Past Performances

Sat, 6 Jul 2024

Inspired by the proximity to the Fourth of July, Reading Bach Choir presented Music of the Americas.

We traced a line from the Renaissance, when Spanish-born Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla travelled to modern-day Mexico and became the “master of music of New Spain” to dominant musical figures of the 20th century, such as the Brazilian, Heitor Villa-Lobos and the Argentinian, Alberto Ginastera. There was music from up-and-coming Canadian composers, the Haitian-American, Sydney Guillaume, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Caroline Shaw from the United States.

The evening was a colourful mosaic honouring the diversity of the Americas from top to bottom and East to West.  A multitude of languages were represented, from Latin to Portuguese and Spanish to the native Nheengatu, expressing sacred stories, folk tales, and brilliant poems by the likes of Emma Lazarus and Pablo Neruda.


"Congratulations on an exciting evening with incredible vitality and variety" - Peter
"Bravo to the Reading Bach Choir for last night’s performance! An unusual, varied selection of music from the Americas, which both the choir and the audience seemed to enjoy! I’m already looking forward to the next concert" - Cath
"What a thrilling concert! So much fascinating new music. Thank you! " - Alison

 

Sat, 16 Mar 2024

Joined by a quartet of soloists from Genesis Sixteen and supported by Assistant Music Director Nicholas Shaw at the piano, on Saturday 16th March the Reading Bach Choir performed the rarely heard original version of Dvořák's Stabat Mater under the baton of their Music Director, Daniel Mahoney.

The first half of the concert consisted of four a capella works:
Richte mich, Gott               Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Christus factus est            Bruckner (1824-1896)
Os Justi                                  Bruckner (1824-1896)
Ave Maria                              Verdi (1813-1901)

Daniel Mahoney              Conductor
Nicholas Shaw                ​​​Piano
Ellen Mawhinney           Soprano
Rebekah Jones               Mezzo soprano
Michael Lafferty             Tenor
Michael Ronan                Bass-baritone

"The Stabat Mater was powerful, sensitive and moving."

"That was absolutely stunning.  I loved it. ... Looking forward to whatever you do next."

"This was a performance of fire and attack."
Henley Standard
 

Sat, 25 Nov 2023

Schutz: Selig sind die Toten

Bach: Jesu, meine Freude

Victoria: 1605 Requiem Mass

Daniel Mahoney - conductor

In this concert, Reading Bach Choir presented a journey through masterpieces of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. 

Written during Bach's first year in Leipzig, the German master's longest motet is one of his most beloved, entwining a Lutheran hymn tune chorale with biblical verses in a complex and beautiful structure.

Over a century earlier, the master of Spanish Renaissance, Victoria, did the same with his Office of the Dead.   Written for the funeral of Dowager Empress Maria, it is considered one of the greatest works of choral music from that period, imbued with a profound spirituality and emotional depth.

 

Sat, 8 Jul 2023

Sat, 29 Apr 2023

Sat, 11 Feb 2023

This concert was an opportunity to hear one of Haydn's oratorios, Seven Last Words, reimagined in a novel way as a moving piece for choir and strings.  Also on the programme was Beethoven's Elegaic Song, Lotti's 8 part Crucifixus and Mendelssohn's Jesu, meine Freude.  The choir was delighted to be accompanied by a string quartet who also played Arvo Part's Psalom.








