Founded and Directed by
Graham Dinnage
CAPRIOL was founded in 2004 as The Warlock Singers, in memory of the composer and musicologist Philip Heseltine, better known by his pen name Peter Warlock (1894-1930). In its first three years the choir performed primarily British music ranging from 15th century polyphony to new music written for the choir, and sought to raise the profile of Warlock's choral music. Having performed the vast majority of his choral music to very appreciative audiences, the choir decided to broaden its horizons and chose the new name, CAPRIOL, after Warlock's famous suite for orchestra. The chamber choir is formed of around 25 singers, all of whom are auditioned.
The
choir rapidly gained a reputation for its
performances of English music. In 2005 it was
engaged by the
Vaughan Williams
Society
to sing a recital of unaccompanied Vaughan Williams
choral music after their AGM, and in May 2006 gave
a recital for the
Peter Warlock
Society.
(Click
HERE
to read a review of the May 2006 concert). The
choir also seeks to promote contemporary composers,
and in 2005 commissioned Matthew King to
write
O Come, O Come Emmanuel,
for SATB, soloists, harp and organ. In 2006 he was
comissioned to develop this piece in to a major new
Christmas choral work, sponsored entirely by
private sponsors who heard or performed the first
commission.
In 2007, the choir was pleased to be invited to perform at Finchcocks Museum of Music in the 'Midsummer Music' series of concerts (see 2006 -2007 Season page for details)
The Warlock Singers' inaugural concerts were held in Limpsfield, Surrey and in Eynsford, Kent, where Peter Warlock lived between the years of 1925 and 1928 and wrote some of his most inspired music during this period. He shared a house with the composer E.J. (Jack) Moeran, Warlock’s long-term girlfriend Barbara Peache and the Maori housekeeper Hal Collins (Te Akau), who was also a gifted artist. The house in Eynsford High Street, next to Mr Munn’s Grocers (now Unwin’s Wine Merchant), and opposite the Five Bells Public House was the centre of convivial gatherings of contemporary musicians, artists and poets, such as Constant Lambert, Lord Berners, Arnold Bax, Nina Hamnett and Bruce Blunt. Their activities caused more than a few raised eyebrows in the sleepy Kentish village of Eynsford, and tales of Warlock’s mischievous sense of humour and sometimes scurrilous behaviour are well known locally.
The legendary tales of Warlock and his contemporaries and their regular gatherings at various pubs in the area (there were 27 within a four mile radius at the time) may suggest that his Eynsford life was one long orgy of drinking and revelry, but in fact it was a time of great creative industry. It was here that he composed some of his most highly regarded works, such as the Capriol Suite for piano duet or for string orchestra, songs such as Ha’nacker Mill, My Own Country and The Night, and choral works such as All the Flowers of the Spring and Bethlehem Down. He completed two authoritative books on Gesualdo and on the English Ayre and transcribed huge amounts of music, rediscovering and making available many early works which today we take for granted.
Graham Dinnage
CAPRIOL was founded in 2004 as The Warlock Singers, in memory of the composer and musicologist Philip Heseltine, better known by his pen name Peter Warlock (1894-1930). In its first three years the choir performed primarily British music ranging from 15th century polyphony to new music written for the choir, and sought to raise the profile of Warlock's choral music. Having performed the vast majority of his choral music to very appreciative audiences, the choir decided to broaden its horizons and chose the new name, CAPRIOL, after Warlock's famous suite for orchestra. The chamber choir is formed of around 25 singers, all of whom are auditioned.
In 2007, the choir was pleased to be invited to perform at Finchcocks Museum of Music in the 'Midsummer Music' series of concerts (see 2006 -2007 Season page for details)
The Warlock Singers' inaugural concerts were held in Limpsfield, Surrey and in Eynsford, Kent, where Peter Warlock lived between the years of 1925 and 1928 and wrote some of his most inspired music during this period. He shared a house with the composer E.J. (Jack) Moeran, Warlock’s long-term girlfriend Barbara Peache and the Maori housekeeper Hal Collins (Te Akau), who was also a gifted artist. The house in Eynsford High Street, next to Mr Munn’s Grocers (now Unwin’s Wine Merchant), and opposite the Five Bells Public House was the centre of convivial gatherings of contemporary musicians, artists and poets, such as Constant Lambert, Lord Berners, Arnold Bax, Nina Hamnett and Bruce Blunt. Their activities caused more than a few raised eyebrows in the sleepy Kentish village of Eynsford, and tales of Warlock’s mischievous sense of humour and sometimes scurrilous behaviour are well known locally.
The legendary tales of Warlock and his contemporaries and their regular gatherings at various pubs in the area (there were 27 within a four mile radius at the time) may suggest that his Eynsford life was one long orgy of drinking and revelry, but in fact it was a time of great creative industry. It was here that he composed some of his most highly regarded works, such as the Capriol Suite for piano duet or for string orchestra, songs such as Ha’nacker Mill, My Own Country and The Night, and choral works such as All the Flowers of the Spring and Bethlehem Down. He completed two authoritative books on Gesualdo and on the English Ayre and transcribed huge amounts of music, rediscovering and making available many early works which today we take for granted.