Chester Music Society Choir is preparing to stage a special concert featuring some of the most famous church anthems in history. The evening of song will showcase 16 well-known choral works inside the beautiful surroundings of Chester Cathedral on Saturday, May 23 at 7.30pm.
Local people will be able to enjoy pieces that have been used at royal coronations and weddings over the centuries. The event will also highlight the majestic sounds of the cathedral's historic pipe organ.
A Grand Season Finale
John Ferrari, chair of Chester Music Society Choir, said: "What better way to bring our current season of concerts to a close than with a concert featuring 'the greatest hits' of choral music."
"The 16 composers you will hear are Purcell, Vivaldi, Mozart, Brahms, Haydn, Bach, Elgar, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Faure, Rutter, Handel, Parry, Franck, Jenkins and Lotti. It’s a fantasy football league collection of the great classical composers of all time, and you get to hear them all in one night!"
Performers and Organ
The choir will be joined on stage by soloists from the Chester Cathedral Choir and conductor Graham Jordan Eliis. Organist Graham Eccles will accompany the singers on the grand instrument, which was built in 1884.
Programme Highlights
The evening will open with Hubert Parry's anthem 'I Was Glad', which has been used at the coronation of every English monarch since 1626. Music lovers can also expect to hear wedding favourites such as 'Panis Angelicus' and 'Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring'. The performance will conclude with a grand finale of the world-famous 'Hallelujah Chorus' from Handel's 'Messiah'.
The famous composer George Frideric Handel actually held a hastily arranged rehearsal for the piece in Chester back in 1741 after bad weather delayed his travel.
Ticket Information
Full details of the season finale concert can be found on the Chester Music Society website, where tickets can be purchased online. Tickets can also be bought in-person from the Chester Cathedral Box Office.
Location: Chester in Cheshire
