Author Archives: vhk10

a recap of a favourite evensong

Posted on November 8, 2022 by vhk10

I was back in Gloucester towards the end of October, not to rejoin Gloucester Choral Society (that comes later) but for a weekend of services with the Erleigh Cantors. Our programme had been adapted because the main organ was unavailable … Continue reading →

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where has this piece been?

Posted on October 25, 2022 by vhk10

Every so often I sing a piece for the first time and wonder how I’ve not even heard it before. This happened at a funeral at church recently, the piece in question being Es ist nun aus mit meinem Leben … Continue reading →

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twin performances

Posted on October 20, 2022 by vhk10

Bristol has been twinned with Hannover for 75 years, and this was celebrated by a pair of performances of Brahms’ Deutsches Requiem in Hannover, given by members of Bristol Choral Society and the Hannoversche Oratorienchor, directed by Keno Weber with … Continue reading →

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seasonal music

Posted on October 18, 2022 by vhk10

Forced by a rail strike to stay a night in London in order to catch my Eurostar, I made use of the opportunity to go to the Barbican and hear a choral work I’ve never sung, Haydn’s The Seasons, performed … Continue reading →

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come and sing Vivaldi

Posted on October 12, 2022 by vhk10

I’m a bit wary of Come and Sing events these days. They are popular with people who’ve largely retired from performing in choirs, and at the last two I’ve been to, my high notes have caused problems with nearby hearing … Continue reading →

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the cherubim with ꙮ

Posted on October 1, 2022 by vhk10

The Bishop of Taunton came along to church to dedicate our new chapel to St Michael at the appropriate season. We laid on a service with three anthems, including Bairstow’s Let all mortal flesh, which I recorded many years ago … Continue reading →

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E.M.

Posted on September 30, 2022 by vhk10

WNO tends not to bring its (frequent) Janáček stagings to Bristol so we braved the ‘Newport bottleneck’ on the M4 to catch their production of The Makropulos Affair at the Wales Millennium Centre. Another inter-war femme fatale who goes by … Continue reading →

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singing at the Oval

Posted on September 19, 2022 by vhk10

One context where I get the chance to sing (but usually don’t) is when attending sporting events. I made an exception at the (officially) third day of the Test Match between England and South Africa at the Oval. We were … Continue reading →

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the last night but not the Last Night

Posted on September 16, 2022 by vhk10

I hadn’t been to a Prom since 2019 and was determined to fit one in from this season, choosing Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis performed by the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, on the Wednesday of the final … Continue reading →

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A busy morning at the Abbey

Posted on September 15, 2022 by vhk10

Although I have sung a number of morning services at Bath Abbey with its Chamber Choir, I don’t think I’ve sung two back to back. It makes for a long morning! We met at 8.30 to rehearse, and sang an … Continue reading →

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