Category Archives: singing in concerts

an extract from the gardening songbook

Posted on October 16, 2024 by vhk10

At some point I should post about the selection of songs I occasionally sing snatches of while gardening because of their appropriateness. I selected one – used as I pull up bindweed – for my contribution to the second recital … Continue reading →

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Psalm 121 (Howells)

Posted on June 30, 2024 by vhk10

Bristol Choral Society’s season ended with a performance of Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi in the Bristol Beacon, for which we were joined by the return visit of some members of the Hannover Oratorienchor. This was my second performance of this work … Continue reading →

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May is Mary’s month

Posted on May 16, 2024 by vhk10

The Erleigh Cantors usually perform a concert in May, and this year it was decided to honour the Marian connexion (our reader read the poem by Hopkins on this theme). We did so with a large number of mostly short … Continue reading →

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Psalm 121 (Mendelssohn)

Posted on May 8, 2024 by vhk10

The summer concerts of Bristol and Gloucester Choral Societies were nearly two months apart, but both include settings of this text. First up was Mendelssohn’s Elijah in Gloucester (where it was assigned to the Cathedral choir, singing ‘offstage’ in the … Continue reading →

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Verdi at the Beacon

Posted on March 25, 2024 by vhk10

Now that the Bristol Beacon is available to us, Bristol Choral Society can put on the bigger works that have been off the menu since 2018. First up was Verdi’s Requiem – a work that is thoroughly ingrained in me … Continue reading →

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an early start for Bach

Posted on March 15, 2024 by vhk10

March was a busy month and first up was Bach’s St Matthew Passion in Gloucester Cathedral, a success to our St John Passion of 2020. I feel I know this work very well because I’ve listened to it countless times, … Continue reading →

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roundup of 2023

Posted on January 10, 2024 by vhk10

So we get to the end of 2023, and if it wasn’t one of the most vintage years it had some remarkable and unexpected highlights. And it included the 20th anniversary of this blog, which I’m afraid passed without comment … Continue reading →

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Messiah at the Beacon

Posted on December 29, 2023 by vhk10

So, over 4 years after the original reopening date (the hall was at first going to close from 2017-19), with Tudor remains conserved, asbestos removed and resistance on the council overcome, we now have the Bristol Beacon! Bristol Choral Society … Continue reading →

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a work from the syllabus

Posted on December 18, 2023 by vhk10

Gloucester Choral Society presented a mixed programme rather than a single work for the Christmas concert this year. Introducing the four-part arrangement of Britten’s Ceremony of Carols our conductor said it should be compulsory on everyone’s syllabus in school. Well … Continue reading →

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the Ronald Reagan Gloria

Posted on November 29, 2023 by vhk10

So the Gloria from Duruflé’s Messe Cum Jubilo, was once described to me, by someone who presumably was reminded of the cavalry arriving in a Western when he heard it. Bristol Choral Society presented an all-Duruflé programme at Clifton Cathedral … Continue reading →

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