I’d been meaning to go to an Exultate Singers concert for a while, and missed a couple including one with a new cantata to commemorate Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s anniversary. I hope that this contained lots of suspensions, especially as it was performed in Clifton!
But what I got to hear in the end was a programme of music for Holy Week and Easter in St. James Barton church. Much was familiar to me, indeed I’d sung some of it with the choir, but there were pieces I didn’t know including a motet by Roxana Panufnik.
On Friday I was performing in Wells Cathedral with an expanded Bath Camerata. I’ve already written about the languages I had to sing in. I was also expected to sing more quietly than I’ve had to do for some time! These skills get rusty if you don’t use them. I also sang in Tavener’s Svyati and Messiaen’s O Sacrum Convivium and the concert also included music by Pärt and Howells. Svyati was new to me, but very characteristic of Tavener – perhaps he is writing what seems like the same piece lots of times, in order to perfect it.
Socially it was better than last time, though I suspect few in the current choir could name me. When I sing at these events I realise just how many ex-Camerata singers there are around in the Bath area who for one reason or another don’t sing regularly with a choir at the moment.
Both concerts were well attended and there must have been some overlap in the audience. It would be interesting to hear in particular from anyone who heard the Good Friday concert (since I don’t attempt to evaluate here performances I took part in).
I was fortunate enogh to be at both. There were many good things but for me the best was Howell’s Take Him Earth on Good Friday. You’d have to go some way to find a choir with a mens’ section as good as the Bath Camerata’s.
I heard the Bath Camerata in the Abbey in the Festival and right now they have the edge over the Exultate singers. The stillness in Ne Iriscaris Domine was wonderful.
I currently sing with exultate and have to agree with the last comment.
how are the Exultate singers off for tenors? I see the Bath Camerata have an ad out to recruit more – a pity if they lose that lovely sound.
well i sing with exultate too and don’t agree with waw, whoever you are – what are your reasons?
I think the group lost it’s focus a bit when it started to get bigger a couple of years ago. But if it had just stayed restricted to founder members as some seemed to want, it would have withered away.
Camerata still desperate for tenors it seems
Why are there so many former members of the exsultate singers around when the choir is only a few years old? can any current members of thechoir explain?
There does seem to be a higher turnover of non-‘founder’ members, but I don’t think there’s any single reason for this.