Author Archives: vhk10

Requiem preparation and a funeral

My second overseas choir tour of the year approaches and in preparation for it the director of the German choir we’ll be joining forces with came over to take a day-long rehearsal. We’ll be singing Brahms’ German Requiem (twice!), which … Continue reading

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a brief burst of Philips

I only gave one performance in August – a Eucharist (including a baptism) at Bath Abbey with the Abbey Chamber Choir.  Our anthem was a piece new to me Peter Philips’ Ave verum.   We were sparse because of people being … Continue reading

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you’ve transcribed the music lists, now sing in the Cathedral

I have a soft spot for Lichfield Cathedral – it is your proper large mediæval cathedral, but doesn’t double as a major tourist attraction, and is situated in a pleasant place of walkable size.  The rail strike obliged me to … Continue reading

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a launch and an ordination

The last weekend of June began with the launch of Gloucester Choral Society’s 2022-23 season at a reception in the Chapter House. A chance to reminisce about the Veneto tour, enjoy the bring & share food and sing a few … Continue reading

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scholarly fiddling

My musical activities for a mid-June weekend began with a solo recital of folk fiddle given by Sam Sweeney (sometime of Bellowhead) in church.  This is repertoire that I don’t know at all and Sam’s introductions revealed that it can … Continue reading

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the patron saint of my choir tours (2)

There was one final performance day on our Veneto choir tour: the Duomo at Asola, a small Cathedral city.  Here we had a (vetted) organ at our disposal which increased our repertoire.  We sang for a Mass (preceded by a … Continue reading

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the patron saint of my choir tours (1)

On the previous foreign choir tour I went on, to Lisbon, we were proudly informed that St Antony of Padua had come from the city and shown a site associated with him. And the one I have just returned from … Continue reading

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Vivat! Vivat!

A lot of choirs have programmed Parry’s I was glad in concerts around the time of the Platinum Jubilee, and it’s been natural to include the often-omitted ‘Vivat’s’, as the Erleigh Cantors did this year in their concert at St … Continue reading

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Vaughan Williams’ greatest hits – and Britten

The concert programme for the final Gloucester Choral Society concert of the season marked the Vaughan Williams anniversary with a selection including some of his best-known shorter works. We sang in all of them apart from The Lark Ascending, played … Continue reading

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a workshop on The Eighth

Four years on from Berlioz, the South Cotswold Big Sing Group is reconvening, this time to perform Mahler’s Eighth Symphony. Sadly, the advance workshop in Gloucester was all I’m going to get of this, as I’m not free to sing … Continue reading

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