Choir creates musical insight into agricultural year in the Yorkshire Dales
A Yorkshire Dales community choir is preparing to perform the world premiere of a musical portrait of rural life which honours the work, landscape and legacy of hill farmers in the area.
Langcliffe Singers will present the three movement A Shepherd’s Year by locally raised composer Vahan Salorian, at Holy Ascension Church, Settle, with 19 Settle Orchestra members, including professional musicians, on July 4.
Commissioned to mark the choir’s 40th anniversary, like Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, each movement gives musical expression to a season of the year and follows the agricultural cycle. The autumn movement is focused on an auction mart, winter sees animals brought inside and spring and summer rebirth and the joys of country life.
The composer’s extensive research for the project, which was made possible through funding from the Victoria Wood Foundation, began at Skipton Auction Mart, where over 5,000 sheep passed through the ring during the first major sheep sale of the season. The rapid-fire cadence of the auctioneers’ calls and conversations between farmers sparked musical ideas now form part of the score.
Margaret Coleman, chair of the choir’s trustees and a soprano in the choir, said: "Vahan was particularly fascinated by the auctioneer’s distinctive patter and that plays quite a big part in the first movement.
“We’ve had to buy a gavel for our conductor as the gavel as when something is sold in the movement the gavel is banged. Winter, when the animals are brought in is a much slower, more poignant piece about the landscape.”
Mrs Coleman said the project represented the choir’s most ambitious community collaboration, and had seen the composer attend a discussion group with local farmers about their challenges and their role as custodians of the land.
He also attended workshops with 60 children at Settle Primary School and 40 pupils at Giggleswick School, developing seasonal lyrics and melodies which have been incorporated into the composition. A recording of the children singing a Wensleydale folk song, including lyrics they have added, will be incorporated into performances.
Mrs Coleman said: “Those recorded voices come in like an off-stage faint sound of spring approaching and the voices get louder before the choir joins in, a sort of mingling with slightly different descants, as the children’s song continues. It’s really quite a big finale.
"The choir is looking forward to it and the farming community are getting excited about it. I understand tickets sales are going quite well.”
Last week the composer, a documentary maker producing a film about the performance and project and renowned deaf musician Paul Whittaker, who will sign the performance, judged a children’s art contest to design the programme cover.
The film will then be shown to local audiences later this year and then archived at The Folly Museum in Settle, creating a lasting cultural record of contemporary farming life in the Yorkshire Dales.
For tickets, visit langcliffesingers.org.uk