A Saturday morning event in Fulwell Methodist Church.

Why not join the Society in a social event which comes with a raffle and stalls (including Christmas crafts), while enjoying the tea/coffee, scones and a chat.

A Sunday evening performance in The Sage, Gateshead.

A North East First ………. Bishopwearmouth Choral Society in association with Orchestra North East (ONE) and Ryton Choral Society, conducted by David Murray.

Soloists : Alexander Robin Baker (Baritone), Laurie Ashworth (Soprano) and Peter Vasey (Counter Tenor).

Leading North East musicians are to bring Carl Orff’s unique and dramatic Carmina Burana to Hall One in what will be the first performance in the Sage given by local players. With augmented local choral societies, of which David Murray is the distinguished choirmaster, a children’s choir and vocal soloists, as well as the large forces of Orchestra North East, over 200 musicians and singers will be involved in the performance of this monumental work. Sacred and profane the original medieval songs may be, but the excitement generated by Orff’s unique music is almost tangible and certainly timeless.

Tickets: Adults £16; Concessions (Unwaged & 60+) £14; Students (16+) £8; under 16 FREE with paying Adult. From Sage Box Office : 0191 443 4661 or http://thesagegateshead.org/event/orchestra-north-east/

A Saturday evening concert in Sunderland Minster.

Conducted by David Murray.

Soloist – Matthew Brook (Bass-Baritone)

The concert will feature Belshazzar’s Feast by William Walton, and Blest Pair of Sirens & I was glad by Sir Hubert Parry.

Tickets are £12.00 (£6 concession for full time students and those on income related benefits) and accompanied children under 16 admitted free. Tickets obtainable via this website or info@mdblac240.uk.w3pcloud.com of from on-line ticketing at http://wegottickets.com/BCS

Belshazzar’s Feast is a cantata by the English composer William Walton, first performed in 1931, and remains one of Walton’s most celebrated compositions. Osbert Sitwell selected the text from the Bible, primarily from the Book of Daniel and Psalm 137 (By the waters of Babylon). In the story, the Jews are in exile in Babylon. After a feast at which Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, commits sacrilege by using the Jews’ sacred vessels to praise the heathen gods, he is miraculously killed, the kingdom falls, and the Jews regain their freedom.

The pieces by Parry will be well known. Blest Pair of Sirens, first performed in 1887, was based on Milton’s ‘Ode at a Solemn Music’ and was recently performed at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I was glad, based on text from Psalm 122, was written for the coronation of King Edward VII and revised in 1911 for the coronation of King George V, when the familar introduction was added. It was also performed during the wedding of William and Catherine, and previously at the wedding of his parents.

Matthew Brook has appeared as a soloist throughout Europe, Australia, South Africa and the Far East, and has sung extensively as a recitalist and concert artist. He has developed a world-wide reputation for his interpretation of the music of Bach and Handel, but his musical tastes stretch way beyond that period of music, often performing new compositions at major festivals and concert halls, and has performed on the opera stages of Europe. He has performed at many of Europe’s top festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival and BBC Proms.

A Saturday evening concert in St.Gabriel’s Church, Chester Road, Sunderland, SR4 7TP.

Conducted by David Murray.

Please note that due to circumstances the arrangements for this concert have had to be changed to a different date and location. Our apologies for this necessary change.

Tickets are £12.00 (£6 concession for full time students and those on income related benefits) and accompanied children under 16 admitted free. For this changed venue there will be a small number of tickets at £6.00 for the side-chapel with a restricted view. Tickets obtainable via this website or info@mdblac240.uk.w3pcloud.com of from on-line ticketing at http://wegottickets.com/BCS

The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams was written in 1920 for violin and orchestra and has now become one of the most popular pieces in the classical repertoire amongst British listeners, becoming the all-time favourite ‘Desert Island Disc’ and regularly appearing in the Classic FM annual Hall of Fame. It was inspired by George Meredith’s poem of the same name about the skylark.

