A complete change as we now begin rehearsing Poulenc's 'Gloria.' We'll be back 'at home' in The Victoria Hall, Hanley for this one - with a full orchestra too!

It's a beautiful choral piece and I love Poulenc's compositions. I've only really had dealings with his woodwind music up to now and I'm really looking forward to rehearsing this setting of the mass for orchestra and choir. Our ever informative conductor, Anthony Rose, explained that Poulenc's Music falls into two clear categories. His earlier works (which I think the Flute Sonata probably falls into) reflect the quirkier side of the composer as he lived it up in Paris (and all that the life there had to offer!) Poulenc's life was dramatically affected when a close friend of his was decapitated in a tragic car accident. The impact that this had on Poulenc is directly reflected in the music that he wrote from that point on. He turned to the church and religious music. This "Gloria" obviously falls into the second stage of Poulenc's writing career as he writes a traditional setting of the mass. However, aspects of the composer's quirky nature still seep through this work and some gorgeously unexpected harmonies remind us that this was written in the Twentieth Century. I love it!