What did they say about Simon's performance?

 

The choir was conducted by Simon Dunbavand, a man of obvious great musical talent, for he not only conducted the unaccompanied choir, but also played piano solos - celebrating the centenary of Grieg's death and at another time a piece for the organ!

Marjorie Barrie reviewing the ECBC at St. Wyllow's Church, Lanteglos 

Following the organ voluntary Dieu parmis nous by Messiaen after midnight mass at the church of St. Michael-in-Lewes:
That was in the true spirit of Christmas!
Professor Jonathan Harvey
All the choir members look forward to Tuesday evenings, knowing that we shall have quality time with you as you teach us how to tackle the new music to which we are introduced. Thank you for encouraging our efforts and helping us to work as a team, treating us with patience and respect, sharing your immense knowledge of music with us and bringing out the best in us!
Chairman, Carlyon Singers, July 2007
We particularly want to thank you for your inspirational planning of the Bach and Albinoni programme in the autumn and for coming up with the brilliant idea of planning the Christmas concert around the Advent Antiphons. I know that many in the choir, as well as in the audience, found the evening of Advent music and readings not only musically, but spiritually uplifting.
Chair, St. Austell Choral Society, July 2007
...a real rapport has grown up between you and the choir. Your friendly nature and generous critical praise mixed with good humour and sincere affability, not to mention a mind blowing fund of knowledge and uncommon skill at whatever keyboard is put in front of you has not gone unnoticed, I can assure you.
Chairman, ECBC, June 2007
...a particular thankyou for sharing your wonderful knowledge with us.  It was a pleasure to listen to you and take in your professional background and also your caring manner in which you coaxed us all into "The Midnight Singers". I haven't been able to stop singing the songs since I got home!
passenger on the Hurtigruten, January 2007
A couple of Saturdays ago I had an amazing experience. I'd heard that SWEMF had arranged a workshop where one went along & joined in a day of singing & playing Spanish Renaissance music in Buckfast Abbey. By the time I had heard about it, the workshop was fully subscribed, but I was able to cadge a lift with the day's director & went along for the ride, just to listen & enjoy a day out.

Simon Dunbavand, the very talented young man who took the workshop, having been organ scholar at Peterhouse, has subsequently specialized in Renaissance polyphony in England & Europe He now works in Cornwall with choral societies & chamber choirs. He also has an interest in the music of the Russian Orthodox church, visiting St.Petersburg each year & returning with glorious repertoire to perform. Could this be the foundation for another workshop?

The morning rehearsal was held in a comfortable conference room where over thirty singers & viol players (and a curtal, for good measure) assembled to sight-read through marvellous works by Morales, Guerrero, Victoria & Lobo. Simon jollied everyone along with encouragement, gentle corrections & suggestions - he doesn't miss a thing! A dash to the pub for lunch & then back to the abbey where the group were able to put what they had learnt into practice. All the morning's hard work paid off, and to sit and listen to that sublime music performed so beautifully by a group of enthusiasts in such a lovely building with that fabulous acoustic -WOW!

Alison Schwab.

Caroline Choral Evensong for Candlemas with Simon Dunbavand, February 2nd 2008

Thomas Tomkins (1572 – 1656) came from a Cornish family that produced a number of church musicians. The father (another Thomas) of “our” composer was born near Lostwithiel, so it was entirely appropriate that a SWEMF workshop on February 2nd, devoted largely to the liturgical music of his son, should be held in the church of St. Bartholomew in that town, which church Thomas the elder would surely have known. February 2nd being also the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, or Candlemas, the music to be studied had been chosen as being particularly suitable for that day.

The first part of the morning was given largely to learning a verse anthem by Orlando Gibbons, See, see, the Word is Incarnate. This was perhaps the major work of the day and Simon Dunbavand, our tutor, was quite right to start his singers and players on it while they were still fresh. It is surprising how well these ad hoc gatherings are usually balanced, and this one was no exception: thirty-eight singers and players (two viols, two recorders and organ continuo), but we took a little time to settle down and get used to each other. This is a stunning anthem and needs hard work to be appreciated. Hard work is what it received on this occasion, from conductor and performers, and the music yielded up some of its treasures.

The rest of the day was devoted to Tomkins’ music. O Lord let me know Mine End is another verse anthem, using the text of verse 5 of Psalm 39.  Directly concerned with Candlemas is the Song of Simeon, always sung at Evensong as the Nunc Dimittis, and we rehearsed Tomkins’ setting of it as found in the Fifth Service. And finally we learned his Preces.

All the music had been selected in order to put together a service in the church at the end of the day, for anybody who cared to attend. This abbreviated form of Evensong was conducted by the Curate-in-Charge, and consisted of the Preces., Psalm 39 in the verse anthem version we had practised, Nunc Dimittis, and of course the Gibbons anthem. Appropriately for Candlemas much of the lighting for this service was provided by candles which, as the afternoon sun outside faded, provided an atmospheric setting.

We should like to give our grateful thanks firstly to Simon for introducing us to this most interesting and rewarding music (and for the majority of us it must really have been a first acquaintance), and for working so hard to mould a scratch group into a coherent body capable of appreciating its splendours. Then to our continuo player, always ready at the organ with the odd interval or phrase that was causing difficulties, and also for providing appropriate pieces before and after the service. And finally to Jacqui Smith, for organising such a happy day – even for those of us who had to travel some distance, the pilgrimage to Cornwall was well worth it.

Brenda Tripp and Clavell Tripp