ANNUAL GOOD FRIDAY CONCERT

The concert was held in Newport Cathedral on Friday 6th April 2012 at 7.00pm.

Programme

Passiontide - Simon Mold

Soloists

Elizabeth French (soprano)

Andrew Hayman (tenor)

Andrew Jenkins (bass)

Nick Worman (bass)

Jo Barton (reader)

Conducted by Christopher Barton

Jeremy Blasby (Organ)

Simon Mold

Simon was born in Derbyshire and became a very well known treble soloist in that area before becoming a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral, under Dr Stanley Vann. He often sang solos and conducted one of his own compositions in the Cathedral at the age of 14. He went on to sing counter-tenor in Peterborough Cathedral, was a choral scholar at Durham, a lay clerk at Rochester, St David’s Metropolitan Cathedral in Cardiff and Canterbury Cathedral, where he is currently a deputy lay clerk pursuing a freelance career as a baritone soloist.

Simon has become more well-known for his choral compositions and has undertaken a wide range of national and international commissions.

He recently wrote a Missa Brevis for Newport Cathedral choir, ‘The St Woolos Service’, which will be sung for the second time at the Cathedral at the Festal Eucharist on Easter Day.

Passiontide

Simon’s major work, ‘Passiontide’, received its second performance, its first by a cathedral choir. ‘Passiontide’ is a work for three soloists, choir and organ, and its character is rather like a 21st century recreation of Stainer's ‘Crucifixion’. The music is accessible and very beautiful and perfectly fitted to the moods of the texts.

The Good Friday Concert was a wonderful opportunity to hear a great work which has a spirituality, rare in contemporary compositions. Simon sang with the choir at the performance. Last years performance is available on a cd

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