Choirs combine for spectacular

The University of Chichester Chamber Choir, The Otter Consort and Chichester Chorale pool resources to offer a celebration of glorious romantic repertoire at St George's Church, Whyke, Chichester on Saturday, April 29 at 7.30pm.
Chichester ChoraleChichester Chorale
Chichester Chorale

Music will include: Rheinberger: Mass for two Choirs in Eb Op 109, Motets; Bruckner: Six Latin Motets; Brahms: Geistliches Lied, Ave Maria and Wie Lieblich; and Reger: Motets - Nachtlied and Der Mensch.

The conductors on the night will be Arthur and his son Tom Robson, with organ from Mark Wardell.

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“We do this as a regular thing for the spring concert, get the Chorale and the University of Chichester Chamber Choir together,” says Arthur. “It gives us much bigger sound resources, and it means we can do a repertoire that we can’t usually do with a small group. The second half is a mass for double choir by Rheinberger which we wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. It is just a gorgeous, gorgeous piece that is hugely romantic and one of his finest pieces. He was quite a prolific composer, in the 19th century. We will also be doing some of his smaller pieces in the first half.”

“We started preparing just after Christmas. We have had three rehearsals with the choirs together and will have two more before the concert, but we have been rehearsing the choirs separately. It will be a choir of 80 which is a big force.

“Rheinberger just knows how to write for voices. He also uses choral forces in a beautiful, clever, the way he understands male voices and women’s voices separately and then together and one choir separately and then the two together. He really knows how to knit it all together into a wonderful variety.”

The Chichester Chorale has been going for 13 years now: “We have done all sorts of things, and it goes from strength to strength. We do at least three concerts a year, sometimes four.

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“I started the University of Chichester Chamber Choir in 1992, and it is a very experienced group. The members have not been there all that time, of course. It is a student body, but there has been a great continuity and stability with it over the years.”

Tickets on www.chi.ac.uk/department-music/box-office or 0333 666 3366.

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