The Harker School presented a
funny and excellent “Rule Britannia!” Fall Concert by three talented choirs.
My daughter has been in Cantilena, the 20 member women’s choir directed by
Susan Nace, for three years. On 17 November, regal Cantilena was
joined by the ebullient 17 member Guy’s Gig men’s choir plus the delightful middle
school Vivace group. They sang in the High School “FDR” (or faculty dining room,
Harker’s only space with good vocal acoustics).
The first half of the program included some modern pieces but most of
Cantilena’s vocal selections were from
Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda by Gustav Holst, and later from
Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten. After a brief intermission,
Cantilena and Guy’s Gig together presented selections from Sir John in Love
by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Sir John in Love is based on William Shakespeare’s
Merry Wives of Windsor, the bard’s sequel to Henry IV (famously written to
please Elizabeth I and her court who wanted to see more of the charming
rogue Sir John Falstaff).
Falstaff and his Men:
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Falstaff’s Toast:
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Master and Mistress Ford:
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Mistresses Page and Ford:
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Reading Falstaff’s Letters:
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The Letters are the Same!
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Applause for Cantilena, Guy’s Gig, and Susan Nace
The concert ended with “Fields of Gold” by Sting and then Cantilena’s
haunting Quaker hymn and theme song, “How Can I Keep from Singing?”. It was
a pleasure as always.
Images by John Plocher and Katy Dickinson (Copyright 2006)
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