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Welcome
STOP PRESS -
Our forthcoming Baroque Concert on 23rd May will now be at Lord Williams’s Lower School. The programme includes The Coronation Anthems by Handel, My Heart is Inditing by Purcell and a performance of Brahms’ Concerto for Violin and Cello by our guest international soloists. Tickets are still available.
Rehearsals take place on Monday evenings (7:30-9:30pm) during school terms at Lord Williams's Upper School Hall
We are based in Thame, Oxfordshire, with long established links to Lord Williams's School. We are, above all, a friendly choir, which gladly welcomes new members. We have a secure local base and we are looking forward to an interesting and challenging future. Our numbers are growing (100 plus now) but we always welcome new faces and voices. You do not need to audition to join us but we do ask that you share our enthusiasm for choral music and its performance.
Howard Goodall is our Patron. Howard's exceptional musical pedigree is well known but you may not know that he is a past pupil at Lord Williams's School. Howard is helping the School with forthcoming celebrations of a very important anniversary and we look forward to joining in the fun.
We are directed by John Gibbons, who is an internationally-renowned freelance conductor and lives locally. He is a superb musician and teacher who inspires us all. Together we strive to achieve excellence, but with enjoyment!. During 2007and 2008 the Chorus has increased in size, stature and confidence under John’s inspired direction.
For our December concert in 2008 we were very happy to welcome back our friends from Ealing Symphony Orchestra whose playing is a constant delight. They started the programme with the witty Overture to the Wasps by Ralph Vaughan Williams, a piece set around the eponymous satire by Aristophanes.
Following this excellent introduction we witnessed a performance of breathtaking virtuosity on the violin from Nicola Benedetti, who introduced us to Tzigane by Ravel and Zigeunerweisen by Sarasate, two pieces of immense technical complexity that she conquered with consummate artistry.
The second half of the concert saw the Chorus, conducted by John Gibbons, give the first amateur performance of Karl Jenkins’ new work, Stabat Mater, following the successful professional tour in the autumn. This setting by Karl of the 13th Century religious text included other ancient texts and compositions in many languages including Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. To tackle this complex linguistic challenge we were delighted to welcome Belinda Sykes, the international renowned soloist and academic who performed the work on the professional tour and on the album. Tamsin Dalley was a superb contralto soloist whose classical contribution provided an excellent counterpoint to Belinda’s polyphonic dynamism.
The Chorus, numbering over 130, gave full voice. The percussion section, led by Caz Wolfson, included several pupils from Lord Williams’s School whose enthusiasm added a new dimension to the piece and delighted the capacity audience
At Christmas this year we again supported the Restoration Fund of St Mary’s Church in Long Crendon by performing a carol concert in the church on December 20th.
We have welcomed many new members in the past year and our doors are still open to singers who want to join us.
Registered Charity 1112966
Site Content
- What you need to do in order to join in
- The individuals behind it all
- Johannes Brahms
- How and where the choir originated
- Enquiries and how to get in contact
- All about performances past and present
- Links to other sites
- How to find us
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Upcoming Events
Download Booking Form
Summer Concert - 18th July 2009
Howard Goodall's Eternal Light
with Ealing Symphony Orchestra
and Lord Williams's School Dance Department
At: Thame Leisure Centre, Oxford Rd, Thame
Lord Williams's School Anniversary Celebrations - 7th November 2009
Music by Howard Goodall
At: Lord Williams’s Upper School Hall, Sycamore Drive, Thame
Christmas Concert - 5th December 2009
Carl Orff's Carmina Burana
At: Thame Leisure Centre, Oxford Rd, Thame
Previous Events
May 2009
Baroque Concert
Lord Williams's Lower School Hall, Thame
March 2009
Easter Concert
Brahms' German Requiem and Haydn's Cello Concerto in C major
Thame Leisure Centre, Oxford Rd, Thame
December 2008
Christmas Carol Concert,
St Mary's Church, Long Crendon
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