A Fanfare of English Song

Canterbury Cantata Trust

A Fanfare of English Song with Canterbury Cantata Choir and Langton Brass

“Magnificat” by Paul Patterson, with other works by Parry, Purcell, Stanford, Finzi, Gibbons and Britten

The verve and spirit of Canterbury Cantata Choir and their director Emily Renshaw are well known in Canterbury. This summer concert will demonstrate their range with a tempting programme of English music. It is hosted at St Paul’s Church, an 800-year-old building with a wonderful atmosphere, which seems to take new music in its stride.

St Paul’s is also the weekly venue for the “Amici” community choir, part of Cantata Trust, as well as “Skylarks”, a music group for people with Parkinson’s. Canterbury Cantata Trust was founded in 2013 by Grenville Hancox MBE. In recent years the trust has developed their idea of “caring through singing” and it endeavours to prove what music fans all know – that music makes us feel better.

The choir's  director, Emily Renshaw, is head of music at Simon Langton boys’ school, Canterbury..Her own solo concerts as a soprano singer have gained her quite a following in recent years.

Composer Paul Patterson has many connections with the Canterbury area. He was once composer in residence at the King’s School and his work has been performed in Canterbury Cathedral. He first trained as a trombonist and he has kept a keen interest in brass instruments, as well as the harp. He wrote the music for Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood. Some of his other works have playful titles such as “Hell’s Angels”, “Scorpions” and “Bugs”.

His  “Magnificat” was written in 1994. Paul Patterson will be special guest at this performance of his work.