A New Song and an Old Song
About the concert
Please join us for our first concert of 2026, on 31 January at 7:30pm at St George’s Church. We will be joined by the highly talented young organist Thomas Blew.
‘A New Song and an Old Song’ ushers in the New Year with a selection of works containing one of the most repeated thoughts in the psalms, a musical call to arms, ‘Sing Unto the Lord a New Song’. The ancient Book of Psalms contains the full span of human emotions and the call for renewal and command to sing heard in Psalms 96, 98 and 149 has inspired the French, Latin, German and English composers of our programme, from 16th-20th century and every century in between.
The programme further reflects on this theme and celebrates the 90th birthday year of Arvo Part with his canticles, the Magnificat and the Nunc Dimittis. In the former, Mary sings of her joy upon learning she will become the Mother of Christ, a song of new birth, while the second are the words of an old man, Simeon, singing his swansong. Alongside these come a collection of the oldest melodies, folk songs, made new by the brilliant arrangements of contemporary composers, and two joyous works by Howells and Britten, specifically written to see in the new year.
We very much hope that you will be able to join us. Donations are welcomed at the door (suggested at least £15; £5 for students and job-seekers).
- Cantate Domine Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
- Chantez à Dieu Chanson Nouvelle Jan Pieter Sweelinck (1562-1621)
- A New Song James MacMillan (1959-)
- A New Year Carol Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
- Magnificat Arvo Pärt (1935-)
- Instrumental
- O Sing unto the Lord a New Song Thomas Tomkins (1572-1656)
- Singet dem HerrnJohann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Interval
- Scarborough Fair Tradition English arr. Fraser Wilson
- The Turtle Dove Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958)
- Shenandoah American Folk Song arr. James Erb
- Instrumental
- Nunc Dimittis Arvo Pärt (1935-)
- A New Year Carol Benjain Britten (1913-76)
- Cantate Domino Orlandus Lassus (1532-94)
- Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied Hugo Distler (1908-42)
Performers
Daniel Gethin
After reading English at Cambridge University, Daniel Gethin embarked on a career as a countertenor and director, singing first at New College, Oxford as a lay clerk before moving to London, where he is currently one of the regular singers at St Paul’s Cathedral. He has performed across all of London's major churches and concert halls as well as touring and has worked with vocal ensembles such as Tenebrae, The Sixteen, Cardinall’s Musick, Academy of Ancient Music, La Nuova Musica and Ex Cathedra. He is a core member of Vox Medicea, a Florence-based ensemble which seeks to revive polyphony from the era of the Medici family. He is the Director of Choral Music at Our Most Holy Redeemer, Exmouth Market and St Mark’s, Myddleton Square, alongside Dulwich choir, Myriad. He has also worked for the charity Pimlico Musical Foundation as a Teacher-Singer since its foundation in 2018, combining his loves for singing and education.
From the programme of 10 October 2026.
The choir
Singers
- Ralph Barlow
- Kathryn Bartlett
- Ruth Brook
- Jenny Burgess
- Charlie Crabtree
- Fiona Davey
- Laura Davey
- Penny Davies
- Daniel Gethin
- Emily Grant
- Vanessa Holland
- Nancy Khan
- Emmet Kiberd
- James Loader
- Karen Mackintosh
- Craig Myers
- Sue Oldham
- Matthew Price
- Bob Pruden
- Clive Richards
- Natalie Robinson
- Jill Saudek
- Rachel Sloan
- Nick Stein
- Peter Thompson
- Sue Thompson
- Eleanor Walters