Friends at the thirtieth Quaker Choral and Chamber Music Weekend. Photo: Courtesy of Ethel Livermore.
Quakers make music
The Quaker Choral and Chamber Music Weekend has marked its thirtieth anniversary
Fifty-five people attended the annual Quaker Choral and Chamber Music Weekend in Yorkshire last month to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary. Quakers came from all over the UK to hear musicians play at the event at Cober Hill near Scarborough from 15 to 17 February.
Ethel Livermore, member of the Quaker Music Network committee which organised the event, told the Friend: ‘A small choir and chamber music groups played during the weekend and combined on the Sunday to perform Bach’s “Mass in G minor”. The instrumentalists played a variety of chamber music, including string quartets, a piano quintet, a horn quintet and even a “cello-fest” (we had a lot of cellists!).’ The choir sang music by Elgar, Byrd, SS Wesley, as well as a Farmer madrigal.
Ethel Livermore added: ‘Participants came from Andover, Reading and New Romney in the South, Dinas Powys and Pwllheli in Wales, London, Birmingham and, more locally, Leeds, Halifax and York (plus quite a lot of other places). We also had some nonresident Friends from Scarborough. Ages ranged from a few months to people in their eighties.
‘We also had three generations of one family present! For many of us music is an important part of our spiritual lives and the weekend provides an opportunity for us to share our love of music-making together in a Quaker context.’
The weekend was originally organised by the Leaveners before it closed down two years ago, when some participants set up the Quaker Music Network committee. Next February the event will be held at High Leigh in Hertfordshire.
