The Festival Church
A vibrant, creative space in the heart of Stroud - welcoming and full of life - a sanctuary and spiritual home - a church full of music, art and community - a lively parish church at the centre of mission and charity - a church for everyone
in the heart of Stroud.
Welcome to the Website of
St Laurence Parish Church, Stroud
You can find out all about our church and the journey that we are on by browsing our website pages using the navigation tabs at the top of this page. Alternatively, you can look for specific items by using the Search facility also at the top of the page. We hope you find it interesting and that you are able to visit us and play a part in our journey. We would love to welcome you in person.
St Laurence Parish Church, Stroud
You can find out all about our church and the journey that we are on by browsing our website pages using the navigation tabs at the top of this page. Alternatively, you can look for specific items by using the Search facility also at the top of the page. We hope you find it interesting and that you are able to visit us and play a part in our journey. We would love to welcome you in person.
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the rebuilding of St Laurence Parish Church, two great concerts to look forward to this June for Classical Music fans ...
|
|
Friday 22nd June, 7.30pm
Carducci String Quartet in Concert
Featuring Haydn's "String Quartet in E Major", and Debussy's "String Quartet in G Minor"
Includes an after-the-show "Meet the Performers" reception; bar available
Tickets £10 from The Church Office, The Shambles, or Stroud Subscription Rooms
Saturday 30th June, 7.30pm
"150 Years of Great Organ Music" - Organ Recital by Huw Williams
Director of Music at Bath Abbey
Full programme details below
With live projection camera action; bar available; followed by refreshments and a chance to meet Huw Williams
Tickets £10 from The Church Office, The Shambles, or Stroud Subscription Rooms
Carducci String Quartet in Concert
Featuring Haydn's "String Quartet in E Major", and Debussy's "String Quartet in G Minor"
Includes an after-the-show "Meet the Performers" reception; bar available
Tickets £10 from The Church Office, The Shambles, or Stroud Subscription Rooms
Saturday 30th June, 7.30pm
"150 Years of Great Organ Music" - Organ Recital by Huw Williams
Director of Music at Bath Abbey
Full programme details below
With live projection camera action; bar available; followed by refreshments and a chance to meet Huw Williams
Tickets £10 from The Church Office, The Shambles, or Stroud Subscription Rooms
PREVIEW and PROGRAMME NOTES
The Carducci String Quartet
The Carducci String Quartet
|
|
|
Introducing the Carducci String Quartet
An internationally renowned Anglo-Irish string quartet based in the UK, the versatile and award-winning Carducci String Quartet has performed everything from brand new quartets, classic works by Haydn, complete Shostakovich cycles, and even partnered with folk-rock icon Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. Founded in 1997 around the talents of Matthew Denton (violin), Michelle Fleming (violin), Eoin Schmidt-Martin (viola), and Emma Denton (cello), the quartet has won numerous international competitions, including Concert Artists Guild International Competition 2007 and First Prize at Finland’s Kuhmo International Chamber Music Competition 2004. In 2016, they took home a Royal Philharmonic Society Award for their performances of cycles of the complete Shostakovich Quartets. This Shostakovich15 project was accompanied by a recording of quartets no. 4, 8 and 11: their second disc for Signum Classics, and it was recognised by BBC Music Magazine as “a fine achievement, boasting excellent ensemble, musical insight and sensitive attention to detail”. The quartet has released a bevy of acclaimed recordings on their own label, Carducci Classics, as well as Signum Classics. Their Naxos recordings of Philip Glass Quartets have had over six million plays on Spotify. Described by The Strad as presenting “a masterclass in unanimity of musical purpose, in which severity could melt seamlessly into charm, and drama into geniality″, the Carducci Quartet is recognised as one of today’s most successful string quartets. Performing over 90 concerts worldwide each year the quartet also run an annual festival in Highnam, Gloucester and are quartet in residence at Dean Close School in Cheltenham, where they teach young string players and coach chamber music. Education work is an important element of the Carducci Quartet’s work, earning them a place on the Royal Philharmonic Society Award shortlist for their family concert ‘Getting the Quartet Bug!’. The Carducci Music Trust was set up to support their work in schools and with young musicians. They are also The Carne Trust Ensemble in Residence at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London and perform a number of school concerts each year supported by the CAVATINA Chamber Music Trust.
Joseph Haydn's "String Quartet in E Major", Opus 17 Number 1
(Moderato - Menuetto (Trio) - Adagio - Presto)
(Moderato - Menuetto (Trio) - Adagio - Presto)
Haydn’s String Quartets Op 17 were written during his most effusively productive period, during his tenure in the service of the Esterházy family. He had a magnificent group of musicians at his disposal, including the young virtuoso violinist Luigi Tomasini, whose genius can be traced throughout these works, particularly in the achingly beautiful melodies of the adagio movements. These string quartets mark Haydn’s emergence as an indisputably great composer. They have a seriousness of intent and an increasing mastery of rhetoric and thematic development that are a world away from the lighter divertimento-quartets that he was formerly producing.
Claude Debussy's "String Quartet in G Minor", Opus 10
(Anime et tres decide - Assez vif et bien rythme - Andantino, doucement expressif - Tres modere: Tres mouvemente)
(Anime et tres decide - Assez vif et bien rythme - Andantino, doucement expressif - Tres modere: Tres mouvemente)
Claude Debussy established a new direction in music with his G minor quartet which, along with his L'apres midi d'une faune, put Impressionism on the musical map. Pierre Boulez speaks of Debussy as freeing the string quartet from “rigid structure, frozen rhetoric, and rigid aesthetics.” Melody becomes secondary to tone colours and constantly shifting harmonies that break all the rules. Because of this, the work stands as a model for twentieth century quartet composers, namely Webern and Bartok.
