June 24th (Histon Baptist Church) and 25th (West Road Concert Hall) 2023
As I told the choir when we started rehearsals in April, Elijah has all the drama of an opera without any of the running around. With this gauntlet thrown, the choir produced a vivid and gripping performance that was equally slick in terms of ensemble and textual precision.
We were lucky enough to have four outstanding soloists: Anna-Luise Wagner, Jessica Lawrence-Hares, Peter Weatherley and, in the exceptionally challenging role of Elijah, Thomas Neißer, whose story telling held the audience completely spellbound. Supported by a skilful 50-piece orchestra, several loyal audience members remarked that this was Choir 2000 as they’d never been heard before. It continues to be a pleasure to direct them.
Concerts this coming year include Bach’s Magnificat (December 8th and 9th – Histon Baptist Church) and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. In June, we will be presenting George Dyson’s Canterbury Pilgrims. Apart from his sacred choral music, Dyson’s compositions fell out of fashion after his death. As far as we can see, this will be the first time this large piece with orchestra has been performed in Cambridge. We are very grateful to the George Dyson Trust for their support with this concert.