Saturday 19th October at St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury
Mozart - Vespers
Hummel - Trumpet Concerto & Mass in D
Galuppi - Dixit Dominus
To everyone involved in last night’s concert: we really enjoyed it and we’re very impressed by the high standard of all the music. The choir and orchestra had a lovely, mellow sound and the diction was frequently clear. Rhiannon and Nicola sounded beautiful and the four voices of the soloists blended well in typical Mozart style! The trumpet soloist was amazing. All in all a very successful evening, requiring a lot of hard work and stamina from everyone.
- VW
29th June 2024
Saturday 29th June at Shrewsbury Abbey
Elgar’s “Dream of Gerontius”
Shrewsbury Festival Chorus & Orchestra
comprising
Shrewsbury Choral and Shrewsbury Cantata Choir
directed by Anthony Coupe
with
Katie Trethewey, William Smith and Peter Edge
To all you wonderful singers,
Thank you for all of your hard work on Gerontius which culminated in a truly excellent performance last night.
As singers, you showed great patience in the final rehearsal yesterday as the cogs came together and the work started to form. This piece required earth shattering moments alongside some of the most subtle and quiet singing you may have ever done. This was navigated with skill while the big moments were convincing and stylish. From the blend of tenors and basses to the forthright and alert entries of the altos, to the soaring sound of the sopranos, you leant on a range of voices to characterise the piece. In particular, the snarling and cutting execution of the demons chorus was absolutely brilliant - the best I have heard it!
Kindness, understanding and patience from everyone involved are the things that helped us to deliver a really unforgettable performance and one which achieved its purpose in delivering Gerontius to his onward journey.
Katie, who sang the Angel, told me afterwards that she could barely get her final words, 'Farewell brother' out as she was so choked up. Complexity on one side, the piece tackles some of the biggest questions in a way that hopefully leaves the listener with some comfort. I think it has much to offer those who are trying to come to terms with loss.
Well done to everyone who was involved from both choirs - a great collaboration and a very receptive and appreciative audience.
Tony Coupe
Director
“The greatest respect an artist can pay to music is to give it life.”
— Pablo Casals
23rd March 2024
Saturday 23rd March 2004 at Shrewsbury Abbey
Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto Number 1
Cherubini - Requiem in C minor
Ola Gjeilo - Dark and Luminous Night
with Shrewsbury Sinfonia, leader Anne Tupling
Shrewsbury Choral welcomed back rising star of the piano, Yuxuan Zhao who performed Tchaikovsky’s first Piano Concerto to get applause, a standing ovation no less!
The choir demonstrated their versatility and willingness to perform modern music with their performance of Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo’s “Dark and Luminous Night” accompanied by their pianist John Bowen and string quintet.
Cherubini’s Requiem is a masterpiece, held in such high regard by Beethoven that he insisted on its performance at his own funeral. Under the direction of Martin Cook the choir gave a powerful and sensitive performance of this incredible work which is too rarely performed in this country.
Shrewsbury Choral is to be applauded for tackling the unfamiliar as well as the familiar. They are always well-prepared and they make a fabulous and expressive sound.
9th December 2023
Saturday 9th December at St Alkmunds’s Church Whitchurch
Handel’s Messiah
Shrewsbury Choral & Sinfonia
directed by Martin Cook
leader Anne Tupling
with Elinor Jane Moran, Helena Cook,
William Smith and Peter Edge
“Whitchurch had a real treat last Saturday when Shrewsbury Choral, under the direction of local musician Dr Martin Cook, performed Messiah in St. Alkmund’s. Originally intended to be performed in Lent, Messiah is often heard over the Christmas period and what a delight it was.
The choir produced a rich, clear sound and were ably supported by Anne Tupling’s Sounds Interesting string players.
The trumpeters, Cecil Hayward and Andrew Farrow were superb in the Hallelujah Chorus and Andrew’s accompaniment to “The Trumpet shall sound” was extremely accomplished.
Local professional singers, Helena Cooke, Peter Edge and Will Smith were joined by Elinor Jane Moran to provide the recitatives and arias which were all sung beautifully.
