Choir says Bien Venue

The Hastings Philharmonic Choir has invited its partner choir in St Valery-sur-Somme to present a joint concert in November in order to emphasize that - Brexit or no - the town wants to work with European partners towards closer friendship and cooperation.
Carmina Burana Hastings Philharmonic Choir at St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings. Photo by Peter Mould SUS-150421-101903001Carmina Burana Hastings Philharmonic Choir at St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings. Photo by Peter Mould SUS-150421-101903001
Carmina Burana Hastings Philharmonic Choir at St Mary-in-the-Castle, Hastings. Photo by Peter Mould SUS-150421-101903001

The theme of the evening’s concert will also serve as a continued welcome for all Europeans living in Hastings.

The French choir, called Chorale Mouette et Chansons, hails from the same coastal town in Northern France from where William the Conqueror sailed in 1066. In 2014 they won the distinction of being designated ‘premiere classe’ by the French Music Confederation. They are joining Hastings’ choir in celebrating the 1066 anniversary. The concert features Beethoven’s 9th Symphony which includes the well known Ode to Joy. Also featured is a specially composed piece by Philip O’Meara described as “a major choral and orchestral work charting a journey from darkness to light, from conflict to peace, from enmity to unity.”

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As HPC’s partners come from the area of the WW1 Somme battlefields and the concert takes place on November 12 between Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday, the 100th anniversary of this notorious war is also commemorated. The choirs propose to sing the Russian Kontakion, a moving ‘prayer for the departed’ in song. The choir is looking for Eastern Europeans and Russians living locally who may be willing to get together and sing the beautiful Kontakion for the event.

Marcio da Silva, music director of Hastings Philharmonic Choir, is presenting this Saturday (July 2) a music recital at Christ Church in St Leonards with his wife, Aysen Ulucan, and piano accompanist, Francis Rayner. The music will include Brahms violin concerto No 3, Schumann’s Dichterliebe, together with songs from Berg, Wolf and Schubert. Tickets at the door £10. The concert starts at 7pm.

On the following weekend, Saturday July 9, the full Hastings Philharmonic Choir will sing ever popular Faure’s Requiem also at Christ Church. Sedlescombe primary school choir will be taking part in this concert after their recent success as first prize winners at the Hastings Rotary Schools Choir Competition. They will perform the Requiem’s superb Pie Jesu and another special item. The other work on that afternoon is Jephte by Giacomo Carissimi, a 17th century Italian composer. This is a beautiful early Barock oratorio based on the story from the Bible’s book of Judges.

Tickets cost £15 (£12 concs) or £3 for children under 17yrs. You can reserve tickets by calling on 01424 552119. The concert starts at 5pm but come early after 4pm and enjoy some home made cakes with tea or coffee.