A Season to Sing
Joanna Forbes L’Estrange’s choral re-imagining of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons was composed to mark its 300th anniversary in 2025.
The work became an instant global hit with over 50 performances across 5 continents in its first year.
Frequently Asked Questions
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It’s a 40-minute piece so fills half a concert.
There are 14 movements: the 12 Vivaldi movements sit within “bookends” of Joanna’s original settings of Ecclesiastes 3 ‘to every thing there is a season’.
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No! It is deliberately written to be singable by every type of choir. Plus there are part-learning tracks to help you!
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No, it can be performed by upper voice choirs too i.e. SA.
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No, you can perform it with strings instead. There are also additional optional parts for flute, trumpet and trombone.
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No, all of the movements are for choir, no soloists.
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Yes, you can hire them too. They’re available from the RSCM website. Here’s the link https://www.rscmshop.com/features/a-season-to-sing
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Yes, the RSCM calls this an “ebook”. Here’s the link: https://www.rscmshop.com/books/9780854023608/forbes-lestrange-a-season-to-sing-ebook
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Yes, it’s the one called “Full Canadian binding”. Here’s the link https://www.rscmshop.com/books/9780854023592/forbes-lestrange-a-season-to-sing-vocal-score---full-canadian-binding
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Madrigals work well, as do secular pieces about nature/the seasons; settings of For the beauty of the Earth; Vivaldi’s Gloria…
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There’s one whistling section in the first movement of Spring but not everybody in the choir needs to join in. (Fun fact: Joanna can’t actually whistle!) Also, all of the notes are covered in the accompaniment so it’s more for effect and to entertain the audience!