Mulled wine and mince pies provided by the organisers completed a very enjoyable evening.
Vanessa Brodie
14th October 2023
Saturday 14th October at Shrewsbury Abbey
Autumn Concert
directed by Martin Cook
accompanied by John Bowen
Philip Stopford - Missa Deus Nobiscum
Charles Wood - O thou the central orb
Handel - Coronation Anthems
Last Saturday it was my pleasure to be sitting in the audience (instead of the front row of the sopranos) to hear Shrewsbury Choral perform, firstly, the Missa Deus Nobiscum (God with Us) by the renowned British composer Philip Stopford and, secondly, Handel’s four Coronation Anthems composed for the coronation of George II in 1727.
Despite the chill of the Abbey we were given a warm welcome by Dr Martin Cook, Musical Director, who encouraged us to relax and enjoy ourselves and not to hesitate to show our appreciation by clapping whenever we felt like it. Thus there was warm, and well deserved applause, between every movement of Philip Stopford’s beautiful setting of the Latin Mass.
The smaller than usual choir had obviously rehearsed this piece rigorously and gave an excellent performance with some lovely solo singing by Valerie Pitt in the Gloria and by Rhiannon Jarman, Hellen Barrie and Nicola Ford in the Benedictus.
After the interval we were treated to some robust and confident singing of the four Coronation Anthems. Martin Cook decided to conduct them in reverse order so that we ended with the spine chilling ‘Zadok the Priest’. The choir was in cracking form (especially the sopranos if I dare say!) and it was hard not to join in on occasions.
On 9th December the choir is leaving its home base and travelling to Whitchurch to perform Messiah in the lovely Queen Anne church of St Alkmund. The performance will be conducted by Dr Martin Cook and the orchestra will be led by Anne Tupling. The choir will be joined by local tenor Will Smith and baritone Peter Edge alongside soprano Elinor Jane Moran and alto Helena Cooke.
Caroline Thewles
24th June 2023
Saturday 24th June at Shrewsbury Abbey
Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’
Shrewsbury Festival Chorus & Orchestra
comprising
Shrewsbury Choral and Shrewsbury Cantata Choir
directed by Martin Cook
with
Stephanie Bodsworth, Bethan Langford, William Smith and Peter Edge
and Olivia Philbin as the Youth
“It was a great privilege to conduct a complete performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah on Saturday in Shrewsbury Abbey. The chorus (90 strong) gave it their all, delivering a powerful and robust sound, when required, beautiful and delicate singing when needed and wonderful crescendos. The soloists, soprano Stephanie Bodsworth (stepping in to sing only the day before), alto Bethan Langford, tenor Will Smith and baritone Peter Edge as Elijah were all sublime. The orchestra, skillfully led by Anne Tupling was on form, contributing to the drama and excitement of this marvelous work. It was great to have a full house and appreciative audience.”
Martin Cook
Director
“The ‘worst seat in the house’ is probably the organ bench. Between the organist and the audience is a choir, orchestra and soloists all of whom have their backs turned on you! And yet, from my isolated position, I could hear every word from the choir and our talented soloists, a sign not just of their amazing singing but also of the sensitivity of the wonderful orchestra assembled for us by Anne Tupling. The recently restored Abbey Organ is, in my opinion, one of the finest organs in the county and it is a privilege to be allowed to play on it: my thanks to the Abbey authorities. And my congratulations to Shrewsbury Choral and Shrewsbury Cantata Choir on a hugely successful first collaboration. Here’s to many, many more!”
John Bowen
Accompanist/organist
March 2023
Saturday 25th March, 2023 at Shrewsbury Abbey
Rossini - Stabat Mater
Sibelius “Finlandia”
Anthems by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff
Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 2 in C minor
with Yuxuan Zhao, student at the RNCM, Manchester, on the piano and soloists Janet Fischer, Lara Rebekah, Joseph Spratt and Christopher Foster.
