Royal Leamington Spa Bach Choir

Robert Nathaniel Dett's oratorio The Ordering of Moses was written in 1932 and first performed in the USA in 1937, but it didn't receive its UK premiere until 2022.

Our Musical Director Jim Bate sang in the CBSO Chorus for that first UK performance. He fell in love with the music and was determined to conduct his own performance of the piece; that ambition was fulfilled on Saturday 31st October in Coventry Cathedral, with the combined voices of three choirs and full orchestra. When we first started rehearsing the work with Jim in July, some of us in the RLSBC were unsure how we felt about it - its fusion of African American idioms with Western classical traditions was not our usual fare - but Jim’s passion for the music quickly won us over.

Early this term, we were joined by the two other choirs, Coventry Cathedral Chorus and Divertimento, for a day’s workshop in preparation for the concert, and their additional voices greatly enriched our sound. A second workshop just a week before the performance brought all the singers together with the orchestra, Leamington Sinfonia, for the first time. Our accompanist Colin Druce had done the most amazing job in reproducing the full score on the piano during rehearsals, but now we could appreciate the richness of the orchestration, from the dark colours of the opening with cello and bassoon to the brassy exuberance of the triumphant finale. Then on the day of the performance our wonderful operatic soloists were added to the mix, their voices soaring above choir and orchestra - and the magic was complete.

The Word of God was sung by bass Chuma Sijeqa from South Africa, the Voice of Israel by mezzo soprano Lufuno Ndou, also from South Africa, Moses by tenor Christian Joel from Trinidad, and Miriam by the British-Nigerian soprano April Koyejo-Audiger. In the first half of the concert, April performed songs by Undine Smith-Moore and Florence Price, arranged and conducted by Michael Karcher-Young. Michael also conducted Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Ballade in A minor and the first movement of William Dawson’s Negro Folk Symphony, in a programme carefully planned to showcase the neglected genius of 20th century Black composers. For these musicians, the horrors of slavery lay only a few generations in the past, and the deeply felt idioms of the Negro spirituals, the musical expression of an enslaved people, were an integral part not only of their music but also of their personal identity.

So this concert was a fitting way to celebrate the finale of Black History Month. It took place in the august surroundings of Coventry Cathedral, with the angels of the John Hutton window behind us and Graham Sutherland’s huge tapestry of Christ in Majesty just visible in the darkness at the far end. It was an unforgettable experience for all of us who took part, singers and players, and our audience showed their appreciation in a standing ovation at the end. Thank you, Jim, for sharing your vision and enthusiasm with us all, and thanks also to the teams of volunteers across all the choirs and orchestra who worked so hard to bring the project to fruition. Definitely a night to remember!

Photo credit: Andy Gray@ashmorevisuals

Please see below for Clive Peacock's review of the concert in the Leamington Courier.