Chapel Choir Tour

Published by Bedford Upper School on Monday 25th of November 2013

Bedford School's Chapel Choir and strings ensemble set out to tour Germany this August. Over the course of five days the Choir and ensemble gave concerts in Bad Ems, Kues and Bacharach and Cologne, in the Anglican All Saints Church. The boys performed a wide selection of music, from English composers such as Purcell to German composers such as Mozart, covering Baroque to the early 20th Century.
Their performance at All Saints Church in Cologne even made the local paper, Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, who commented that 'choristers were very much worthy of their sacred red robes'.

They also commented, 'Music Director Jonathan Sanders, sometimes reinforcing the strings on the viola, put value on a precise text pronunciation of the choir and a lively articulation of the strings. The versatile classical music program gave precedence to music of the British Isles; for example a Chacony by Henry Purcell arranged by Benjamin Britten, pillars of British music history well known to us. But one also learned of the traditionally a-cappella dominated choral work of the lesser-known composer Hubert Parry (1848-1918).

Sounding the opening was Purcell's Festival hymn "Rejoice in the Lord". Choir and Strings worked well together. Deputy Director of music Jeremy Rouse showed great experience at the Klais organ. He managed to support, but never to drown the choir at the altar from the rear gallery of the church: a good understanding of the length of the space. This skill proved itself especially in Mozart's Spatzenmesse, where the young singers also performed the solo parts.'