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We’re going to be busy!
Before our summer break, we performed three great concerts. The first two were joint concerts with Koor Acantus from Belgium. This was a reciprocal visit after our tour to Antwerp last October. The first concert was held in St Ann’s Church on the first Saturday night in July followed by a Mass the next morning in The Hidden Gem Church, both in Manchester’s city centre. The concerts were very successful, as was the socialising between the two choirs, especially the singing of Tibje Pajom in Sam's Chop House after lunch (and wine) on the Sunday. Ninety voices singing Russian in tight harmony stopped all the restaurant staff in their tracks and brought tears to this writer's eyes.
The next weekend in July saw the Chorale on its regular visit to Hawkshead in the Lake District. This is a delightful venue for the Chorale – St Michael and All Angels Church is always full and some of the choir take the opportunity to stay for a few days to savour the sun and rain of the fells.
We’re now in the throes of learning the music for The Armed Man concerts coming up in October and November. Sir Karl Jenkins’ concerts are always performed to full houses and this time the Chorale has been asked to perform in the Birmingham Symphony Hall as well as the usual Bridgewater Hall in Manchester. For these concerts we are also singing Sir Karl’s Symphonic Adiemus.
These concerts are promoted by the Raymond Gubbay Organisation for whom we are also performing three Christmas concerts (on 19th, 20th and 24th December!), one with Alan Titchmarsh compering. We will probably fit in another two carol concerts earlier in December too.
On top of that, we have to prepare for the smaller concerts in the New Year where we sing the very challenging stuff. So as the title says, we’re going to be busy!
