Category Archives: singing in concerts

Why I’m like Lohengrin

Posted on February 19, 2014 by vhk10

There was a mildly embarrassing moment at the beginning of our opera gala concert last weekend: as usual, we were all lined up in rows to process on and the names of those on the end of each row (including … Continue reading →

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Remembering the Messiah again

Posted on December 28, 2013 by vhk10

The annual memorised performance of Messiah came round again. I had been worried that I would be back to square one with learning this, but some of the harder choruses to memorise, such as All we like sheep, fell into … Continue reading →

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The War Requiem in Bristol

Posted on December 27, 2013 by vhk10

The second performance of the War Requiem came a week later in Colston Hall. We were large forces and disposed rather differently from when I sang the work there before. I was positioned round the side of the choir with … Continue reading →

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The War Requiem in Gloucester

Posted on December 18, 2013 by vhk10

Our performance of the War Requiem was given jointly with the Gloucester Choral Society, and our first performance was in Gloucester Cathedral with Cathedral choristers in the boys choir. I’ll save my reflections on the piece itself for later. The … Continue reading →

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Resounding Russian music at the Forum

Posted on July 19, 2013 by vhk10

I signed up for the South West Festival Chorus intending to sing The Kingdom by Elgar, and got as far as borrowing a score, but the programme was then changed to a ‘Russian Spectacular’. It was the first time I … Continue reading →

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aunts and uncles

Posted on May 25, 2013 by vhk10

#earley The Erleigh Cantors’ concert in St. Peter’s Earley (a new venue for us) had a dual theme of Venice and Shakespeare, though we didn’t actually sing anything connected to The Merchant of Venice. The first half was Venetian, and … Continue reading →

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Freude!

Posted on May 25, 2013 by vhk10

#colstonhall @bristolchoral I have come round a bit to Beethoven 9 since I last sang it, quite a few years ago. It was the first piece I ever sang with a full orchestra, a performance in Oxford Town Hall when … Continue reading →

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My part in a busy choral weekend

Posted on April 19, 2013 by vhk10

@BristolChoral Bristol was saturated with choral concerts over the weekend of 23-24 March. On Sunday night Colston Hall hosted a performance of Mahler 8. On Saturday there were concerts by the Bristol Phoenix Choir, Exultate Singers, and the one I … Continue reading →

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singing Messiah to 3,000

Posted on January 16, 2013 by vhk10

Strictly speaking, I didn’t do this, because the audience was split between the ‘mini-Messiah‘ in the afternoon and a full performance (with a few cuts) in the evening. But singing to a nearly-full Colston Hall was a change from the … Continue reading →

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at the Exultate Singers 10th anniversary reunion

Posted on October 13, 2012 by vhk10

It was fortunate that this concert was when it was, as almost any other weekend around now would have not allowed me to take part. I was invited back to join in some pieces in the concert in St. James’s … Continue reading →

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In the Garden of God

Posted on August 2, 2012 by vhk10

Sadly the weather prevented us from enjoying the St. Mary Magdalen chapel garden, which has one of the best views in Bath. Instead, the Chandos singers performed an unusual programme of music setting mostly Catholic texts, or at least texts … Continue reading →

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Adam and Eve-ing it

Posted on July 19, 2012 by vhk10

I took part in the South West Festival Chorus/Bath Phil’s performance of Haydn’s Creation. Our conductor, Jason Thornton, told as that Haydn had been inspired to write the work after conducting Messiah in Bath Abbey, so by performing it there … Continue reading →

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