2024 will not rank as a particularly vintage year for me I think – I didn’t go to any operas and there were no major works I sang for the first time (maybe this is because the ones that I have yet to sing are rarely performed). The first part of the year was marked by several performances with orchestra: the St Matthew Passion<\/i> in Gloucester (although I got no nearer the B minor Mass than a day-long workshop), and Verdi’s Requiem and a return to Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi<\/i> at Bristol Beacon. Since then the orchestras have dried up again.<\/p>\n
There were nevertheless some interesting works I sang for the first time: John Bull’s ‘Star Anthem’, Jongen’s Mass of the Blessed Sacrament, Tallis’ mass Puer natus est nobis<\/i>, Franz Biebl’s Ave Maria<\/i> and several other anthems. Cathedral visit-wise there was a return to Rochester after a very long time, and one to York Minster that had been postponed for several years, as well as Bristol and Ely.<\/p>\n
The year was bookended by two solo highlights though: in January I sang the treble one in Rejoice in the Lamb<\/i> in Bath Abbey and in December the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City<\/i> in Gloucester Cathedral.<\/p>\n
Needless to say the Stanford anniversary featured strongly, with a few lesser-known pieces such as his Pater noster<\/i> and Benedictus<\/i> among the standards. And of course Bruckner motets.<\/p>\n
Concert-wise, I heard Tenebrae and Sir András Schiff in Bath, and observed the Schoenberg anniversary at the Proms.<\/p>\n
I’ll return I hope and put in links to some of the above, but until then you’ll have to search for them yourself if you want to read more. On to 2025….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
2024 will not rank as a particularly vintage year for me I think – I didn’t go to any operas and there were no major works I sang for the first time (maybe this is because the ones that I … Continue reading