Our critically acclaimed student Choral Society and conductor, John Forsyth MBE, will bring a programme of energetic Baroque music to audiences in Newcastle Cathedral for the first time.
On Friday 14 March, our 80-strong Choral Society will take to the stage for a concert of Baroque composers in the magnificent surroundings of Newcastle Cathedral. Representing a first for the Society, the concert features showpieces such as Antiono Vivaldi's ever-popular Gloria, and George Frideric Handel's Dixit Dominus. It promises unremitting energy and dramatic intensity from one of the finest choirs in the region.
The concert will also honour the choir's professional conductor, John Forsyth MBE, who is planning to step down after being appointed to the position in 2011.
“When our conductor, John Forsyth MBE, first told us of his pending retirement, we knew we had to try and programme something befitting of the work he has put into the Society,” says Choral Society President Lucy Allan. “John has always said how fitting it would be for a university choir to perform Handel’s Dixit Dominus, given that Handel wrote the work at around the same age as us.
“I first heard the Vivaldi Gloria from my mum on the school run when I was around eight, and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to fulfil my musical aspirations putting together this concert with John Forsyth MBE. Organising this event has been the honour of my university musical career, and, as a biology undergraduate, it is so special to fulfil my musical aspirations alongside my degree.”
Our Choral Society are looking to build on the incredible success of their performance at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music last year, where they performed Bruckner’s Great Mass alongside the Royal Northern Sinfonia and Chorus. The resulting performance was described by the Guardian as possessing a "gloriously warm and finely balanced sound.”
“Over the past three years, our Choral Society has cemented itself as not only the premier classical music group of Durham University, but also as a beacon of excellence for music-making in the wider region,” says Manager of Performing Arts, Lewis Wilkinson. “Their sell-out concerts in Durham Cathedral; multiple collaborations with the Glasshouse International Centre for Music, and stellar reviews in the national press are testament to the University’s dedication to enriching the lives of young people through championing passion and talent.
“For the first time, the choir will perform in the magnificent surroundings of Newcastle Cathedral, where the fantastic acoustic will enhance their glorious sound.”
This concert represents just one of over 150 productions undertaken by our performing arts societies throughout the year. Offering everything from intimate jazz gigs to large-scale musicals, performances are offered almost every night of the week throughout the academic year, and welcome audiences of all ages and all walks of life. Our students are set to tackle everything from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, alongside Rachmaninoff piano concertos, and gospel music.
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