December 2022
Saturday 10th December at Shrewsbury Abbey
““Spirit of Christmas, ‘22”
with Wynne Evans, compère, the Athans Brass Ensemble
and the Choirs of Meole Brace School and Prestfelde School
An evening of festive fun with the incomparable GoCompare Man himself, Wynne Evans making a triumphant and mirth-filled return to Shrewsbury. ShrewsburyChoral were on top form under the baton of their director Martin Cook and ably accompanied on organ and piano by John Bowen and by the wonderful Athans Brass Ensemble with guest performances by the Choirs of Meole Brace School and Prestfelde School
November 2022
Saturday 12th November at Shrewsbury Abbey
John Bowen - “Requiem in an age of anxiety”
Benjamin Britten - “St Nicolas”
Shrewsbury Choral continues to thrive with a first class performance of Britten’s masterpiece St Nicolas with returning soloist Christopher Barnes delivering a sensitive performance of the title role. The Gallery Choir was ably performed by voices from Ellesmere College under the direction of Anthony Coupe with the child Nicolas and the Pickled Boys from Prestfelde School.
Also, and all credit to Shrewsbury Choral for their ambition and willingness to venture into unfamiliar territory, the premiere performance of “Requiem - In an age of anxiety” composed for them by their accompanist John Bowen in 2020 during the first lockdown for the Coronavirus pandemic. Special mention must be made of Chris Barnes as Tenor solo, Rhiannon Jarman, as soprano soloist in her performance of the Welsh lullaby “Suo Gân” which the composer adapted for the Offertory movement, the voices of Ellesmere College singing the Children’s Choir and Peter Athans as solo trumpet.
Congratulations to all involved in the successful delivery of this ambitious programme.
Summer 2022
“Feel the Spirit” - Saturday 16th July
at Shrewsbury Abbey
Selecting music for Summer Choral concerts is not easy. The general belief is that, in the fading warmth of a July evening, we do not want to be blasted by the heavier end of the choral repertoire, with Hell-Fire and Damnation shaking our - imaginary - glass of Pimms. The easy solution therefore is to head off to the choral Salad Bar and offer the audience assorted chunks of well worn Opera choruses topped off by a couple of Mozart overtures.
Shrewsbury Choral’s concert in Shrewsbury Abbey on July 16 took a very different approach. It was deliberately focused on the Americas, North and South, with the centrepiece being an Argentinian setting of the Catholic Mass which few of us would have known much about prior to the concert. The choir was joined for the evening by Felicity Buckland (Mezzo-Soprano) and Jonathan Cooke (Tenor) who gave us a selection of works which may well have been more familiar to us, but which had been arranged so the audience heard them through a very different aural lens.
We are all familiar with songs like ‘O Danny Boy’, the ‘Skye Boat Song’ and the like, but perhaps not when arranged by more modern composers like Britten and Bob Chilcott, both of whom add a distinctly new twist to the music. Jonathan not only sang these songs with his fine Tenor voice ringing around the Abbey but his operatic skills came through as he acted out the songs in ways which resonated with the varying moods of each one. Felicity came into her own with a stunning performance of Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ with its jazz-based melancholy bringing the Abbey to a standstill for a few minutes when the audience couldn’t take its eyes – and ears - off her.
Shrewsbury Choral and Jonathan Cooke then gave us Ariel Ramirez’s ‘Misa Criolla’. Few of us are knowledgeable about South American Religious music, and this piece, composed in 1963 just after the Vatican had relaxed its restrictions on vernacular settings of the Mass, was a breath of fresh air in the way it had been put together.
The musical rhythms of Argentina pulse through this work, and its light, brightly textured feel makes it very approachable. The soloist attacked the piece with great panache and involvement, and the choir sounded very comfortable in such an unfamiliar piece. The sopranos gave the performance a solid shape throughout its many changing textures and the Tenors particularly added depth and energy throughout, with the whole choir, though not great in number, punching much above its weight.
The first half closed with memorably sensuous performances of duets from Bizet and Bernstein’s West Side Story.
