John Furse's Choral Work "Fall, leaves, fall" Is Being Premiered by the BBC Singers!!!

If you wish to avoid your ears being assailed by a ghastly din, then don’t listen to BBC Radio 3, next Tuesday evening (7.30pm, Tuesday, 24th October). This is because local Limerickicist John Furse, in addition to being a terrible poet, is a composer. (all John's words!)

One of his choral works is being premiered by the BBC Singers, in a concert curated by the Master of the Queen’s Music, Judith Weir CBE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b099x2h2. Apparently, she specifically asked for his piece to be included.

It is a setting of the Emily Brontë’s not incandescently joyous (!) poem, “Fall, leaves, fall”:

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night's decay
Ushers in a drearier day.


A plentiful supply of tissues is highly recommended for those unwise enough to listen. The time to switch off is around 9.10pm. Those who wish further to torture themselves can, of course, use the iPlayer to listen again, for 30 days after the broadcast.

This is a scan of the programme, which was recorded on 13th October and is to be broadcast on Radio 3 next Tuesday, as above

 BBC singers rehearsing John's piece at

St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge!

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN!!!

In case you missed it, here is the link on iplayer:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/0740398b-204f-4a26-801c-eef58d578c8d