Historic concerts by Iken Scholars Chamber Choir

Iken Scholars choir in Lambeth Palace Great Hall. Image: Michael Thompson

Two remarkable and memorable concerts took place recently, of music last performed 500 years ago, firstly at the Fitzalan Chapel, St Nicholas Church, Arundel, and secondly at Lambeth Palace. The Iken Scholars faultless performance brought to life the distinctive English tradition of polyphony found in the Arundel Choirbook .

The Iken Scholars were founded in 2012 by Mancunian Mathew Dunn, along with fellow music scholars at University of Cambridge. Iken is the name of a village in Suffolk where St. Botolph built a monastery and Matthew was formerly the organist at St Botolph without Aldgate. He is now organist and Director of Music at All Saints, Blackheath.

New members have since joined with different musical and professional backgrounds. The choir embraces several different religious traditions and includes three Roman Catholics, united by their love of performing little known Renaissance polyphony. Currently the choir consists of four Sopranos, four Altos, two Tenors and three Bass singers.

The choir has given performances in prestigious venues such as the Cadogan Hall, St Martin in the Fields, and all the London Cathedrals. They have toured Nice, Verona and the Netherlands; and have performed in Oxford, Cambridge and Walsingham.

Matthew Dunn, said that 'Singing in the Fitzalan chapel in Arundel, the original home of the Arundel (Lambeth) Choirbook, was an absolute thrill. It may well have been the first time in five hundred years that the music had been sung in that setting, but it felt a breath away.'

He wrote comprehensive and fascinating programme notes for the concerts, illuminating the historical context.

Lambeth Palace historic Great Hall with it's hammered Hornbeam ceiling provided an evocative back drop for the second concert. The resonance and tonal quality of singing was exceptional under Dunn's experienced direction.

The concert included four of the seven anonymous pieces from the Arundel Choirbook, beginning with the first of them -an excerpt from Salve Regina. The anonymous composer injects a sense of drama in the early section leading to a robust declamation of Salve with the full choir. The lively setting would have been sung from Trinity to Advent.

Robert Wylknson's 'Jesus Auten Transiens' canon for thirteen voices from the Eton Choirbook is included. An impressive piece of early polyphony each voice sings the introductory versicle to the creed which is in twelve sections, labelled with the names of the Apostles.

The final piece, 'Verum Caro' by John Sheppard in the reign of Mary Tudor, when Cardinal Pole would have been in residence as the last English Catholic Cardinal before Cardinal Wiseman 175 years ago, was especially moving and uplifting.

A great sense of sense of joy pervaded throughout the musical selections which also included two anonymous Magnificat settings and one by Robert Fayrfax.(1464-1521).

A more intimate note was reflected in the sublime Ave Dei Patris Fili, another Anonymous composition. The first few verses have an almost lullaby quality building to a crescendo from the lowest to the highest voices hailing Mary as 'O Gloriosissima', O most Glorious…

Dunn said that if he had to pick a favourite of the seven Anonymous pieces it would be the 'vidi aquam', commenting that some Musicologists like to complain about the 'mistakes' in the composition (parallel fifths and so on') 'but the energy and joy of the piece is infectious.' The piece replaced Asperges during Eastertide.

Mary Clayton - Kastenholz, the curator of the 'Sing Joyfully' exhibition in Lambeth Palace Library is the choir's lead Soprano and instigated collaboration with the Iken Scholars resulting in a recording of seven previously un-recorded works.She said that the experience of singing in such a historic atmosphere was wonderful.

Radio 3 previewed the forthcoming album on Sunday on The Early Music show. The second part of 'Ave Mundi Spes Maria' was broadcast ,only the first part was heard at the concert due to its length.

An album will be released at the end of November of the seven Lambeth Anonymous pieces which will be available for streaming on all digital platforms through Rubicon Classics.

CDs can be purchased from Lambeth Palace Library shop or website: www.lambethpalacelibrary.info

The choir is available for performance. Visit: https://ikenscholars.wixsite.com/ikenscholars/contact