Tag Archives: Bristol Choral Society

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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2013 and 2014’s resolutions

Posted on January 8, 2014 by vhk10

2013 saw the achievement of something that’s been on the wishlist a lot longer than this blog has existed (10 years now and counting). I performed in the 42nd and last English Church of England Cathedral – Bradford. And I … 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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Remembering the War Requiem

Posted on October 29, 2013 by vhk10

@bristolchoral The War Requiem is associated with remembrance, which is why it gets so many performances at this time of year, especially in these years of the centenaries of Britten and the outbreak of the Great War. But I am … 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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The muscle-memory Messiah

Posted on December 19, 2012 by vhk10

#MemorisedMessiah Even up North they don’t do this – sing the Messiah from memory. The Bristol Choral Society do it every year, and although newcomers are offered a rather gentler way in I have decided to do it the hard … Continue reading →

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