Author Archives: vhk10

the first time on the road

Posted on October 29, 2023 by vhk10

Bath Abbey Chamber Choir has not sung outside the Abbey until now. An early promise of a visit to Southwark Cathedral when the choir was a few months old had to be withdrawn, and more recently a planned evensong at … Continue reading →

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I’m Canterbury Cathedral, who are you?

Posted on October 24, 2023 by vhk10

(Title adapted from Last Orders by Graham Swift.) October’s weekend with the Erleigh Cantors was my first visit to Canterbury for a while. I have mixed memories of the previous one – with an under-prepared choir on what turned out … Continue reading →

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Cimbalom for Peace

Posted on October 16, 2023 by vhk10

Gloucester Choral Society’s Concert for Peace unfortunately turned out to be more timely than intended. It matched a rarely heard work with one that has been extremely popular in recent years. I looked for recent performances of Donald Swann’s Requiem … Continue reading →

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another Christ Church

Posted on October 14, 2023 by vhk10

My action-packed October featured a musical event on every Saturday. On the first Saturday I wasn’t actually performing myself – I was in Oxford for a birthday celebration and then went to the installation of an old friend from my … Continue reading →

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the Abbey season begins

Posted on September 30, 2023 by vhk10

Bath Abbey Chamber Choir was quick to restart for the new season, with a conductor newly appointed to the Abbey’s music staff, and a midweek evensong livened up a September which was otherwise musically blank. And it wasn’t standard pieces … Continue reading →

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Poulenc through glass

Posted on August 31, 2023 by vhk10

I didn’t plan my Proms season, and my decision to go to the Glyndebourne Prom performance of Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites was a spontaneous one made earlier that day. This opera (did any have a more offputting title?) is one … Continue reading →

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Abbey round-up

Posted on August 28, 2023 by vhk10

I’ve sung a few services with Bath Abbey Chamber Choir in the last few months though not all (missed the ordination, for example). For the Coronation weekend in May we had appropriately themed music: Purcell’s I was glad, and another … Continue reading →

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Three Choirs 2023: the final evening

Posted on August 15, 2023 by vhk10

The Apostles – relatively rarely done because of the number of soloists required – was missing piece needed to complete my performances of the three great choral works by Elgar. I remarked before that The Kingdom will do its best … Continue reading →

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Three Choirs 2023: From Pub to Pulpit …. to pub

Posted on August 8, 2023 by vhk10

The Festival Chorus had fewer concerts than in 2016, but took park this morning event on the Thursday, a collaboration with folk ensembles Broomdasher and Coracle. Like Sancta Civitas, this was a hangover of Vaughan Williams-related programming that had been … Continue reading →

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Three Choirs 2023: Tuesday evening

Posted on August 7, 2023 by vhk10

Tuesday brought a change of orchestra with the Royal Philharmonic replacing the Philharmonia. And the most unfamiliar of the music we had to sing. Holst’s Ode to Death was only a name to me previously. As long as you can … Continue reading →

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Three Choirs 2023: the evensongs

Posted on August 1, 2023 by vhk10

I made it to two of the evensongs during the Festival. The first one was on the first Saturday: Jonathan Hope conducting the Saint Cecilia Singers, many of whom had sung in the opening service that morning and would sing … Continue reading →

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Three Choirs 2023: the first Saturday concert

Posted on July 30, 2023 by vhk10

Our first concert, on the evening of the first day, contained two choral items in the first half. Rise up, O Sun! was a new composition by Eleanor Alberga setting words by Blake. There was plenty to get your teeth … Continue reading →

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