The concert’s second half was given over to a set of seven African-American spirituals set for Mezzo-Soprano and mixed choir – ‘Feel the Spirit’ by John Rutter. Rutter comes from a long line of English composers steeped in the Cambridge choral tradition, and is perhaps not someone you’d immediately associate with music of this type. We all know most of the songs but the combination of soloist and choir provides a different feel to the music which is varyingly jazz-lively and then quietly introspective. The choir tempered their style excellently to the various moods required and Felicity’s honeyed, mezzo tones were ideally suited to the sonorities demanded by the music. The choir gathered pace throughout the seven songs and the whole concert came to a rip-roaring climax with ‘When the Saints Go Marching in’, ably supported by the more vociferous elements of the audience.
Special mention is required here for two individuals – Martin Cook, the Choir’s Musical Director and John Bowen, accompanist extraordinaire. These two gentlemen are the heartbeat which powers the choir and it is their vision and commitment which creates special evenings like this. Martin conducts firmly or flexibly as required and his responsiveness to the musical mood changes, particularly necessary in a concert as varied as this, is so effective that you don’t notice it happening - a real sign of someone who knows precisely what they’re doing.
John Bowen provided a wonderful accompaniment to the evening’s proceedings. At times sounding like a fair-sized orchestra, and at other times caressing the piano keys with great delicacy, his support to the choir and soloists never missed a beat. He blended in seamlessly with the singers but, if you took the trouble to concentrate on his contribution, you couldn’t fail to be impressed.
If you look back to the Choral’s last concert in April, 48 hours before the choir performed Haydn’s ‘Creation’, the original organist had to cancel so John had to jump in to provide the solo accompaniment to this vast work on the Abbey’s newly refurbished organ. If you now look forward to the choir’s next concert in November, the choir will give the first ever performance of a newly completed ‘Requiem – In an Age of Anxiety’ which John has composed over the Covid lockdown. Achievements like these should make us recognise and appreciate the quality and depth of individual musicianship we have around us in Shrewsbury - we are so lucky.
Finally, if you judge how well a concert has gone by the number and size of smiles on the faces of the audience as they leave the venue, then Shrewsbury Choral and the two soloists can chalk up another solid success.
REC – 30 July 2022
Spring 2022
Haydn’s “Creation” - Saturday 23rd April
at Shrewsbury Abbey
“Shrewsbury Choral was certainly on form last night with a lively and joyous performance of Haydn’s Creation, under the expert and musical direction of Dr Martin Cook. Performing to a substantial audience in Shrewsbury Abbey they chose to sing the whole work with organ accompaniment, rather than with orchestra. The accompaniment was expertly executed by John Bowen who made the most of the recently refurbished and expanded Abbey organ. It sounded magnificent. One advantage of using the organ was that the choruses could be heard in all their detail. The choir, although much smaller than before the pandemic, produced a substantial sound while maintaining excellent blend and clear diction. The dynamic range was impressive and there were some exciting crescendos and explosions of sound which had the audience shouting out, as well as clapping at the end of the performance. As if this wasn’t enough, they were joined by three superb soloists. Janet Fischer sang with warmth and humour - her fantastic top notes rang throughout the building. Will Smith is a powerful and lyric tenor with a Bel Canto quality and William Kyle brought the text alive with his warm tone and musical interpretation.
Shrewsbury Choral’s next performance will be on Saturday July 16th when they will perform Rutter’s Feel the Spirit and Misa Criolla by Ramirez. Two wonderful and heartfelt works which I am sure will suit this choir. If you are a keen singer this is a choir worth joining. They obviously enjoy singing and are not afraid of commitment and hard work.
2021
Audience reaction …
“It was a lovely day and such a great piece to sing. Thoroughly enjoyed it as a visiting singer. Looking forward to the next! Thanks again” - Karen HV
“Thank you for a wonderful day yesterday. A warm atmosphere, great acoustics, a lovely piece of music and excellent helmsmanship. I had not sung at all for eighteen months so was croaky to start with, but it was joyous, delightful. Thank you.” - Cecilia C
“I really enjoyed taking part in the workshop & concert. Thank you to Martin our conductor and all involved in organising such a happy and friendly occasion! It was great to be singing together again!” - Marion R
“The Spirit of Christmas” - Saturday 4th December at Shrewsbury Abbey
A wonderful evening of entertainment and music compèred by the Go-Compare Man himself, the talented and witty Wynne Evans, saw Shrewsbury Choral join forces with the Meole Brace Chamber Orchestra and the choirs of Meole Brace and Prestfelde School under the baton of our director, Martin Cook, with new repertoire composed specially for us by our accompanist, John Bowen. What a joy it was to make music for a full house (standing room only at the back of the Abbey!) but will Shrewsbury audiences ever quite master the Mexican Wave?
