The Bevan Family at St John's

On November 10th the Bevan Family Choir (somewhat more varied in age than when the choir was at its height back in the 1970s) performed a number of works at St John's Catholic Church, Bath.

Sadly, I was unable to be present but it was, by all accounts, a magnificent evening.

Here is the choir, conducted by Tony Bevan, singing the Agnus Dei and In Paradisum.

One commentator, on my last post about the performance, asked if a CD of the original Bevan Family Choir album was available.

Something for the family to consider maybe......

H/T to my friend John Bevan for the Youtube link

A hymn for Advent?

One that I have not heard before.

'Lo, how a rose e'er blooming.....'  German in origin and very, very beautiful.

And the following hymn on the clip, 'Let all mortal flesh keep silence' reminds me of time in the choir in the run up to Christmas at Courtfield with John Bevan (no less) the choirmaster. And very strict he was too.

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!

Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.

It came, a floweret bright, amid the cold of winter,

When half spent was the night.

Isaiah ’twas foretold it, the Rose I have in mind;

With Mary we behold it, the virgin mother kind.

To show God’s love aright, she bore to men a Saviour,

When half spent was the night.

The shepherds heard the story proclaimed by angels bright,

How Christ, the Lord of glory was born on earth this night.

To Bethlehem they sped and in the manger found Him,

As angel heralds said.

This Flower, whose fragrance tender with sweetness fills the air,

Dispels with glorious splendour the darkness everywhere;

True Man, yet very God, from sin and death He saves us,

And lightens every load.

O Savior, Child of Mary, who felt our human woe,

O Savior, King of glory, who dost our weakness know;

Bring us at length we pray, to the bright courts of Heaven,

And to the endless day!

The return of the Bevan Family

Makes the Von Trapp Family appear quite small

                                   
John Bevan is a great and dear friend, godfather to our youngest daughter and also, the eldest of the fourteen children of the Bevan family.

Parents Roger and Molly, brought up their children as good Catholic parents did back in the 1960s.

Roger was Head of Music at Downside School for many years and, so the story goes, two year old John would be parked in his pram, outside the chapel or classroom, wherever the school choir practice was taking place and, before long was to be found gently singing the cadences of plainchant.

The brothers and sisters formed a choir under Roger's guidance and went on to successfully make several recordings that are still available today, if you are quick, on Ebay.

They also toured the country giving performances up until such time the siblings left home and went their separate ways, many of them to become professional organists and singers.

And now, their children are equally successfully making a name for themselves, most notable being Sophie Bevan, described as "the most exciting classical soprano to have appeared on the scene since Kate Royal" (Daily Telegraph).


The Bevan Family, now greatly enlarged with nieces and nephews, is to perfom in public once more at the Church of St John's Bath on November 10th at 5pm.

Tickets available on the door or from the Bath Festival Office.

This film from the early days of the Bevans, shows them in their family home, an old Somerset farmhouse - well worth watching for a glimpse of Catholic family life, before Vatican II.