CHESTER CHOIR JOINS FORCES WITH MANCHESTER-BASED MUSICIANS FOR SPECIAL CONCERT

Final preparations are underway as an acclaimed Chester choir gets ready to join forces with Manchester-based musicians for a concert which will feature a four-handed piano accompaniment performance of one of Brahms’ most famous and enduring masterpieces.

The Concert, which takes place at the Wesley Church Centre in St John Street, Chester on Sunday 30^th June at 5.00pm, will see Chester Festival Chorus joined by renowned local pianist Graham Eccles and Manchester based pianist Ben Attfield for a performance of Johannes Brahms' "Ein Deutshes Requiem". (A German Requiem) which has been a much-loved fixture in the choral repertoire ever since its first performance in Leipzig in 1869

Brahms' Requiem is normally heard in the version for full orchestra, however, for this concert, the choir will be performing the version that Brahms created for piano duet that brings out the more intimate, chamber-like features of the work without sacrificing the majestic choral fugues that punctuate the work, making it perfectly suited for performance at the Wesley Church Centre.

The choir will also be performing "A Glimpse of the Light" by contemporary composer Rory Wainwright Johnston, first written to accompany a performance of the Mozart Requiem in 2019 that takes its inspiration from the Robert Frost's poem 'A Passing Glimpse' to form, in the composer's words, 'a musical glimpse of the things beyond our comprehension'. As a composer, conductor and workshop leader, Rory has worked across the UK and in Germany. His music has been performed by many vocal ensembles, including Manchester’s avant-garde chamber choir.

The concert, which will also showcase the talents of Soprano Elspeth Piggott and Baritone William Kyle, will be musically directed by acclaimed conductor Ellie Slorach. 

Based in Manchester, Ellie is the Founder and Artistic Director of Kantos Chamber Choir and the Engagement Conductor for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. In the 2023-24 season, Ellie made her debut with the Royal Northern Sinfonia at The Glasshouse and with New Adventures’ production of Edward Scissorhands at Sadler’s Wells. She returns to the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, BBC Singers, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Orchestra of Opera North and Manchester Camerata. In July this year, Ellie will conduct Voices of the River’s Edge and the Royal Northern Sinfonia in a special concert featuring soundtracks from the world of fantasy including Game of Thrones, His Dark Materials, Harry Potter and Star Wars, as part of the BBC Proms 2024 Season. 

Full details of the concert can be found at: 

www.chesterfestivalchorus.org.uk 

...where tickets can be booked online.