A lovely way to start the festive season!
“Beethoven Concert” - Saturday 30th October at St Chad’s
Our much postponed concert from before the COVID Lockdown saw Shrewsbury Choral in fine form before a warmly supportive audience performing Beethoven’s Mass in C with Shrewsbury Sinfonia (leader Anne Tupling). In the first half we were treated to a powerful performance of the Overture to Coriolanus and the magnificent “Emperor” Piano Concerto, regarded by many as Beethoven’s supreme contribution to the concerto genre and played brilliantly by young Danish pianist, Filip Michalak.
Soloists for the Beethoven Mass were Jessica Hope, Felicity Buckland and local talent tenor John Bowen and bass Piran Legg. Our warmest thanks to all our guest performers and to Martin Cook our Director and to all at St Chad’s for hosting this event.
"Sprig of Thyme" - Saturday 11th September at St Alkmund’s, Shrewsbury
A “Come and Sing” Day rehearsing John Rutter’s beautiful folksong settings, directed by Dr Martin Cook with Dr Derry Bertenshaw at the piano culminating with the first public concert of choral music in Shrewsbury in the 18 months since the Covid-19 pandemic started. A wonderful event showing us getting back to normal music making. Shrewsbury Choral were joined by 25 singers from Shropshire, Cheshire, Herefordshire and Powys for this special day
2019
"Messiah" - Saturday 7th December at Holy Trinity Meole Brace
Handel’s “Messiah” performed with the British Sinfonetta
"Requiem for Humanity" - Saturday 16th November at Shrewsbury Abbey
“Requiem for Humanity” by Helen Ostafew - “Mass in D” - by Dvorak
"A Slice of Heaven" - Saturday 29th June at St Alkmund's Church, Shrewsbury
“Men and Angels” by Walford Davies - “Amazing Day” by John Brunning, and also featuring Shropshire Girls Choir under the direction of Alison Stevens
"The Kingdom" - Saturday 30th March at Shrewsbury Abbey
“The Kingdom” by Edward Elgar performed with orchestra
2018
"Noel" - Saturday 5th December at St Alkmund’s Church
A programme of Christmas Music
"Messiah" - Saturday 24th November at St Alkmund’s
Handel’s “Messiah” performed with orchestra
"The Pity of War" - Saturday 4th November at Theatre Severn
“Move him into the Sun” by Bob Chilcott, new commission in memory of Wilfred Owen
and performed on the centenary of his death
performed with a consortium of choirs, also featuring performances by the Bookfest Children’s Choir
"Choral Music for Summer Journeys" - Saturday 30th June at St Alkmund’s
“The Voyage” by Bob Chilcott, “Songs of the Fleet” by Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, “The Ships of Arcady” by Michael Head
"Glorious Haydn" - Saturday 24th March at Shrewsbury Abbey
Shrewsbury Choral Society delivered a concert last night that was a triumph. Under the leadership of Martin Cook this society has gone from strength to strength, and last night’s programme was a tribute to their imaginative programming and skilful singing. Glorious Haydn was indeed glorious. The programme began with seldom-heard Overture L’Isola Disibitata (The Deserted Island) from a long-since forgotten opera. The orchestra, led by Anne Tupling, fell under the spell of this music, which is certainly in the Sturm und Drang tradition and was played with vitality and vigour.
The choir and orchestra then performed the ever popular and fiery motet, Insanae et vanae curae. Both performed with vitality and clarity that befitted the text. We were then delighted by Ines Mota’s performance of the Cello concerto in C. Here is a young soloist who plays with assurance, technical skill and musicality that communicates directly with the audience. Her performance delighted the audience and was an absolute triumph.
