Registered Charity Number 1057007

President: The Dean of Bristol
Chairman: Lal Heaton
Musical Director: Mark Lee M.A., F.R.C.O.
Accompanist: Paul Walton M.Mus.,F.R.C.O., P.P.R.N.C.M

Since its foundation in 1953 the choir has established a reputation for excellent music-making, promoting a wide variety of choral works in partnership with fine orchestras and soloists. Our major performances take place in the inspiring surroundings of Bristol Cathedral, giving our audiences the experience of hearing choral works old and new in the setting for which for they were composed.

Our popular Christmas concert, allowing the audience to get into the Christmas spirit by enjoying a mix of the best of Christmas music both traditional and contemporary with full orchestreal accompaniment is a highlight of each year. This is followed by a Spring concert featuring one of the major works of the choral repertoire. Our summer concert showcases shorter, and in some cases, lighter classics.

We started our season on Saturday 10th September by promoting a Twin Towers Memorial Charity Concert to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 disaster. This took form of a Come and Sing performance of Verdi's Requiem accompanied by the New Bristol Sinfonia and a quartet of excellent soloists with a choir of 170 drawn largely from the Bristol area but also from further afield. All profits went to the Firefighter's Charity.

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Twin Towers Memorial Charity Concert

We continue the 2011 - 12 season with a Come and Sing Day, where all comers are welcome to spend the day learning and then giving an informal performance of Bach's Mass in B minor which we will sing for our Spring concert later on in the year.

Each November the choir plays a more traditional role, singing a Requiem as part of the Cathedral's annual service for All Souls' Day. This year we are looking forward to singing another modern work, new to the Choir, Bob Chilcott's 'Requiem', which was first performed in March 2010

Our Christmas concert will follow the winning formula of recent years, giving our audience, many of whom come back each year for this essential part of their Christmas celebrations, the chance to relax and listen to traditional carols and Christmas music, along with newer Christmas favourites and - of course - to join in with singing the well-known carols.

Our Spring concert will be a performance of one of the towering pinnacles of western music, Bach's Mass in B minor. It is some 10 years since we last sang the piece and we are looking forward to making its acquaintance again.

In June the choir will perform Music for a Summer Evening, at Holy Trinity Church, Wickwar. The concert programme will include a number of short pieces befitting a country church, and celebrating enjoyment of the sunshine, we hope, of summer.

As well as its musical activities the Concert Choir holds occasional social events and a summer supper to mark the end of the season.

In 2010 the Concert Choir welcomed the 30 talented young singers of the Bristol Cathedral Consort (a young persons' choir providing 11-18 year olds with the opportunity of singing in Bristol's magnificent Cathedral) into its ranks and this collaboration will continue during the 2011 - 12 season

The Choir gratefully acknowledges financial support from:

Last updated on: 13/01/2012