The Oxford Elegy is a work for narrator, chorus and orchestra. Vaughan Williams based it on portions of two poems by Matthew Arnold. It is postulated that this work is Vaughan Williams’ homage to his friend and fellow composer Gustav Holst.

The second half of the concert will feature works by Bob Chilcott, who is recognised as one of the premier composers and choral conductors in Britain today. His arrangements of carols are well known and will be be an early taste of Christmas.

A Friday evening concert in Sunderland Minster

Another opportunity to hear this very talented family (David-piano, Jennifer-clarinet and Christopher- cello) peforming together as a trio and playing separately as soloists. Certainly an opportunity not to be missed.

Their programme will feature ‘Bagatelles for clarinet and piano’ by Finzi, ‘Sonata for cello and piano’ by Bridge and the Ireland ‘Trio in D minor’.

Tickets are £10.00 (including post concert refreshments), with accompanied under 16s free, available from the usual sources or direct from www.WeGotTickets.com/BCS nearer the time of the concert.

A Friday evening concert in Ewesley Road Methodist Church by Bishopwearmouth Young Singers and the Bishopwearmouth Chamber Choir, followed by refreshments.

There is no charge for admission but any donations will be appreciated.

A Saturday evening concert by Bishopwearmouth Choral Society, conducted by David Murray, in St.Gabriel’s Church, Chester Road, Sunderland, SR4 7TF.

This will be a concert of light choral music followed by wine / soft drink.

Tickets are £8.00 (or £4.00 for under 16s), including the refreshments afterwards, obtainable from St.Gabriel’s Church.

A Saturday morning event in Fulwell Methodist Church.

Why not join the Society in a social event which comes with a raffle and stalls, while enjoying the tea/coffee and a chat

A Saturday evening concert, conducted by David Murray, in Sunderland Minster to mark the Queen’s Jubilee.

Tickets are £12 in  Nave (£6 concessions for full time students and UB40s), £8.00 in Gallery (with limited view) and accompanied children under 16 admitted free. Obtainable via this website or info@mdblac240.uk.w3pcloud.com and from online ticketing at http://wegottickets.com/BCS

The concert will include the Magnificat in D major – Bach, Ein feste Burg – Bach, and feature Coronation Anthems by Handel. The soloists will be Jessica Holmes – soprano, Ben Williamson – countertenor, Joseph Cornwell – tenor, and Adrian Powter – baritone.

The Magnificat in D major is a setting of the Magnificat text by Johann Sebastian Bach for five soloists, a five part choir and orchestra. Bach first composed a version in E-flat major for Christmas 1723 and then reworked that music in D major in 1733 for the feast of the Visitation. The Latin text is the canticle of Mary, mother of Jesus, as told in the Gospel of Luke.

Ein feste Burg (A mighty fortress is our God) is a church cantata also by Johann Sebastian Bach, which he composed in Leipzig for Reformation Day. It is based on Martin Luther’s chorale ‘Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott’.

Many composers have written coronation anthems but the best known were composed by George Frideric Handel. Handel’s four coronation anthems use text from the King James Bible  and are Zadok the Priest, let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, The King Shall rejoice and My heart Is Inditing. The text for all four anthems were picked by Handel – a personal selection from the most accessible account of an earlier coronation, that of James II of England in 1685. One of George I last acts before his death in 1727 was to sign an ‘Act of naturalisation of George Frideric handel and others’. The first commission for Handel as a newly- naturalised British subject was to write the music for the coronation of George II and Queen Caroline which took place on 11th October that same year. Right from their composition the four anthems have been popular and regularly played in concerts and festivals even during Handel’s own lifetime.

A Wednesday evening concert at Ewesley Road Methodist Church, Chester Road, Sunderland.

Come and join the Young Singers in celebrating Christmas in conjunction with the Bishopwearmouth Choral Society Chamber Choir and featuring a young artiste from the Sage Music School. No ticket is required but any donations will be gratefully received. There will be refreshments after the performance.