Sasha Johnson Manning

THE first performance of a work specially composed for them is to be given by The Hardynge Choir in Harpenden High Street Methodist Church next Saturday, November 10.

The work, The Hardynge Season, has been written for the choir by Sasha Johnson Manning.

It is in five movements – an introduction followed by music for each of the seasons of the year and set to poems by five English writers, Armstrong, Howitt, Rossetti, Keats and Shakespeare.

Sasha is a professional singer as well as a choir trainer and conductor. She has been composing music since she was a child and comments that she loves to write ‘music which is fun to sing and good to listen to’.

The Hardynge Choir first met Sasha two years ago when, as a favour to a Hardynge Choir member, she took a rehearsal of The Manchester Carols, a work she composed in 2007 in collaboration with Carol Ann Duffy, the Poet Laureate.

Recently Sasha was commissioned by the BBC to write the music for The People’s Passion, a work sung by choirs around the country at Easter this year.

The Hardynge Season will be performed as part of the choir’s Autumn concert. The evening will also include choral works Handel’s Ode for St Cecilia Day, Herbert Howells’ Hymn to St Cecelia and the Autumn movement from Vivaldi’s Violin Concerto.

The concert will be conducted by Rufus Frowde, musical director of the Hardynge Choir, supported by Katherine Boyce, soprano, Rhys Bowden, tenor, Alberto Vidal, violin, Matthew Woodward, piano, and PAEAN Consort.

The concert starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £12 and £6 for under 16s, all unreserved. For further information or tickets call 0845 475 1664.