Concert Review

In the magnificent surroundings of All Saints Church in Reading, the Reading Bach Choir presented a fascinating concert of little known works by well known composers. For some unknown reason these works seem to have lost their popularity amongst the choral community but well deserved their presentation again by this popular and highly talented choir.
The first half consisted or four short works by Lotti, Beethoven, Pärt and Mendelssohn. The first of these, the Crucifixus by Lotti, sung a capella, consists of simple, beautifully melodic lines that move through the choir and develop through the work, floating across the audience like waves.
By contrast Beethoven’s Elegischer Gesang is a much more robust and fuller sound that brings all the parts of the choir together and includes surprising harmonies, typical of many of his works.
Again, a dramatic contrast with Psalom, played by the very talented string quartet that accompanied most of the concert. Pärt’s works are often sparse with quiet or even silent passages that say more in the silence than in some of the notes. This was no exception. The short phrases passing between different combinations of the four instruments created an ethereal atmosphere.
The last piece in the first half, Mendelssohn’s, Jesu meine Freude, is a joyful and lively piece that, as its title implies, should bring a smile to our face. It did precisely that to members of the choir.
The second half consisted entirely of Haydn’s Seven Last Words. This was originally commissioned for the main church in Cadiz as an instrumental piece in 1785 but was further developed in stages into a fine oratorio piece. It consists of the seven short sentences spoken by Jesus from the cross. Each sentence is sung by the Choir and is followed by a short section of prayer set to music for the Choir to support the emotion of the sentence.
The programme notes gave us the sentences and it became clear that the following musical section fully supported the sentences. The solo pieces gave many of the fine voices in the Choir the opportunity to demonstrate their talent. This was Reading Bach Choir at its best.

Peter Boardley

 

Sat, 28 Jan 2023

Sun, 13 Nov 2022

Reading Bach Choir was delighted to return to St Andrew’s Church in Caversham for this concert with a programme entitled “I Believe: Life after death”.

The concert explored three stages of this, beginning with “the separation of the soul from the body” in "On Leaving", a piece by contemporary Ukrainian composer Galina Grigorjeva.

We then moved to “Requiem” by Herbert Howells, a comfort to those who remain and mourn.

Lastly, we presented Margaret Bonds’ “Credo”, an affirmation of belief that follows a loss. This is a setting of words by W.E.B. Du Bois by a black American woman and makes a profound statement of harmony and professed belief.

This was a moving and uplifting concert, fitting for Remembrance Sunday

Concert review in the Newbury Weekly News:

Attending an RBC concert, I always come away with just a little bit extra; whether it’s an introduction to a lesser known composer or a familiar text in a very different musical context. We got both of these at St Andrew’s on Remembrance Sunday when Daniel Mahoney led the choir through three pieces on the theme of “I Believe”; wonderful pieces, but which could not have contrasted more.
“On Leaving” Galina Grigorjeva’s hauntingly beautiful setting of the text for the Orthodox funeral liturgy felt very much in the Russian style of polyphonic singing, although the addition of flute and triangle firmly placed it in the 21^st Century. Special mention to the basses who played a heroic role, whilst the other six parts created a shimmering texture which gave a quite mesmeric effect. Tenor Henry Ross gave an achingly beautiful rendering of the second movement “like drops of rain, my evil days and few, dried up by summers heat, already gently vanish; oh, lady save me “
We moved to more familiar territory with the Herbert Howells Requiem. As with many choirs, RBC is reshaping the choir after the lockdown pause and I felt there is a very satisfying balance across the parts. It was good to see the trio in the second movement taken by choir members.  Mahoney’s tempo was restrained and measured . The choir was very comfortable with the distinctive Howells musical complexities and the final movement “I heard a voice from Heaven” was deeply moving.
The final work, “Credo” by Margaret Bonds, gave the choir the chance to move to another mood entirely. Bonds grew up in the racially segregated black south side of Chicago. The piece, composed in the 1960’s, took its text from W.E.B Du Bois’ prose poem of 1904, urging racial harmony and equality as something ordained from Heaven.
The choir really sung with conviction and relish; either in ensemble alone, or supporting the choir’s guests. Lynda Nwabudike’s “Especially do I believe in the Negro Race” was glorious (and received rapturous applause from the audience!) and George Robarts “I believe in Liberty” was commanding.
Bonds was an accomplished pianist and the piece has a wonderful piano score, beautifully interpreted by Gavin Roberts.
Thank you, Daniel and RBC for an imaginative programme of hope on that day of Remembrance.