After the interval the choir gave a stunning performance of the Missa in Tempore Belli (Mass in Time of War, also known as the Paukenmesse for its significant use of drums and trumpets). The four soloists, Catriona Hewitson, Ayaka Tanimoto, Joseph Spratt and Peter Edge, gave us assured and beautiful performances, especially in the Benedictus. The choir sang with passion and skill producing a wide range of dynamics and colour that befitted the text throughout. This choir has gone from strength to strength and produces a powerful and beautiful tone that communicates with the audience.
Audience reaction …
"The mass was a superb and colourful achievement."
"We enjoyed the mix and it didn't drag on. Excellent conductor, very professional. The cellist was outstanding. Lovely to see young talent nurtured. The energy and responsiveness of the choir to demanding music was impressive."
2017
"Songs for the Stable" - Saturday 15th December at St Alkmund’s Church
A programme of Christmas Music
"The Glory of Venice" - Saturday 18th November at Shrewsbury Abbey
A programme of sacred music from Venetian masters including Vivaldi’s “Gloria”
"Songs of Inspiration and Beauty" - Saturday 1st July at St Alkmund’s
Music by Schubert, Brahms, Mozart, Fauré and more
"Monumental Mozart" - Saturday 1st April at St Chad’s
Requiem, Overture to Die Zauberflöte, Piano Concert in C major, K 467
Shrewsbury Choral Society thrilled a near-capacity audience in St Chad’s Church last Saturday (1 April) with a memorable performance of Mozart’s ‘Requiem’.
The all Mozart concert, given by the choir with the Shrewsbury Sinfonia, began with a sprightly performance by the orchestra of the Overture to The Magic Flute, to set the mood for a delightful evening of the music of this much-loved composer.
The choir and orchestra then joined together for a moving rendering of the ‘Ave Verum Corpus’, one of Mozart’s best known choral pieces. The instruments and voices were well matched and brought out the perfect beauty of the work.
In a new venture for the choir, they included in their programme a performance of one of Mozart’s best known concertos, Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major. The pianist was Lee Jae Phang, a post graduate student of Graham Scott at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He has earned many awards while at the College and performs frequently in venues across the North East of England, leading his own piano trio too.
Lee Jae gave a sparkling and note-perfect performance of the concerto, at times leaving the audience gasping at his mastery of the keyboard. Shrewsbury is indeed fortunate to attract such excellent musicians, and this concert will be remembered for a long time.
The final work was the Requiem. Soloists were Margaret Ferguson (soprano) Helena Cooke (contralto), John Bowen (tenor) and David Cane (bass). Margaret Ferguson is a highly experienced singer, who has sung operas and oratorios in venues across the UK and Europe. In another side to her, she is musical director of Manchester Gospel Choir and teaches Ghanaian drumming, singing and dancing. With that range of activities behind her, it is easy to see how she excelled in the soprano role in the dramatic Requiem.
Alongside her, Helena Cooke showed us a wonderful, full contralto voice. Her experience includes singing with top church choirs in London, and she has sung with Genesis Sixteen. John Bowen (tenor) graduated from being a chorister at King’s College in Cambridge to singing in concerts across Europe, particularly specializing in baroque opera.
David Cane brought a sonorous note to the quartet. He too sang as a choral scholar at King’s College: his broadcasts include the Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve. He has won several awards while studying at the Royal Northern College of Music; his performances include composers as varied as Sondheim and Kurt Weill.
For the Requiem the choir and orchestra, under Musical Director Martin Cook, rose to the occasion, bringing out the drama and passion put into the work by Mozart. He wrote it as he was nearing the end of his life – indeed he died before it was completed and parts of it were completed by his student, Franz Süssmayr. But, as in this performance, the overall effect is totally mesmerizing, with whispered quiet passages and dramatic fortissimos, including three trombones in this performance.
This was indeed a concert to remember, and we hope that next year’s Haydn concert will repeat this great success.
2016
"Joy to the World" - Saturday 16th December at St Alkmund’s Church
"Beautiful sound. Relaxed and thoroughly enjoyed listening." E.L.
"Beautiful candlelight carols. wonderful Christmas experience. A perfect performance." P.D.
