Today was our last Three Choirs Festival concert before we head back to London Heathrow and on to the next part of our journey. We heard a huge contingent from the Sydney Philharmonic Choirs, about 150 people out of an organization of 2,000 singers! There were many familiar pieces, such as the opener, Hubert Parry’s… Read More Cathedral classics… plus!
Last night was our last evening concert for the Three Choirs Festival—an all-Mozart concert including the Requiem and the Sinfonia Concertante in E flat for violin and viola, K 364—a most unusual concerto. However, don’t get me wrong—there’s still one more nighttime concert left in the Festival but by that time we will be on… Read More Magnificent Mozart!
I really looked forward to tonight’s performance of the Monteverdi Vespers — one of my all-time favorites. In case you are not familiar with the work, it was composed in 1610 by Claudio Monteverdi and is a collection of opulent choruses, virtuosic soloists, and an eclectic mix of old and new styles. It consists of… Read More Monteverdi and Chichester memories
This morning we attended a lecture by Paul Hale, the consultant on the new organ at Gloucester Cathedral. Over 95% of the pipes are new, replacing a 1971 installation. At the beginning of his talk, he said we would be having a contest for anyone to win a free copy of his latest book, “The… Read More The new organ at Gloucester Cathedral
That was my reaction to last night’s concert with organist Katelyn Emerson, who played a brilliant performance of Francis Poulenc’s Concerto in G minor. This was perhaps only the second or third live performance of the work that I’ve heard but by far the most electrifying and exciting. As I watched and listened, one word… Read More Absolutely brilliant!
Yesterday we were reminded that the Three Choirs Festival has an essential worship component, and I wanted to describe in more detail the worship services we have attended so far. The opening service was called “Festal Mattins,” which of course is a different spelling from that used in the United States. During the grand procession… Read More Worship at Three Choirs
I said goodbye to my family at London Heathrow Airport and met up with Joan Ishibashi, and together we waited for Bill Potter to arrive from Honolulu. It took us about four hours to drive to Gloucester owing to the bad traffic—ordinarily it would take only 2-1/2 hours to drive the 100 miles, but we… Read More Setting the bar high
Yesterday was the 10th Anniversary Evensong to celebrate the founding of The American Friends of the Three Choirs Festival. Here’s what Rich Arenschieldt, chair of the American Friends, wrote: This year’s festival is a special one for the American Friends, as we celebrate our tenth anniversary. We are offering something never before done at Three… Read More 10th Anniversary Evensong
Yesterday we had the rare opportunity to tour the Nicholson & Co. Ltd Factory, a British organ factory which was founded by John Nicholson (1815–1895) in 1841. One of their most important projects is the restoration of the Gloucester Cathedral organ, which is projected to be completed in 2026, the year of the next Three… Read More ‘Norman’ is keeping watch!
In last night’s post, I neglected to write about the concert we heard after Evensong, performed by the BBC Singers. On one hand, it is a human impossibility to attend every single event of the Festival because many events occur simultaneously. On the other hand, it’s impossible to write about every single concert and every… Read More Superstars