News
Keeping you updated with the latest news
 

2023

28 June 2023
A Rousing end to the 2022/23 Season with Viva Italia!
9 June 2023
Cathedral Visits - Summer 2023
12 May 2023
Simon Toyne appointed as our new Musical Director
20 March 2023
Dame Ethel Smyth Mass in D - A resounding success!
13 February 2023
The Ethel Smyth full score has arrived

2022

13 December 2022
Christmas 2022 Concert & Fundraising
1 October 2022
New Accompanist Announced
1 September 2022
2022/23 Season Launched
31 August 2022
2022/23 Season : Our Conductors
1 August 2022
2021/22 Season - Done!
30 July 2022
Another (!) Special Evensong
13 June 2022
Jubilee Proms - Staggering Success
30 May 2022
MD steps down after 15 years
29 May 2022
A Special Evensong
2 April 2022
Carmina in Style
1 March 2022
Song for Ukraine
21 February 2022
#22for22 Update
7 February 2022
The Armed Man

2021

16 December 2021
#22for22 is launched
4 December 2021
Christmas is Back! with a brassy bang!
6 November 2021
714 Days... Back in Concert
27 October 2021
660 Days... We're Back
4 October 2021
Annual General Meeting
1 August 2021
2021/22 Season Launched
7 June 2021
Expanding the Canon
18 May 2021
Live Singing started ... stopped
17 May 2021
Fridays and the Future
14 April 2021
Virtual Video
12 April 2021
Summer in the Alps
26 March 2021
Fridays at Four - Spring Done
9 March 2021
International Women's Day
22 February 2021
Cooking up a Feast
12 February 2021
Centenary Classics
11 January 2021
Classical Classics

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

 

Recording #4 - a Feast of Fauré

22 October 2016

Over the last two days, in the freezing cold confines of St Matthew's, Church (note for future reference: the forced air heating is too noisy for recording sessions) the choir, accompanied by soloists and instrumentalists recorded their fourth commercial CD recording. Requiem Reflections has been recorded in memory of Constance Travis (1911-2015), a stage actress who married into the family that owned the Northamptonshire firm that eventually became Travis Perkins. In later life, she became a philanthropist whose Trust gives away more than £2 million a year to registered charities dedicated to the arts, medical research and patient care.

Ray and Constance Travis
 
Organist Stephen Moore

The major work on the disc is, of course, Fauré's Requiem, using the reduced scoring by David Hill (Conductor of the other Bach Choir (!)) for solo violin, cello, harp, and organ. The choir were joined by local soloists Philippa Hyde, Gwion Thomas, and Robert Tilson. Arranged in a tight semicircle around the instrumentalists kept us all cosy and warm, whilst Gary and Andrew in the engineering booth had a small fan heater for company. Our Musical Director also helped keep our spirits warm with his special "final session" costume, as well as Tricolore bunting and a seven-foot cardboard Tour Eiffel.

Maestro Dunleavy gets all French
 
The Eiffel Tower is in place

The choir also recorded Fauré's Messe Brève, compiled from Fauré's movements from the Messe des Pêcheurs de Villerville (composed with André Messager), and his Messe basse. These works were written for upper voices, so Lee has added parts for tenor and bass, and adjusted the organ part to suit. The final choral work is Fauré's 1891 Tantum ergo for solo tenor, chorus, organ, and harp.

The First Friday Downbeat
 
St Matthew bedecked in French finery

Our instrumentalists also contributed Dewey Owens' transcription for violin, cello, and harp, of the Pavane op. 50, and his rarely-performed work for solo harp, Une châtelaine en sa tour ....

Over the coming week the choir will thaw out and begin preparations for both their Christmas concert, and their forthcoming performance of Poulenc's Gloria with the RPO. Never a dull moment!