Date of publication: 01/03/2013
Sheringham & Cromer Choral Society, Norfolk, England, has been awarded a grant by Arts Council England to fund a new choral work to commemorate the Centenary of the outbreak of the First World War in 2014.
A press release by the Sheringham & Cromer Choral Society, details that the new choral work will be “based upon Edith Cavell’s own notes and annotations in her personal copy of Thomas a Kempis’ Of the Imitation of Christ, the composition will be large scale choral work with solo soprano, chorus, children’s choir and chamber orchestra and organ”.
British Nurse Cavell was court martialled and executed by firing squad during the First World War after helping 200 Allied troops to escape from German-occupied Belgium into neutral Holland in 1915.
Cavell is buried at Norwich Cathedral.
The Sheringham & Cromer Choral Society hopes the “premiere performance will provide a unique way of commemorating the outbreak of the Great War by recalling the life and faith of Norfolk’s courageous WW1 heroine”.
The composer of the piece commissioned is Patrick Hawes.
Performers will include the soprano Elin Manahan Thomas and the English Chamber Orchestra. A children’s choir comprised of students from the international Britten Music Course at Gresham’s will also take part in the performance.
The premiere of the choral piece will be on the 12th July 2014 at Norwich Cathedral.
A special performance will then take place in St. Peter’s Church, Sheringham, on Remembrance weekend 2014.
There may also be further performances to mark the 100 year anniversary of Nurse Cavell’s execution in 2015.
To read the full press release, visit the Sheringham & Cromer Choral Society website here.
Images courtesy of the Sheringham & Cromer Choral Society website.
Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News