Forthcoming Concerts & Events

Our Next Concert: J.S. BACH — MASS IN B MINOR Saturday 27th November 2010 With the Colchester Sinfonia (leader: Jessie Ridley) and soloists Claire Tomlin and Joana Seara (sopranos), Tim Travers-Brown (counter tenor), Tom Raskin (tenor) and Dean Robinson (bass) 7.30 pm St Botolph’s Church, Colchester Concert Poster Bach’s epic mass setting uses an astonishingly varied palette of instrumentation and vocal combinations. From the majestic opening Kyrie to the final magnificent Dona Nobis Pacem fugue, the Mass in B Minor has been described as a work unmatched in its richness and complexity in the entire history of Western music. It was composed over a fifteen year period—the Kyrie and Gloria formed part of Bach’s unsuccessful application to be appointed Court Composer to the Elector of Hanover in 1733 and the Benedictus (1749) was almost Bach’s last original composition—but it was not heard in its entirety until 1859.   Tickets £12 (£10 Under 18s, Seniors) *** Buy tickets online now *** OR from Manns Music, Colchester or Choir members

 

Future Concerts:

J.S. BACH — Mass in B Minor - Saturday 27th November 2010
7.30 pm St Botolph’s Church, Colchester
With the Colchester Sinfonia (leader: Jessie Ridley) and soloists Claire Tomlin and Joana Seara (sopranos), Tim Travers-Brown (counter tenor), Tom Raskin (tenor) and Dean Robinson (bass)
Bach’s epic mass setting uses an astonishingly varied palette of instrumentation and vocal combinations. From the majestic opening Kyrie to the final magnificent Dona Nobis Pacem fugue, the Mass in B Minor has been described as a work unmatched in its richness and complexity in the entire history of Western music. It was composed over a fifteen year period—the Kyrie and Gloria formed part of Bach’s unsuccessful application to be appointed Court Composer to the Elector of Hanover in 1733 and the Benedictus (1749) was almost Bach’s last original composition—but it was not heard in its entirety until 1859.

Wassail! - Sunday 12th December 2010
3.30 pm Colchester Town Hall
Our annual celebration of Christmas with a programme of festive music, which will include contributions from the choir of Birch Primary School and brass quintet, together with a chance for audience participation.

Spring Concert - Saturday 12th March 2011
7.30 pm St Botolph's Church, Colchester
Features three early 19th century works - the Cherubini ‘Requiem’, Beethoven’s ‘Choral Fantasia’, and the Haydn ‘Te Deum’.

Summer Serenade - Saturday 25th June 2011
7.30 pm St Botolph's Church, Colchester
A programme of a cappella choral music by a variety of French and English composers including William Byrd, Benjamin Britten, Bob Chilcott, Claude Debussy and Camille Saint-Saëns. Including Brahms’ ‘Liebestod’ and others...

 

Reviews for Previous Concerts:

The Creation - Haydn
Saturday 28th November 2009

'Stunning performance - Choral Society on top form.  Terrific visiting soloists.  I wish the performance had been recorded so I could listen to it again'.

'Wonderful performance - the sound was great.  More chorus next time please, they are my favourite bit!'

Beethoven - Missa Solemnis
Saturday November 25th 2006 7.30pm

Review by Jackie Wallace for the Essex County Standard.

This immensely powerful mass setting by Beethoven, with its full-on emotional intensity and complex scoring, is not a task for the faint-hearted, and Colchester Choral Society and Sinfonia together with four first rate soloists, set their sights high to achieve a totally convincing performance under the inspiring direction of lan Ray.

From the confidently-stated opening bars of the Kyrie, an impressive level of energy and enthusiasm was maintained throughout with sustained pleas from the chorus overlaid by urgent solo interjections for mercy. The magnificent pace and momentum of the Gloria produced a whirlwind of excited praise, interspersed with pockets of lyrical relief from the soloists, and culminating in a well-controlled fugue with nicely punched-out entries from the choir.

An equally overwhelming degree of impassioned sincerity infused the Credo. A notably fervent Et Incamatus, and a most poignant Crucifixus featured wonderful contributions from the soloists and the choir dealt admirably with the fiendishly difficult fugal setting of Et Vitam Venturi.

These unrelenting affirmations of faith then yielded to a moving Sanctus and a truly sublime Benedictus.

The soloists. Sally Silver, Elizabeth Sikora, Justin Lavender and Keel Watson worked beautifully as a finely blended and balanced quartet to create a truly reverential atmosphere, which was enhanced by an exquisitely expressive violin solo from Jessie Ridley, and an extremely sensitive orchestral accompaniment.

Keel Watson's sombre supplication for mercy opened the Agnus Dei and was taken up by his fellow soloists. The choir then successfully transformed the mood to one of joyful expectation, and brought the work to a hopeful conclusion.

The long-lasting applause from a capacity audience said it all - a stirring performance.