Concert brahms: requiem Season handel: messiah Verdi: Four Sacred Pieces, Rossini: 2012–13 Vivaldi: Kyrie, , Saturday 22 December 2012 7.30pm, Colston Hall Saturday 24 November 2012 7.30pm, Colston Hall Handel: messiah Music for Awhile (leader Margaret Faultless) brahms: Warwick Cole - Harpsichord Ein deutsches Adrian Partington - Conductor Mary Nelson – Soprano Requiem James Neville – Countertenor Brahms: Daniel Auchincloss – Tenor Tragic Overture Joshua Copeland – Baritone It’s almost 120 years to the day since Bristol Choral New Bristol Sinfonia Society first gaveMessiah in the Colston Hall. How Adrian Partington – Conductor things have changed… Our forebears wouldn’t have Hye-Youn Lee – Soprano performed the piece entirely from memory, a Njabulo Madlala – Baritone ‘prequel’ family-friendly Messiah-in-miniature would have met with raised eyebrows, and they’d The opening words of the Requiem Brahms finally have been intrigued by the period instruments and completed in the wake of his mother’s death could playing style of Music for Awhile! almost serve as its motto: ‘Blessed are they who Our Messiah has long signalled the start of mourn for they shall be comforted’. Rather than a Bristol’s countdown to Christmas – with a Latin ‘Mass for the Dead’ it’s a meditation on death distinguished line-up of soloists and 120 years’ for the living, suffused with almost unbearable know-how, Messiah 2012 bids ‘Hallelujah’! longing compounded by hope and despair, sweetness and grief, intimacy and grandeur. £23, £19, £15, £12, £10. Under 25s £5. Schumann’s widow Clara described it as ‘an Concessions available immense work that takes hold of a person’s whole being like very little else’. Joining the choir are the Plus at 4.30pm: young Korean soprano Hye-Youn Lee fresh from Parsifal in Paris and Puccini in Finland, and Njabulo Mini Messiah Madlala, winner of the 2010 Kathleen Ferrier family concert Competition – where The Times savoured ‘the rich This bite-sized introduction to Messiah takes in velvety plush of his fearless voice, its inner warmth some of the favourite highlights in under an hour - and its flexibility’. the perfect way to introduce children to Handel’s masterpiece. £23, £19, £15, £12, £10. Under 25s £5. Concessions available Adults £5, accompanied children under 18 FREE Saturday 23 March 2013 Saturday 15 June 2013 7.30pm, Colston Hall 7.30pm, Bristol Cathedral Verdi: Quattro Viva Vivaldi! Pezzi Sacri ❦ Kyrie ❦ Gloria (Four Sacred Pieces) ❦ Dixit Dominus ❦ ‘Summer’ from The Rossini: Four Seasons Stabat Mater Bristol Ensemble English Symphony Orchestra Roger Huckle - Violin Adrian Partington – Conductor Warwick Cole - Harpsichord Camilla Roberts – Soprano Adrian Partington – Conductor Clare Presland – Mezzo-soprano Llio Evans – Soprano Adrian Dwyer – Tenor Eleanor Stowe – Soprano Robert Poulton – Bass Olivia Gomez – Alto Viva Italia – and in this his bicentenary year, Viva Peter Harris – Tenor Verdi! Tonight we spotlight two works completed Alex Jones – Bass after their composers’ retirement from the musical If Venice was a must-see destination on the 18th theatre – happily, our outstanding quartet of young century Grand Tour, then its orphanage of the Pietà soloists pools a wealth of experience honed with the was the must-hear jewel in the city’s musical crown. leading opera companies in the UK and beyond. One contemporary observed that the young ladies Verdi’s wonderfully contrasted Quattro Pezzi Sacri there sang ‘like angels and play violins, flutes, oboes, range from a prayerful unaccompanied Ave Maria to organ, cello and bassoon: there is no instrument so the vividly-conceived, double-chorus-and-orchestra large that it could frighten them’. Nor were they Te Deum; while the deeply-felt Stabat Mater affords frightened by the demands of the music specially comparisons with Rossini’s decade-in-the-making composed for them by . For our last large scale opus – its famously ardent Cujus animam concert of the season we set the Venetian vitality of and the solemn ecclesiastical pomp and the Gloria (RV589) in the context of other works circumstance of the closing double fugue, written for the Pietà including the glorious double- unforgettable. choir and double-orchestra Dixit Dominus (RV594).

