward to Gala 2023 and we hope you are too! We're excited to announce the programme for the Gala 2023 and have got a great line up this year. Head back to this page next month to find out what songs the massed choir will be performing on the big stage!
See you next time,
Lucy
Hertfordshire Music Service
rahgala@hertfordshire.gov.uk
#hertsschoolsgala