Ooh La La: York choir hit the big time

The choir at the University will be performing the UK’s premiere of a French masterpiece, a rarely heard composition by Jean Francaix.

Conducted by Robert Hollingworth, a Reader in Music at the University of York, the piece will be one of the highlights of the choir’s ‘Fête française’ programme on Wednesday 21 May at the Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall.

Hollingworth commented; “This work is an extraordinary testament to the French attitude to food and dining, told through the rich texture of a 12-part choir. It ranges from almost religious advice on how to pace yourself at a meal, what subjects not to talk about, the erotic properties of the black truffle and the deleterious effects of food on
the digestion.

“Why the piece has not been performed is not entirely a mystery, given the considerable musical challenges it poses to performers, as well as how to make sense of a piece for a non-French audience, when it is practically a social document of post-Revolution French attitudes. But the music’s good humour, louche musical style and utter Frenchness will, we hope, endear it to our audience.”
Jacques Francaix said: “You cannot escape noticing that Robert Hollingworth’s own ensemble… my father would have been delighted by this astonishing coincidence and also because this profoundly original composition was only performed two or three times during
his lifetime.”

The choir has also received interest from BBC Radio 3 programmes The Choir and In Tune.