THE 500th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT A Celestial Map of the Sky A highlight of the MGS quincentenary celebrations was the performance of a specially commissioned piece for MGS. Tarik O’Regan composed A Celestial Map of the Sky which was premièred in the Bridgewater Hall on 16 April, conducted by Sir Mark Elder. The performers consisted of the Hallé Orchestra, Hallé Youth Choir (HYC), Thursday Singers and the MGS choir, each led by their fabulous, albeit slightly quirky directors: Sir Mark Elder, Mr Richard Wilberforce, Mr Simon Hunt and Mr Robert Carey respectively. Tarik O’Regan took his inspiration from two woodcuts of 1515 by the German polymath Albrecht Dürer which represent a map of the stars in the northern and southern hemispheres as seen in 1515. He used a range of texts and it was richly scored for full orchestra and choir and was very challenging to learn, requiring a considerable amount of rehearsal time in addition to the normal MGS choir Friday lunchtimes. In the week leading up to the performance in April, there were a number of joint rehearsals with HYC and MGS choir held at Hallé St. Peter’s. For our first rehearsal with Sir Mark Elder, an event at which we were keen to create a good impression, the coach to transport MGS choir to central Manchester did not turn up, and a replacement had to be hastily arranged. Never to be fazed by such little obstacles as a lack of transport in order to rehearse, Mr Carey
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ingeniously organised the choir into formation on the MGS Bus Park and had a warm up and rehearsal. We arrived duly warmed up only a little late and Sir Mark could not have been more understanding of the situation. The rehearsal went well, and both Sir Mark and the composer were very complimentary and impressed by the choir’s singing.
A Celestial Map of the Sky were professionally recorded and will be released along with other works by Tarik O’ Regan later in the year. Performing for such a well-renowned conductor, Sir Mark Elder, in front of such a packed hall and with peers of such excellent quality was simply an honour and a memory that I will cherish for a long time.
The piece was also not without challenges. But, as so often with quirky and unfamiliar music, the unusual nature of the piece and the words eventually became lovable and familiar and when it was put together with the orchestra for the first time, the instrumental colours brought home immediately Tarik’s celestial inspiration and vision.
Andrew Lacy (12DEF)
The performance was simply staggering! All of the hard work given by performers and directors alike paid off for a truly amazing concert, which worthily celebrated 500 years of education. The concert consisted of the commissioned piece, as well as Gustav Holst’s The Planets which were particularly breathtaking, performed by the Hallé Orchestra. The concert started with Johannes Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture – with the student song Gaudeamus Igitur sung loudly at the end from memory by the combined choirs (including the ladies of the Hallé Choir who were performing off stage in the Planets). The performance and some of the rehearsals of