Andrew Daldorph and the East Devon Choral Society "A Spring Concert" at St Peter's Church Tiverton Saturday 25 April 2026

Baritone: Philip Lancaster
'Five Mystical Songs'

Orchestra Leader:
Rebecca Willson

The Parish Church of St Peter's in Tiverton with filled with enthusiastic music lovers on a cool spring evening in April this year. The evening's programme was to be performed by the East Devon Choral Society, conducted by their Musical Director of nearly a quarter of a century, Andrew Daldorph.

In addition to voices there was also a small orchestra, very ably led by Rebecca Willson. There were also two soloists: baritone Philip Lancaster and mezzo soprano Kate Walker.

Musical Director:
Andrew Daldorph

The theme of the evening was distinctly English with music by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Hubert Parry, and Sir Edward Elgar - and a special extra piece by German composer Felix Mendelssohn with a very interesting English connection.

As Andrew ascended the rostrum the attention of the audience was immediately drawn to another person. Baritone Philip Lancaster stood forward and, with orchestral accompaniment, delivered the 'Five Mystical Songs' taken from George Herbert's collection of sacred poems published in 1633 at the end of his life. The musical setting was provided by Ralph Vaughan Williams for the Three Choirs Festival in Worcester in 1911, where he also provided an orchestra and full choir to accompany the baritone soloist.

Double Bass:
Graham Tuck

From the very first words, "Rise heart; thy Lord is risen." Philip's rich deep tones were echoed by the swelling chorus of voices from the choir repeating and reaffirming his words, with forceful emphasis provided by the orchestra. With the lyrics clearly laid out in everyone's programme it was fascinating to follow Herbert's complex poetry and appreciate the hypnotic ebb and flow of the performance which brought each line alive with drama and feeling.

'Easter', followed by 'I got me Flowers', 'Love Bade me Welcome', and 'The Call', combined Christian theology with corresponding earthly expressions of religious conviction. Each was beautiful in itself, and the whole collection built in intensity until the fifth and last mystical song. The words of the 'Antiphon': "Let all the world in every corner sing, 'My God and King!'" were both surprisingly familiar and excitingly novel. A sensational and moving conclusion to a spectacular composition, impressively performed.

1695 Organ:
Christian Schmidt

After the joyous experience of Vaughan Williams' mystical songs there was another very special musical experience introduced into the programme by East Devon Choral Society Vice Chairman, Sue North. It is not generally known that the famous 'Wedding March' from Felix Mendelssohn's 1842 incidental music for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', which was made popular through its use at the wedding of Queen Victoria's eldest daughter to the future emperor of Prussia and 1858, was first used for a church wedding procession when a young couple were married at St Peter's Church in Tiverton in June 1847.

The organ at St Peter's Church, on which the English composer Samuel Reay played that first 'Wedding March' for a bridal procession, had been installed in 1696 by  Bernard and Christian Schmidt. Despite the refurbishment by Henry Willis in 1867 many original features remain to the present day, including intricate wood carvings by Schmidt's contemporary, the Dutch artist Grinling Gibbons.

Bassoon:
Andrew Gartin

In a haunting echo of that first performance nearly two centuries earlier, Andrew Daldorph played the 'Wedding March' once again on the very same instrument. The sight of the magnificent organ with its golden pipes, and the impressive sound, combined with the awareness of its historic significance, made this a quite breath-taking experience.

Just to give the final flourish to the first half of the programme, there was one more rousing piece with an equally fascinating history. Tony Hindley and Iorwerth Pugh were among the triumphant brass section which introduced Hubert Parry's anthem, " I was glad (when they said unto me, 'we shall go into the house of the Lord.')". This is an extract from Psalm 122, one of the 'Songs of Ascent' thought to have been sung by pilgrims or priests ascending the steps to the Hebrew Temple in Jerusalem.

Percussion:
Dušan Novaković

The words were first used as part of a British Coronation Ceremony for the crowning of Charles I in 1626 and the piece has been in use up to the present day including the Coronation of Charles III. Parry's setting was for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902.

With their impressive orchestral accompaniment, the choir truly did this great historic anthem justice. The sound transported the listener back through time, not only reflecting British history, but also to the ancient world of the Hebrews.

After a very convivial interval, with the usual
wines and other drinks served at the back of the church, the second half of the programme was given over entirely to one monumental song. To appreciative applause Andrew Daldorph and the choir and orchestra resumed their positions with one new addition. Mezzo soprano Kate Walker took over Philip's soloist position to join the choir in Sir Edward Elgar's 'The Music Makers'.

Violin: Phil Belsham

Elgar's  musical setting dates back more than a century, to the 1912 Birmingham Festival, and the words are even older, having been composed by Arthur O'Shaughnessy in 1874 and entitled simply 'Ode'. The plaintive opening lines, "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams." were so softly and delicately delivered by the choir that the sense of O'Shaughnessy's deeply moving and expressive writing was immediately established.

The soft and gentle feeling of the piece was, however, almost immediately, and regularly, interspersed with much more powerful sentiments, as the choir skilfully changed its tone to reflect the changing moods of the Ode. Triumphant outbursts suddenly erupted and, just as suddenly, gave way to moments of languorous reflection. How wonderfully creative the choir has been (with the expert guidance of Andrew Daldorph) to put together such a musical journey through the emotions.

Mezzo Soprano:
Kate Walker

And, throughout this epic recital, there was the contralto voice of Kate Walker providing that central understanding to hold the structure together. As the fourth verse drew to a close, the sound of the orchestra died away completely. The choir fell silent. After a brief pause of sublime serenity Nigel Guthrie very softly accompanied Kate on the chamber organ as the description of the Music Makers moved inward. "They had no vision amazing, of the goodly house they are raising."

The gentle intonation was nevertheless full of tension as the orchestral and choral accompaniment slowly built in power to renewed heights of exuberance and emotion. It is not surprising that Elgar saw in O'Shaughnessy's writing an opportunity to express his own artistic ideas. The whole was certainly reminiscent of Elgar's monumental work of a decade earlier, 'The Dream of Gerontius' (which East Devon Choral Society have performed more that once - e.g. May 2011: link to review).

More Percussion:
Sally Daldorph

Everything in this concert was a delight, and all followed a delightful theme: a tradition of English music stretching back through time, and drawing on even more ancient sources. A totally enthralling evening of entertainment and emotional experience, all performed perfectly with that abundance of expression that one always associates with any project involving the East Devon Choral Society.

Many thanks to the Society Officers, especially Chairman Paul Santer and Vice Chairman Sue North, not to mention all those sensational singers who put in so much work to bring the whole evening about, and the instrumentalists who joined them in the final preparations and were so magnificently up to speed on the night. Most of all thanks to Andrew Daldorph for his tireless work directing and inspiring everyone involved - in addition to all his other illustrious commitments.

East Devon Choral Society are already preparing their next outing, which will be at the High School in Tiverton (Bolham Road). This rather more informal entertainment will include extracts from various comic operas by William Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, but will also include a complete work: 'Merrie England' by Edward German. The concert will be on Friday 17 July at 7.30pm.

There are also plans for later in the year, including an early evening performance of one of Andrew Daldorph's own compositions, "Magnificat & Nunc Dimittis". The performance will be at St Peter's Church in Tiverton on Saturday 3 October at 5.30pm.

The East Devon Choral Society, which has been in operation since 1973, goes from strength to strength as it continues into its second half-century!