MODERN CHORAL MUSIC SET TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE AT CHESTER FESTIVAL CONCERT

Final rehearsals are underway as one of Chester's top choirs prepares to stage its annual concert which will feature an eclectic mix of modern choral music on the theme of the passing of time.

Chester Festival Chorus will stage the concert at the Wesley Church Centre in St John Street on Saturday 4^th July from 7.30pm. The chorus will be joined for the concert by Soprano Elspeth Piggott, Bass Graham McCusker, Violinist Matthew Chadbond and accompanist Graham Eccles, all under of the baton of the choir's new Musical Director Joseph Judge.  Described as "modern but listenable" the concert will feature music by Jonathan Dove, Dale Trumbore, Felix Mendelssohn, Johan Sebastian Bach and Arvo Pärt. 

Formed in 1981 by Martin Merry, a founder of the Chester Summer Music Festival, the Chester Festival Chorus has established itself as one of Northwest England’s leading large-scale mixed-voice choirs. At the annual Chester Summer Music Festival, the chorus has performed major choral works from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Poulenc and Tavener.

This year, the Chorus is pleased to welcome its new Musical Director Joseph Judge. A Graduate of The Royal Northern College of Music, Joseph is Chorus Director of Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, Artistic Director of the Exon Singers Festival, Musical Director of Chester Bach Singers and Director of the Hallé Choral Academy. Most recently, Joseph was Choral Director for the acclaimed Alan Bennett film 'The Choral' starring Ralph Fiennes. He has also worked with English National Opera and Walk the Plank for a large-scale project bringing opera to the community in Manchester. Joseph has also conducted Manchester Camerata and assisted the BBC and Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestras. Other projects includes leading session recordings for Sony PlayStation and producing Northern Lights – an album of contemporary choral works with BBC Choir of the Year winners, Voices of Hope.

Speaking about the concert, Andy Ashton, the Chair of Chester Festival Chorus said:

"This year's concert focuses on the voices of the choir, accompanied by piano, two soloists and a violin. The theme is time. Jonathan Dove’s "The Passing of the Year" uses poems from Emily Dickinson, William Blake and Alfred Tennyson to explore themes of time passing through the seasons and the years. Dale Trumbore’s "Stuck in the Middle" explores similar themes of life passing as we busy ourselves with our daily activities.  Mendelssohn’s beautiful Romantic-era "Sechs Sprüche" is a collection of 6 short anthems for the key days in the church year.  J.S Bach’s "Wachet Auf" (Awake! the voice calls to us) is perhaps his best known Cantata. You will definitely recognise some of it!  Arvo Pärt’s "Spiegel I’m Spiegel" has become a popular classic and will be heard here in the version for solo piano and violin. We are delighted to be joined by our new Musical Director Joseph Judge, accompanist Graham Eccles and our guest soloists, Elspeth Piggott, Graham McCusker and Matthew Chadbond for this special concert which showcases an eclectic mix of modern but listenable music. All the pieces being performed are available  to listen to on Spotify as a precursor to hearing them live. We can't wait to perform them in the wonderful surroundings of the Wesley Church Centre with its incredible acoustics."

Full details of this special concert by Chester Festival Chorus can be found at: 

www.chesterfestivalchorus.org.uk 

...where tickets can be booked online.

Pictured -  (Clockwise) Elspeth Piggott, Graham McCusker, Matthew Chadbond, Joseph Judge and Graham Eccles will join Chester Festival Chorus for its concert at the Wesley Church Centre in Chester.