 

Sat, 11 Jun 2022

Sat, 19 Mar 2022

Usher in the changing seasons with the Reading Bach Choir's first concert under new musical director Daniel Mahoney.  Drawing upon the choir's rich tradition of juxtaposing old and new, this concert brings together works from the Welsh composer Thomas Tomkins to a UK premiere.  

One of two Bach motets on the programme, the jubilant Lobet den Herrn revels in the celebration of the coming spring and the Baroque master's birthday, as well as a new chapter in the choir's story.

The expansive and the swallow highlights why Caroline Shaw was the youngest ever recipient of the esteemed Pulitzer prize for music.  Two pieces by acclaimed Indian-American composer Reena Esmail savour in the sensual and spiritual poetry of Hafiz.

Henry Purcell's beloved Funeral Sentences, central to the music for the funeral of Queen Mary, serve as a timely tribute to those who have left us during these difficult past two years.

Los Angeles based Filipino composer Saunder Choi's Can You Hear Me? receives its UK premiere.  This companion to the final piece on the programme asks us to recognise and acknowledge others' points of view while Bach's Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied rouses the heart to sing and dance in celebration and praise.
 

Tue, 25 Jan 2022

This concert of haunting and compelling music was heralded by a choral fanfare, Prelude, by the Norwegian, Ola Gjeilo, followed by two song cycles for choir and piano, including The Kestrel Road by Peter Maxwell Davies, a piece suggestive of the ‘elusive land and seascapes’ of the Orkney Islands and influenced by folklore and music.  Bob Chilcott’s setting of five Aesop Fables uses the composer’s gift for melody and delivers some powerful settings of the famous texts.

Two unaccompanied works by female composers: Media Vita by Kerensa Briggs and Kyrie after Byrd by Roxanna Panufnik were performed, as well a setting of James Agee’s poem, Sure on this Shining Night by Morten Lauridsen, already one of the classic choral works of this century.

COVID complications meant this concert was rescheduled from the original date of Saturday November 27th 2021 to Tuesday 25th January 2022.

Sat, 8 Feb 2020

Sat, 2 Nov 2019

Sat, 22 Jun 2019

A choral celebration of the SUMMER SOLSTICE! including Tormis' lively and unusual St John’s Day Songs and works by Britten, Dove, Harvey, Einfelde, Vasks, Ešenvalds  and Rautavaara. 

 

Sat, 6 Apr 2019

Sat, 2 Feb 2019

Sat, 3 Nov 2018

This concert commemorated the 1918 armistice with works by five English composers reflecting their own musical backgrounds and wartime experiences.

The wellspring of Gerald Finzi’s Requiem da Camera was the death in action in 1918 of his first composition teacher, Ernest Farrar, whom he idolised. Finzi was shattered, and in the wake of Farrar’s passing conceived this memorial to him at the beginning of the 1920s. Gustav Holst’s Ode to Death (1922), for chorus and orchestra, was also written in response to composer friends who died in the war. Its quiet resigned mood and feeling of the infinite make it for many people Holst’s most beautiful choral work.

His daughter Imogen Holst’s Three Psalms (1943) for chorus and strings are stunning pieces with subtle rhythms and carefully hidden harmonies producing a variety of choral textures. George Dyson fought in the war, suffering shellshock, but his Hierusalem (1956) for soprano, chorus and strings presents not the grief and horror of war but a vision of heaven.

The concert started with Elgar’s Sospiri for string orchestra, composed in the months leading up to the outbreak of the First World War; it was perhaps the gathering storm clouds of war that moved him to write such a heartfelt, bleak adagio.

In his pre-concert talk, Andrew Burn, a member of the Finzi Trust, focused on the relationship between teacher and pupil, and explored the Requiem da Camera which, for all its elegiac quietude, is also a lament for the heartbreak of war.