"Beautiful! Spiritual! Thank you!" Anon.
"Full of gusto!" G.O.
"Lovely - very uplifting" S.D.
"Wonderful concert. Brilliant singing." Eileen
"Lovely singing - well done the choir!" Anon.
"Such heavenly voices!" J.J.
"Very lovely - splendid programme, very varied and top quality.
"Heaven Bound" - Saturday 19th November at St Chad’s
“Nidaros Jazz Mass”: Bob Chilcott, “The Birmingham Spirituals”: Patrick Larley and “Misa Criola”: Ariel Ramirez
"Music for a Summer Evening" - Saturday 25th June at St Alkmund’s
“The Sprig of Thyme” by John Rutter - Songs by Bob Chilcott
"Spring Concert" - Saturday 19th March at Shrewsbury Abbey
Rutter: Mass of the Children, Gounod: Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cecile
Music for a Summer Evening - 25th June 2016
2015
"Music by Bach" - 16th November at Shrewsbury Abbey
Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Mikado” - 27th June at St Mary’s
"A German Requiem" - 28th June at Shrewsbury Abbey
2014
"The Big Christmas Sing" - 17th December at St Mary’s
“World War I Memorial Concert” - 8th November at Shrewsbury Abbey
"Carmina Burana - Chichester Psalms" - 28th June at St Mary’s
Fauré - “Requiem” - 12th April at St Chad’s
2013
The Big Christmas Sing, 18 December 2013, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury
Baroque Celebration, 9 November 2013, The Abbey, Shrewsbury
Best of Broadway: Gershwin, Bernstein, Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, 29 June 2013, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury
A celebration of music by Benjamin Britten, 23 March 2013, The Abbey, Shrewsbury
2012
The Big Christmas Sing, 19 December 2012, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury
Haydn Nelson Mass, 10 November 2012, The Abbey, Shrewsbury
Opera Viva, 16 June 2012, Walker Theatre, Shrewsbury
Handel’s Messiah, 24 March 2012, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury
2011
The Big Christmas Sing, 21 December 2011, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
WW1 Remembrance Concert: The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (Jenkins), Banks of Green Willow (Butterworth), Remembrance: Karl Jenkins – Requiem, 12 November 2011, The Abbey Church, Shrewsbury
Rejoice: Rutter – Magnificat, Handel – Zadok the Priest and the King Shall Rejoice, Elgar – Serenade, 25 June 2011, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
Great British Choral Music – Rutter, Bainton, Britten, Harris, Parry, Stanford, Walton and Wood, 16 April 2011, The Abbey Church, Shrewsbury
2010
A Choral Xmas Present, 22 December 2010, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury
Mozart – Requiem, Die Zauberflöte Overture, Ave Verum, Symphony 39, 13 November 2010, The Abbey, Shrewsbury
Vivaldi – Gloria and Magnificat, 19 June 2010, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
Music for Passiontide, 27 March 2010, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury
2009
Seasonal music for Christmas, 19 December 2009, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
The Magic of Mendelssohn – Elijah, 14 November 2009, Shrewsbury Abbey
The French Connection, 13 June 2009, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
Handel’s Messiah, 25 April 2009, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
2008
A Seasonal Celebration, 19 December 2008, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
Morning Heroes by Sir Arthur Bliss, 8 November 2008, Shrewsbury Abbey
Schubert Mass No.2 in G, 21 June 2008, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
2007
A Seasonal Celebration, December 2007, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
Haydn Imperial ‘Nelson’ Mass, 3 November 2007, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
The Kingdom by Sir Edward Elgar, 9 July 2007, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
2006
Mozart Solemn Vespers, Ave Verum, Mass in C Minor, 9 December 2006, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
Brahms German Requiem, 8 April 2006, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
2005
Celebrating St Nicholas including Hadyn St Nicholas Mass and Britten St Nicholas, 3 December 2005, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
English Music including Purcell: Come, ye Sons of Art, Vaughan Williams: Five Mystical Songs, Finzi: Intimations of Immortality, 14 May 2005, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury
2004
Handel’s Messiah, 4 December 2004, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury