Britten Sinfonia Surround Sound Playlist

Wednesday 19 March, Chelmsford Cathedral 7pm

ChelmsfordSingers are delighted to have been invited to participate in this ground breaking event in Chelmsford Cathedral.

Whether you love classical music, or you’ve never thought it was for you, Britten Sinfonia’s Surround Sound Playlist offers an inspiring and unforgettable experience.
You’re lying or sitting in a cathedral, looking up at the soaring arches and beautiful ceiling above.

Lighting states shift and capture the mood as a seamless musical sequence fills the magical space from all directions..live and all around you, with orchestral drama, solo virtuosity and heart-bursting moments of choral beauty.

From the beloved and instantly recognisable to add-to-playlist new favourites, there will be orchestral, choral, solo and chamber music by Bruckner, Copland, Ēriks Ešenvalds, Handel, Morten Lauridsen, Parry, Prokofiev, Caroline Shaw, Vivaldi and many more. 

Performers

Britten Sinfonia orchestra

Tenebrae choir

Amy Dickson saxophone soloist

Joseph Tawadros oud soloist

with Chelmsford Cathedral choristers, Chelmsford Singers, Waltham Singers and Thundersley Brass Band

Options for how to experience the event

We think the ideal way to experience this event is to sit, stand or lie on a mat or cushion on the floor. We will provide mats, and you are welcome to bring an additional cushion or beanbag. However, if you are not able to sit on the floor, there will be plenty of chairs set against cathedral walls and around pillars. All tickets are unreserved, and places will be allocated on the day on a first-come, first-served basis. 

How much does it cost?

We want this experience to be accessible to everyone, and tickets are Pay What You Can, starting from just £5!  Adult and child prices are the same.

Booking: https://www.brittensinfonia.com/events/surround-sound-playlist

Join us and Felsted Choral Society for a fabulous performance of Handel’s ‘Israel in Egypt’. We’ll be performing in Thaxted Church with double choir, six soloists and a large orchestra…so this is not a concert to be missed!

at 7pm on Saturday 5th April, 2025.

Tickets £20 Adult Under 18’s here.

Rehearsals begin Tuesday January 7th 2025 !

After our successful Christmas Concert we begin work

on Israel in Egypt ready for April

Saturday 7th December 7pm

St. Andrew’s Church, Church Road, Hatfield Peverel CM3 2LE

A joyful seasonal concert of music and readings.

Tickets available here.

On Sunday 13th October a group Singers, friends and family met up in Woodbridge. We then set off in various groups to visit the Tide Mill, the Long Shed, Museum, or walk upriver to HMS Vale or down river. Some visited shops or pubs and coffee shops. We all met later at St Mary’s Church where James told us about its history and showed us more interesting things we might have missed on our own. He then played several pieces on the organ for us before we crossed the road for late Sunday lunch at The Bull. Food and service were excellent and it was great to be out relaxing together. Photos of the day here.

We have a full and exciting term of singing ahead with a number of local performances planned for November and December. The first of these will be a welcome return to Chelmsford Cathedral on 17th November, 7pm to celebrate the centenary of Charles Villiers Stanford. We are keen to broaden our membership in all parts so if you are a singer with previous musical or choral experience considering joining a choir, do come along . You can find details of rehearsals here.

Tickets available here.

Musical Director’s thought after Summer concert

Excellent concert with The Chelmsford Singers, Tim Carey, and Geoff Clapham. Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet getting a really sensitive and powerful performance, amongst a wealth of other goodies; Geoff’s solos gave the evening a great rollicking twist and a particularly well-turned out ‘Old Joe has gone fishing’ was worth the blood, sweat and tears of rehearsals…! Nice audience too – thanks all!

On the first weekend of May the Chelmsford Singers made a welcome return to St
Luke’s Church in Tiptree for a late Spring concert of sacred choral works by Felix
Mendelssohn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The choir was joined by four superb soloists: Jessica Edom-Carey, Alexander
Pullinger, Tom Stapleton, and Theo Perry, accompanied on St Luke’s fine organ by
Stephen King, organist of Brentwood Cathedral.
The programme included two organ solos by Stephen. In the first half the
Consolation in D flat by Franz Liszt separated the ebullient Regina Coeli K 276 by
Mozart (with its coincidental echoes of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus) and the rarely performed Lauda Sion by Felix Mendelssohn, a tuneful and substantial work that
delighted the audience and showed off both choir and solo quartet to great effect.
The second half began with Bach’s Prelude and Fuge in C major, after which the
choir launched without further introduction into Mozart’s much-loved Solemn
Vespers K 339.
The Vespers contains the famous Laudate Dominum, for solo soprano and choir, one of two solo movements for Jessica Edom-Carey in the concert, and her warm and powerful voice filled the church to stunning effect, especially in the Mozart where she was accompanied gently by the choir.
The choir was on very fine form throughout, employing expressively soft singing and
commanding power with a great variety of colours in between, and the reaction of
the audience paid a fine tribute to the hard work that went into a sparkling concert.

The Chelmsford Singers enjoy opportunities to work with composers on their music, and it was very special to have James Whitbourn with us for our first performance of Annelies – his breadth of musical knowledge and ability to create moods make this a very moving and dramatic work and we enjoyed his presence and encouragement in rehearsal and the pre-concert talk he gave as part of the performance.

His musical influence was huge both in the UK and in the USA and he will be greatly missed – we were pleased to have met him and sung his beautiful music which will live on.

Rehearsals are going well in preparation for our next concert on Saturday, May 4^th in St Luke’s Church, Tiptree. This term we are focussing on pieces from the Classical and Romantic periods:  Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore and Regina coeli and Mendelssohn’s Lauda Sion. Three wonderful, inspirational, radiant pieces that make our voices soar and prove that church music can be joyful. Our secretary Martin has sent internet links to all members of the choir so we can practice at home

Very latest news is that we are very fortunate to have a new accompanist: the brilliant, international pianist Tim Carey who brings his expertise and humour to each rehearsal.

The concert on May 4^th will be lively and exciting. Tickets available here. Do come and join us!