£23, £19, £15, £12, £10. Under 25s £5. £22, £17 (reserved), £14, £10 (unreserved). Concessions available Under 25s £5. Concessions available Saturday 20 October 2012 10.00am – 12.15pm, Tyndale Baptist Church come sing brahms requiem Your chance to join members of BCS and conductor Adrian Partington to sing Brahms’ mighty Requiem. All are welcome for this short, fun morning of singing – open to all, Saturday 16 February 2013 experienced or not (ability to read music desirable). 10.00am – 4.00pm, Tyndale Baptist Church Tickets £10 including score hire – book online at www.bristolchoral.co.uk or from Sarah Fernandes Come & sing 0117 962 3223. These tickets are NOT mendelssohn: St paul available from the Colston Hall As we approach our 125th season (coming up next – Part of the Festival of Song – year!) we turn our attention to the work that was performed at Bristol Choral Society’s first ever concert. Come and spend the day exploring Mendelssohn’s St Paul under the inspirational baton Friday 2 November 2012 of Adrian Partington, ready to give an informal An evening with performance in the afternoon with vocal soloists. Tickets £15 (under 18s £7.50) including score hire Mark Padmore - book online at www.bristolchoral.co.uk or from Enjoy an evening with renowned tenor and BCS Sarah Fernandes 0117 962 3223 President Mark Padmore – not singing this time, Advance booking essential. These tickets are but in conversation with Adrian Partington NOT available from the Colston Hall revealing the music he just couldn’t live without if marooned on a desert island. Expect lots of insightful conversation, extracts of great music and supper. Wednesday 8 May 2013 Please note this event is open to 7.30pm, Colston Hall members, Patrons, Friends and Supporters beethoven of Bristol Choral Society only. See overleaf Symphony 9 ‘Choral’ for details of how to Bristol Ensemble become a Friend or Jonathan James - Conductor Supporter of Bristol Choral Society We are delighted to have accepted this invitation to join the superb Bristol Ensemble for the arco Borggreve M arco culmination of their epic journey through Beethoven’s Tickets from nine symphonies – an ‘Ode to www.bristolchoral.co.uk Joy’ indeed. and Colston Hall Tickets only available from 0117 922 3686 the Colston Hall Apprentices

Bristol Choral Society encourages the next generation of singers and welcomes students in School Year 9 (or above) to the Choral Apprenticeship Scheme. To join the scheme applicants simply need to enjoy singing, and be willing to commit to free membership of the choir for at least one year. Sight-reading and knowledge of music theory are not essential and each successful applicant will be assigned a mentor of the same voice part who will offer support at rehearsals and concerts. The scheme is entirely free of all costs. In addition to the Apprentice Scheme for teenagers, the choir is also involved in work encouraging choral singing in some of Bristol’s primary schools, and frequently joins these schools for performances. Patrons, Friends and Supporters Bristol Choral Society is very Contact Ann Butterfield on Supporters grateful to the many people who 0117 949 6551 for more Mrs Jean Bradford, show their support as Patrons, details. Mr Peter Buchanan, Friends and Supporters of the Mrs Marjorie Cook, Patrons choir. Their generous donations Mr Peter Gee, Ms Annette Hecht, Dr Bob Broomfield, help to make it possible for us Mr and Mrs Ray Hele, Mr Steve Elliott to stage large and expensive Mr John Hopper, Bridie and events with the finest musicians, Friends Callen McClusky, Mrs Cilla and in return they receive Mr and Mrs Don Butterfield, Newsom, Mr Geoff Peattie, acknowledgement in Mr Nigel Edwards, Mrs Jane Dr Stephen Pill, Mr Malcolm programmes, invitations to Godfrey, Ms Jan Longden, Pillar, Mrs Lilian Preece, informal concert receptions & Mr David Mander, Mrs Barbara Torrance, any social events, as well as Ms Hilary Mayne, Osborne Mr Philip Unwin, Mr John Wilson other benefits. You can become a Clarke, Dr Graham Pegg, Life members supporter of Bristol Choral Mrs Frankie Sahni, Miss Barbara Lewellen Society from just £25. Mr and Mrs Chris Tagholm

Tickets from Colston Hall 0117 922 3686 About us Tickets

Bristol Choral Society is a thriving mixed Tickets are available from the voice choir with 160 singing members Colston Hall box office and a wide range of ages. First in person, by telephone established in 1889, Bristol Choral 0117 922 3686 Society is conducted by Adrian or online at Partington, one of the UK’s foremost www.bristolchoral.co.uk choral conductors. Tickets on sale from Monday 2 July. The choir is very active – staging at least Booking fees apply to payments three concerts annually at the Colston made by card. Hall, and another at Bristol Cathedral in addition to other Save money with the BCS season concerts, singing ticket! 15% discount when you buy and social events. the season ticket covering these Membership is by 4 concerts: 24 Nov, 22 Dec (7.30pm), audition and 23 Mar, 15 June. Cannot be used in prospective conjunction with concessions. members are warmly welcomed Concessions (where available): to ‘try us out’ Under 25s all tickets £5, senior citizens before deciding to join – all receive a 10% discount, registered disabled £10 warm welcome! plus one free seat for carer. For more information please contact Frances Roberts on 0117 927 6997 or email [email protected] ‘Bristol Choral Society is Presidents: Mark Padmore a really splendid choir; and The Lord Mayor of Bristol responsive, dynamic Adrian Partington – Music Director Steven Kings – Assistant Music and controlled’ Director Robert Dean – Vocal Consultant Margaret Faultless Registered Charity No. 266472 Music for Awhile and co-leader, OAE

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