Category Archives: Uncategorized

Christmas concert – 17 December 2023

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Our next concert is at 2:30 pm on Sunday December 17th in St Gregory’s, Sudbury. We will be singing a very fine selection of traditional Christmas Carols, a sung Peace Poem specially composed by our music director John Chillingworth and we will be joined by the children of Stoke by Nayland Primary School Choir. Festive drinks and nibbles finish off the afternoon.

Its a lovely way to start your Christmas celebrations.

Tickets are £12 (£2 for students and children) from Sudbury Tourist Office in the Town Hall, Juniper Flowers in North Street and Ticketsource – please scan the qr code on the poster.

So – please put the date in your diary and we look forward to seeing you in December.

Autumn concert – 19 November 2023

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Our last concert was at 7:30 pm on Sunday November 19th in St Gregory’s, Sudbury. We sang the fabulous Mozart Requiem and Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine. Both works are georgeous and we had fantastic soloists from the Royal Academy of Music and an orchestra made up of local professionals who really did the music justice.

In addition to these great works the soloists entertained us with operatic arias from Handel to Mozart. The lovely setting and acoustics of St Gregory’s made this a wonderful musical experience enjoyed by all.

Click here for a youtube version of the Jean Racine, it was originally composed in 1864-5 for voices and piano when Fauré was just 19 – some people just have too much talent.

Andrew Phillips Memorial Service

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Sudbury Choral Society was honoured to be asked to sing at Andrew Phillips’ memorial service in Lavenham on Saturday 5th of August 2023. Andrew had been our President for many many years and was very active in Sudbury on behalf of the community. His obituary published in The Times reminded us of his very significant contribution not just to Sudbury but to many people throughout Britain.

His memorial service was recorded and here it is.

He will be sorely missed by everyone in Sudbury.

Midsummer Concert

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Sunday 25 June at 7:30 pm in The Joy Abbot Hall in School Street, Sudbury – also known as the URC:

On what was to date the hottest day of the year so far we had a lovely songfest in the rather too warm Joy Abbott Hall which included John Rutter’s Sprig of Time and a medley of songs ranging from the Armadillo Song by Flanders and Swann to the Lion King with a children’s choir from Acton Primary School. The children’s choir were an absolute delight and more than held their own in the Lion King Medley. In the first half Mark Saberton sang the Policeman’s Song from Pirates of Penzance with the bass section as his backing group and in the second half he sang the Hippotamus Song by Flanders and Swann this time with choir and audience as his backing group. He really does have a great comic touch plus a wonderful voice which filled the hall to the rafters.

If you want to come and join our choir and enjoy even more fun songs, do get in touch.

April 2023 Concert – a beautiful concert

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Our Spring concert on Sunday 2nd April was a real success, beautiful and ethereal singing of the Mozart Ave Verum Corpus, beautiful and sensitive singing of the Brahms’ A German Requiem.

PLUS – we had some very dramatic arias sung by our two soloists before we started on the Brahms. I don’t think the Joy Abbot Hall had heard such full throated and dramatic vocal acrobatics from just one human being ever. In the choir we knew the audience was blown away by the soloists, we just hoped the first row was not literally blown away.

We did have an incident in the second half when one of our basses became unwell, we are pleased to say that after medical attention and a couple of days rest he made a full recovery and will be singing again with us next term. All I would say is that dehydration combined with other factors is serious, so for everyone the message is always, always drink enough water. There are some easy ways of checking you are drinking enough, just google them and see which works for you.

Our concert on Sunday 19th June

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A concert that celebrated 70 years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The first British monarch to reach this historic milestone and the Choral Society really enjoyed this concert – particularly as our last celebration concert in April was cancelled due to COVID. The concert took in Handel’s Coronation Anthems and music throughout the seven decades of the Queen’s reign.

Complete with a small but perfectly formed orchestra this was a lovely concert which everyone that came really enjoyed.

Concert: Faure and Vivaldi, 5th September

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Our concert on Sunday 5th September 2021 was the last one in St Peter’s, Sudbury until 2023.

The programme was a surefire winner, Faure’s Requiem and Vivaldi’s Glora, and was the first under our new musical director John Chillingworth.

We had Gill Wilson (soprano), Elaine Henson (mezzo soprano), Mark Saberton (baritone) as soloists, all accompanied by the Kingfisher Ensemble.

In person rehearsals from 17th May

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Great news, we’re starting in-person rehearsals from 17th May outside the Quay Theatre. If you’d like to attend, please contact us so we can manage our social distancing arrangements.

Concert plans include singing Vivaldi’s Gloria and Faure’s Requiem on 5th September, subject to the further relaxing of Covid rules.