Chorister recordings here at Old Stable Studios

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We offer a unique service for choristers by recording them singing their favourite solos/choir pieces so that you can enjoy listening to your child’s treble voice long after it has gone. Both of our sons were choristers and we are so glad that we made recordings of their treble voices before they changed.

Alexander L’Estrange, who engineers and produces the sessions at Old Stable Studios in the Hertfordshire countryside, was himself a chorister in the famous choir of New College, Oxford; he’s also prepared many choristers for their auditions at cathedrals up and down the country. He knows how to get the very best out of your son/daughter and to make a recording they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.

You can choose to record as many pieces as you like: any piece by any composer, with piano or organ, with or without choir backing.

For more details and how to get quote for recording your chorister’s golden voice, please visit https://www.joannaforbeslestrange.com/recording-choristers

Just some of the recent feedback from chorister parents who have recorded their children at old stable studios with alexander l’estrange

Hundreds of children singing "Zadok Rules - Hallelujah!"

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Great fun was had with primary and prep school children at Wellington College in Berkshire in berry when Alexander led a singing day on his “Zadok Rules - Hallelujah!” cantata, celebrating the kings and queens of England from William the Conqueror to the present day, and also the wonderful royal music of Handel. Snippets of “Zadok the priest” (at many octaves!), the “Hallelujah” chorus, “Maccabeus” as well as “God save the King” and “Rule Britannia” were sung with tremendous enthusiasm and no little skill by the brilliant schoolchildren. Alexander also taught selections from “Freedom! The Power of Song” and a warm-up song called “Great Day” (ironic on a dreadfully drizzly day!). Many thanks to Jack Thompson, head of choral music at Wellington for the organisation and the warm welcome.

Love's Philosophy - 3 love songs for solo voice and piano RECORDED FOR THE FIRST TIME!

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A few years ago I wrote these three settings of classic 19th-century love poetry (Byron, Shelley, Tennyson) and was delighted when Faber Music published them and the ABRSM adopted them onto their singing syllabus. But although I've heard reports of lovely performances over the years, I was often being asked if there was a professional recording or a video... And now, finally, there IS! I first heard the wonderful young Guernsey-based baritone Joey Edwards singing with Tenebrae Consort, and so we asked him to record these 3 songs in our studio in Hertfordshire (and the video in a nearby field!) and I'm delighted to be able to share them with you: streaming on Apple Music, Spotify etc etc - just search "Love's Philosophy" and my name - and also this YouTube video. I hope you like them. Influences of Finzi and Quilter, but also a little jazz and some Ivor Novello (others too perhaps - let me know in the comments below!)...


Brand new web shop for INSTANT DOWNLOADS of andagio publications!

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We are delighted to announce that our brand new L’Estrange Music web shop is now up and running, selling instant downloads of compositions and arrangements published by andagio and links to all our other published music including dozens of recently-uploaded POP and JAZZ and A CAPPELLA GROUP charts on sites like www.sheetmusicplus

You can peruse scores, listen to demos, watch videos and download PDFs in the click of a button.

Introducing Green Love!.......

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NOW AVAILABLE! Green Love! Songs to save the world was commissioned by United Learning (who also commissioned the award-winning Wassail! Carols of comfort and joy) and premiered on October 15th 2021 by thousands of school pupils from across the UK with The ‘Call Me Al’ Quintet (piano, bass guitar, drums, guitar and percussion.) The amazing performance - a stunning multimedia presentation with hundreds of school children from across the UK - can be watched HERE https://youtu.be/EGXiLXxEgSg It’s the sixth piece in the “Zimbe! series” i.e. scored for mixed voice choir, unison children’s choir and jazz quintet. The subject matter, as the title suggests, is the climate crisis and how we can help to slow down global warming. The six songs, which include body percussion, punchy grooves, power ballads, three-part rounds and re-cycled Purcell, are a great way to motivate your choir to “spread the green love” and make eco-friendly choices.

