Bristol Hannover Council
Bristol Choral Society welcomes Oratorienchor Hannover
** Having sung together at the Marktkirche, Hannover in our anniversary year 2022, it was the turn of the Oratorienchor to come to Bristol.
After a few days of visiting Bristol sights, a first experience for many of the 40 German guests, the two choirs with 150 singers along with the Bristol Ensemble and wonderful soloists combined to give a great concert in our newly refurbished Bristol Beacon concert hall.
At the German choir’s request, the programme consisted entirely of English music, and all of the pieces had links with the south-west region of England.
The Vaughan Williams Serenade to Music was followed by Gerald Finzi’s setting of a poem from the 17th century, with Nick Pritchard singing the tenor solo. After the interval, the choirs combined to huge effect, together with the tenor and soprano Nina Bennet, in Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi, written in grief after his son died suddenly of polio.
The whole programme was very beautiful and much appreciated by the audience, which was graced by the presence of the Lord Mayor, Cllr Andrew Varney. The next exchange between the two choirs is planned for 2027 – both have lots of other plans ahead.
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