‘Americana’ with Levens Choir

On July 4th 2026, the USA will commemorate 250 years since the signing of its Declaration of Independence.

Levens Choir is marking the occasion with concerts celebrating the deep contribution that America has made to modern cultural life. The programme will showcase choral works written in the last hundred years by US composers, illustrating a wide range of styles: the lyrical intensity of Samuel Barber; the open chords and unexpected shifts of key and time signature of Aaron Copland; the minimalism and repetitive structures of Philip Glass; the luminous harmonies of Eric Whitacre and Morten Lauridsen.

It will illustrate some of the influences that have shaped this distinctively American voice, from the rhythms of African-American music and the melodies of traditional folk to the religious convictions of the deep South. Taken together this music will evoke the wide horizons of the New World and remind us of an old American promise: the belief that a nation can be shaped by hope and vision as much as by history.

Conductor: Gawain Glenton
Soloist: Rebekah Nieẞer-Jones

Tickets: £15 from www.levenschoir.net or on the door. Children and students free