VOCAL SCORE AVAILABLE TO BUY HERE

“Sing, sing, sing” receives its world premiere, November 2021

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Last Saturday, the amalgamated choirs of the Scunthorpe & District Choral Society, conducted by Susan Hollingworth BEM, and the award-winning Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir gave the first performance of a brand new piece by Alexander L’Estrange and Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, composed during the Covid-19 lockdown.

“Sing, sing, sing” is a 4-minute song, for SATB choir and jazz quintet, about the joy of singing in choirs and the benefits of communal singing on our physical and mental health. It’s the perfect encore for any community choral concert.

Some of the lyrics were based on statements made by members of the choir in response to the question “What does singing in a choir mean to you?” One 85-year-old member of the Scunthorpe & District Choral Society, who commissioned the piece, simply said “I’ve done it all my life.

Order the PDF for your choir

Backing track and rehearsal tracks are also available Enquire

Take a look at the perusal score below

Green Love! Songs to save the world

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You are warmly invited to attend the matinee of Green Love! Songs to save the planet on Friday 15th October. Green Love! is a brand new commission written exclusively by Alexander L’Estrange and Joanna Forbes L’Estrange for United Learning schools and explores environmental themes through singing, dancing and body percussion. The final concert is an inspirational online music video featuring thousands of pupils aged 3-18 from 40 schools.

Watch the general launch and evening premiere by securing your free tickets here: www.trybooking.co.uk/BFQP"

Evening performance, Friday 15th October 7.00-7.30pm

NEW CHORAL PIECE FOR HARVEST

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For the beauty of the earth by Alexander L’Estrange & Joanna Forbes L’Estrange is a beautiful setting of the much-loved text by Folliott Sandford Pierpoint, scored for SATB choir + piano or organ accompaniment.

▶︎ Download the PDF and sing it with YOUR choir this autumn

Perusal score, demo and music video here http://www.joannaforbeslestrange.com/for-the-beauty-of-the-earth

Joanna Forbes L'Estrange marks the 80th birthday of her father, Sebastian Forbes.

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Next Thursday 20th May, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange will be performing Four Psalms for Soprano and Organ by Sebastian Forbes in a special concert to mark his 80th birthday as part of the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music. Entry is FREE. Do come along and support her if you can! The organist is Paul Plummer and there will be some choral items too.

https://www.lfccm.com/whatson/events/21023/

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Take part in a virtual performance of How do you keep the music playing!

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This summer the Self-Isolation Choir will be rehearsing and performing Alexander’s celebrated arrangement of “How do you keep the music playing?” conducted by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange. The virtual choir, which was formed last year in response to the pandemic, now has over 6,000 members worldwide and uses the very latest in music technology to bring the joy of music-making to people wherever they are in the world.

Sign up to join HERE

Download the music HERE

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Zimbe date for the diary!

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Any fans there missing singing a big, energetic, uplifting choral work? The wonderful Dorking Choral Society (who commissioned the piece back in 2008) are hosting a "Come and sing Zimbe" online event with Joanna and Alexander on Saturday 31st October 2020, 10.00 am - 3.00 pm. OPEN TO ALL. Price: £10.00 per head. Tickets via Eventbrite

More information and tickets

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Three new music videos for January 2020

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Music: Joanna Forbes L’Estrange & Alexander L’Estrange

Words: Joanna Forbes L’Estrange

For Upper Voices + piano

Published by Faber Music [ link: http://www.fabermusicstore.com/Winter-Songs-0571541372.aspx ]

“This delightful set of seasonal songs is the perfect addition to any choral programme for youth or upper voice choirs celebrating the end of the year! Each song has a powerful message to convey, melodies are beautifully created and very singable, and audiences will enjoy the jazzy style and approachable harmonies.
I recommend these songs to all choirs looking for accessible, contemporary and imaginative repertoire.”  Ben Parry, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain