The Bucks County Motet Singers present concerts in Doylestown, Pa., and Yardley, Pa.
By: Jodi Thompson
A favorite Christmas carol of mine is "Good King Wenceslas," probably because I know all five verses by heart one of many gifts from my father. What I didn’t know about the song is that it was originally a Latin tune about spring, titled "Tempus Adeste Floridum," or "Come, Time of Blooming," with a mere three or four verses.
The Bucks County Motet Singers will perform my personal favorite along with other sacred and secular songs for Seasonal Fare at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Doylestown, Pa., May 10 and at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Yardley, Pa., May 11. The concert is a celebration of Eastertide, Ascension and the season of spring, according to the group’s new director, Leanne Seabright.
What many people don’t know, besides all the verses of "Good King Wenceslas," is that there are Easter carols in addition to Christmas carols, Ms. Seabright tells me. The Yardley resident became the group’s choir director in January. Eleven strong for this concert, the Motet Singers began with the purpose of performing sacred music. Ms. Seabright says the singers, hailing from Newtown and Yardley, were concerned that music was on the decline in the church and wanted to stem the tide.
The group met in the living room of Quentin Everest, then a Newtown resident. Original member Clay Hayden says the singers put on a few concerts until Mr. Everest retired and moved to Texas.
"What’s great about this group," Ms. Seabright says, "is there was a core of people who said, ‘Hey, we really want to continue with this,’ which is unusual. Then they put together the auditions and tried to find a new director."
Ms. Seabright had recently moved to the area from Chicago, where she directed Cantate and sang in His Majesties Clerkes. She came here with her husband, Stefan Engels. He is an organ professor at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J. After moving to Bucks County, Ms. Seabright sang with Ensemble for Early Music in New York City at Saint John the Devine. She wanted to make good use of her master’s in choral conducting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, so the opening with the Motet Singers was a perfect fit.
Peter Scarpato, an original member, thinks the ensemble has found the right person. "She’s not the thundering hand, but she knows how to get the best out of the singers," he says of Ms. Seabright.
Mr. Hayden agrees with his fellow bass and Yardley resident, Mr. Scarpato. "The previous condition was doing it as a hobby," Mr. Hayden says. "Leanne is such a perfectionist."
Mr. Scarpato says there’s no hiding in such a small group. Each singer either does well or everybody knows it. Luckily, they all get along, which is complicated by the amount of dedication required. The singers buy their own music, and Ms. Seabright is conducting them gratis, for now.
It’s all about a love of music.
"Those of us who sing," Mr. Hayden says, "we can’t not sing. We joke about people sitting home on Sunday nights watching stupid TV shows while we’re doing this.
"This music gives you such peace and comfort. It’s such luscious material. This music isn’t easy. Most of it is 300 to 400 years old, but it’s wonderful. It’s just a spiritual experience to sing in this group."
The Motet Singers now rehearse weekly at St. Andrew’s, where they are artists in residence. Ms. Seabright is developing a two-concert season for the choir, and they have expanded to include both sacred and secular music. Several members sing with the Bucks County Choral Society, Voices Chorale and Westminster Community Choir.
As it grows, the choral group is finding its moniker to be restrictive. Motet is a Renaissance term referring to four-part a cappella choral pieces. The spring concert is a cappella, but for the December concert the group plans to perform with harpsichord and other period instruments in addition to a cappella works, so a renaming is in the works. The group also is auditioning to add five singers to its ranks in September.
"My idea, and the choir agrees," Ms. Seabright says, "is we’d like a name that’s a little more unique. I asked for the choir’s suggestions, but they’re a great group and they said, ‘We leave it up to you.’ So I’ve kind of chosen what I think fits us. It’s a variation between two names. I’m going to talk more with the choir about it. I want them to feel comfortable with the name before it’s unveiled."
Ms. Seabright needn’t be concerned. Mr. Hayden assures that the group is actually looking forward to the name change. "What we care about is the music," he says. "You can call us anything you want."
Meanwhile, the Motet Singers will sing music by Gustav Holst, Jacob Handl, William Billings and others. Like others, I’ll be able to silently recite the verses my father taught me while they sing "Good King Wenceslas" in Latin.
"They’re very excited about the direction we’re going," Ms. Seabright says.
The Bucks County Motet Singers present Seasonal Fare at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, East Oakland Avenue and Pine Street, Doylestown, Pa., May 10, 8 p.m., and at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 47 W. Afton Ave., Yardley, Pa., May 11, 8 p.m. A reception will follow in Parish Hall at St. Andrew’s. Tickets cost $10; $7 for seniors and students; free under age 16. For information, call St. Paul’s at (215) 348-4605, St. Andrew’s at (215) 493-2636. To audition, call (215) 369-5233.