Any thoughts of watery Impressionism are dispelled in the first movement with its ferocious opening statement, the motto for the entire quartet. Debussy offers it in many guises resulting in great harmonic and melodic richness. Most noticeable in this movement is the repeated pattern of rising tension and release, each time more dramatic before the climatic end. In the starkly contrasting second movement, the viola presents an ostinato version of the motto while the other instruments give a brilliant pizzicato show. The cello then offers accompaniment to the first violin's further explorations of the motto. All ends quietly. One is reminded, in the elegiac third movement, of Debussy's statement in a 1894 letter to Chausson: The colour of my soul is iron-gray and sad bats wheel about the steeple of my dreams. The only consolation to sadness in this movement is beauty and a passionate tenderness. Both the viola and cello offer exquisite solos but not at the expense of the collaborative quality of the movement with its dramatic unison passages. Once again, all ends quietly after a return to the opening melody. The ominous last movement brightens momentarily but grows dark again. The motto reappears in fugue form. New themes are developed then offered as accompaniment for the motto. Once again stark unison playing is contrasted against richly textured passages. An elaborate exploration leads to a breathtaking conclusion. The work was premiered by the Ysaye Quartet in Paris on December 29, 1893.
Any thoughts of watery Impressionism are dispelled in the first movement with its ferocious opening statement, the motto for the entire quartet. Debussy offers it in many guises resulting in great harmonic and melodic richness. Most noticeable in this movement is the repeated pattern of rising tension and release, each time more dramatic before the climatic end. In the starkly contrasting second movement, the viola presents an ostinato version of the motto while the other instruments give a brilliant pizzicato show. The cello then offers accompaniment to the first violin's further explorations of the motto. All ends quietly. One is reminded, in the elegiac third movement, of Debussy's statement in a 1894 letter to Chausson: The colour of my soul is iron-gray and sad bats wheel about the steeple of my dreams. The only consolation to sadness in this movement is beauty and a passionate tenderness. Both the viola and cello offer exquisite solos but not at the expense of the collaborative quality of the movement with its dramatic unison passages. Once again, all ends quietly after a return to the opening melody. The ominous last movement brightens momentarily but grows dark again. The motto reappears in fugue form. New themes are developed then offered as accompaniment for the motto. Once again stark unison playing is contrasted against richly textured passages. An elaborate exploration leads to a breathtaking conclusion. The work was premiered by the Ysaye Quartet in Paris on December 29, 1893.
Huw Williams,
Director of Music at Bath Abbey
Director of Music at Bath Abbey
|
|
|
Introducing Huw Williams
Introducing Huw Williams
Born in Swansea, Huw Williams is Director of Music at Bath Abbey, and is a conductor and award-winning organist of international standing. He has also served as Director of Music at Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’ Palace. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and former Organ Scholar of Christ’s College, Cambridge, his musical achievements led to him being awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. He is also Music Director of Cantemus Chamber Choir, widely regarded as one of Wales’ finest choirs, and of Stroud Choral Society. Huw has directed at numerous music festivals, including Windsor, St David’s Cathedral, and Tintern Abbey, as well as giving master classes and adjudicating at Welsh Eisteddfodau. Alongside his conducting work, Huw enjoys an international career as an organ recitalist and accompanist, having been principal organist at St Paul’s Cathedral for ten years, where he played for numerous high-profile and state occasions including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Service in 2002, and the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday celebration. For his St Laurence concert he will be helping us celebrate the 150th anniversary of the rebuilding of the church with “150 Years of Great Organ Music”, played on St Laurence’s own fine organ made by Norman & Beard of Norwich and installed in 1906.
Full Programme - "150 years of Great Organ Music"
G Mushel's "Toccata"; P Whitlock's "Folk Tune"; A Hollins' "A Trumpet Minuet"; C Saint-Saëns' "Fantaisie in E Flat"; C Ives' "Variations on ‘America’"; Four pieces by Gloucestershire composers, including H Brewer's "Cloister Gardens", V Williams' "Rhosymedre", CHH Parry's "Chorale Prelude on ‘Rockingham'", and H Howells' "Psalm Prelude Set 1, Number 1"; W Mathias' "Processional"; L Vierne's "Carillon de Westminster"; CM Widor's "Adagio from Symphonie Number 2"; and Guy Bovet's "Hamburger Totentanz".
And looking ahead to July ...
|
STROUD SACRED MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018
@ ST LAURENCE Friday 6th and Saturday 7th July Centred on St Laurence Parish Church, Stroud Sacred Music Festival will be back for the fourth year running in 2018. It is founded on the belief that music is the language of the heart, and can succeed in bringing unity and peace where dialogue often fails. Plans are already in place for the 2018 Festival, which will take place on 6th and 7th July; but many other supporting music and social events also take place throughout the year. You can find out all the very latest news about this year's Festival events on our dedicated Stroud Sacred Music Festival 2018 page. |
Your Handy Festival Planner
Take a Virtual Tour of
St Laurence here
with grateful thanks to Andy Willis Photography
St Laurence
The Festival Church
The Festival Church
Stroud Sacred Music Festival 2018
Friday 6 July - Saturday 7 July 2018
Stroud Community Christmas Tree Festival 2018
Sunday 2 December - Sunday 9 December 2018
Christmas Festival 2018
Sunday 2 December - Tuesday 25 December 2018
Easter Festival 2019
Sunday 14 April - Sunday 21 April 2019
Stroud Fringe 2019
Friday 6 July - Saturday 7 July 2018
Stroud Community Christmas Tree Festival 2018
Sunday 2 December - Sunday 9 December 2018
Christmas Festival 2018
Sunday 2 December - Tuesday 25 December 2018
Easter Festival 2019
Sunday 14 April - Sunday 21 April 2019
Stroud Fringe 2019
