The Octavian Singers are excited to be performing again in Pirbright on 9th July. We will present a programme of jazzy pieces in two halves - the first focuses on the more spiritual side of jazz (arguably its roots), and the second half consists of the lighter side of this style.

The main piece is by Bob Chilcott, who was a member of the Kings Singers, and is now well known as a composer and arranger. The work is his Nidaros Jazz Mass, commissioned for the Nidaros Cathedral Girls' Choir in Trondheim, Norway, and first performed by them in 2012. The movements are as you’d expect with any setting of a missa brevis (that is, there's no Credo) and draw upon a variety of jazz styles, ranging from ballads to funky to passionate. We version we will perform has been arranged for full choir and piano.

The rest of the first half consists of Spirituals, both familiar and less well known, from slow and sombre (Deep River) to upbeat and lively (Ride On, Jesus, Ride). It is thought that the rhythms and style of spirituals are what eventually led to the development of jazz as a musical idiom - uneven quavers, added 6th notes in chords, call and response structures.

After the interval (during which refreshments will be served) we will move into the lighter side of traditional swing jazz with favourites such as Lullaby of Birdland, standards like Summertime, songs from musical theatre (Rhythm of Life), and into the 20th Century popular songs Java Jive and Only You. Our tenors and basses will also perform a couple of songs from the Yale Song Book of 1906.

We are very excited to welcome back Jonathan Rhodes-Smith to accompany us on the piano. Jonathan last performed with us in 2019, and it will be a pleasure to have him joining us once more.

The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are available through Eventbrite on our homepage.