St Matthew’s Choir, based in Chapel Allerton, has announced their first ever collaboration with Renaissance Voices (a renowned chamber choir based in Derbyshire - left) to perform what’s been called ‘a sublimely tender 17th century meditation on the crucified Christ’.
On Palm Sunday (Sunday 29 March), both choirs will be joined by Ad Hoc Baroque and the Manton Consort of viols to perform Membra Iesu Nostri - a baroque oratorio by Dietrich Buxtehude, conducted by Aljosa Skorja. The oratorio is a cycle of seven cantatas meditating on the pierced body of Christ and is thought to be the first Lutheran Oratorio ever written.
Director of Music at St Matthew’s Church, Aljosa (Josh) Skorja, says, “This is a very rare opportunity to hear the work performed in its entirety, and the first performance in Leeds in nearly two decades”.
The performance will take place at St Matthew’s, Chapel Allerton, Leeds (LS7 3QF) on Sunday 29 March at 6.30pm. Entry is free with retiring collection.
More information from: email, t: @saintmattschoir, f: /saint.matts.choir or Aljosa (Josh) Skorja, Director of Music at St. Matthew’s Church, e:, m: 07598 935 558, t: @AljosaSkorja
St Matthew’s Choir
The parish church of St. Matthew in Chapel Allerton has long had a distinguished choral tradition. Since his appointment as Director of Music three years ago, Aljosa Skorja has developed the choir’s community links and the choir have hosted well-attended come and sing days, eg a weekend on Mozart’s Requiem, which brought together over 60 singers and 30 instrumentalists.
Aljosa Skorja studied musicology and church music at the University of Ljubljana before continuing his conducting education at the Royal Northern College of Music in Ljubljana. He is currently the music director of the Otley Chamber Orchestra. He regularly conducts both in England and abroad, and has worked with orchestras like the Manchester Camerata and National Radio Orchestra of Slovenia, Stockport Symphony Orchestra and the West Yorkshire Symphony Orchestra, and the South London Sinfonietta and the London Soloists.
Renaissance Voices
This Early Music Chamber choir of around 24 singers, promotes performances of Renaissance and Baroque music. Their repertoire includes English and Italian Madrigals, French Chansons, Tudor Anthems, Latin motets, masses and psalm settings, performed a cappella. Performances of major works with orchestral accompaniment have included Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, Handel's Dixit Dominus and Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610.
Concert venues have included Haddon Hall and Chatsworth Hall in Derbyshire and Cathedrals and Abbeys throughout the country, including leading the music for weekend services.
The group has visited Italy and also Lithuania, involving a televised performance in the cathedral of the country's capital, Vilnius. During visits to France, the group sang in the Cathedrals of Avignon and Vaison la Romaine in Provence and contributed to a Spring Festival in Burgundy. The choir has also performed in Rouen Cathedral and the Abbey of St Georges de Boscherville in the Seine Valley of Normandy.