After the success of the Autumn Leaves concert in November, in which BCS performed a mixed bag of modern and traditional folk songs, pop and songs from the shows (Oliver !) the choir is offering traditional choral fare in April. Stainer’s ever popular Crucifixion and the delightful Requiem by Fauré will be accompanied by the Sinfonia da Chiesa under baton of Stephen Hope. Please check later for ticket price.
In July, Sunday 27th, BCS will be joining forces with the Sussex Festival Choir in a performance of The Dream of Gerontius at Arundel Cathedral, accompanied by the Sinfonia da Chiesa and with Sir Willard White amongst other notable soloists. This makes for a delightful day out and a superb setting for what is an unforgettable work, Audience members who wish to can travel with the choir by coach from central Basildon. Again, please check this website for ticket and travel details.
The thing I love about singing with choirs is the phenomenal range of music, styles and singers. Take a look at this choir, Perpetuum Jazzile, Slovenia’s only jazz choir, simulating a storm with their fingers, hands and feet, before leading into a chorus with strong African themes.
John Randall sent through a selection of pics he snapped at Arundel this year. They’ve all been added to Flickr as well as put in a gallery here. I particularly love the one of the three basses!
These are some of my favourites from the fifty or so pictures of our Bavarian trip so far submitted. You can see the rest by looking at our Flickr photostream! I am sure there are many, many more lovely pictures out there. Why not email them to choirpics@basildonchoral.org? (And tell me you’ve done it so that I can put details of who took them in the description!)
Thanks to Geoff Williams for this translation of an article published on Friday 29th October, sent through by Mr Polster, the owner of the coach company. Beware that it is a big dowload (around 11mb!). Top marks, too, to Geoff, Felicity and Cherry for being the only ones of us to be watching Stephen at the moment the photographer took his snap…
With John Upperton (Tenor) and Gerard Delrez (Bass). Saturday 20th November 7 45 pm St. Martin’s Church. Tickets £10 and £8 concessions, Children under 16 free.
Please download a poster, print it out and display it in your window.
Come and join us for the Christmas Lights Switch on in Basildon Town Centre – Between 5 – 6pm – with Aled Jones
19th November
The choir will be performing for members of the Rotary Club at the Holiday Inn, Festival Leisure Park with an after dinner concert.
20th November
“Autumn Gold” concert – including Faure’s “Requiem”, and “Cantique de Jean Racine” and Gounod’s “Messe Solonelle de Sainte Cecile” conducted by Stephen Hope. With John Upton (Tenor) and Gerard Delrez (Bass). Saturday 20th November 7 45 pm St. Martin’s Church. Tickets £10 and £8 concessions, Children under 16 free.
27th November
Following previous extremely enjoyable occasions the choir will be holding its annual fund-raising dinner at Pitsea Mount Community Hall. Come and enjoy good company and wonderful food. Tickets £20
Friday 17th December
BCS holds its annual Carol Concert in St. Martin’s Church at 7.45pm. Ticket prices TBC.
Basildon Choral Society is an amateur choir with a repertoire that ranges widely from motets, masses and challenging modern choral works to spirituals, jazz numbers and arrangements of songs from favourite musicals. We have four seasonal concerts and give a variety of additional performances throughout the year at the request of churches, charities and private organisations - either with the full ensemble or the BCS Small Choir.
Our membership is widely varied in age and background.
We're an adventurous bunch and have taken concerts to Basildon's twin towns in France (Meaux) and Germany (Heiligenhaus), as well as to Barcelona, Bruges, Erlangen, Florence, Gossweinstein, Krakow, Lille, Ostend, Rome and Venice.
We also enjoy good food and have the occasional social dinner and barbecue!
Tickets for all concerts can be purchased in advance from Pam Shankland on 01268 450421 or on the door on the night.
Basildon Choral Society 