Chester Festival Chorus to Stage Iconic Mozart Requiem and Contemporary Piece

Strategic Insights -

Chester Festival Chorus, a leading large-scale mixed-voice choir in North West England, will stage a concert featuring the iconic Mozart Requiem and a contemporary piece, A Glimpse of the Light by British composer Rory Wainwright Johnston. The concert will take place at St Thomas' Church in Chester on Saturday, June 21 at 7.30pm. The choir will be joined on stage by the British Sinfonia and soloists soprano Elspeth Piggott, mezzo soprano Lorna Day, tenor Timothy Peters, and bass Henry Saywell. This will be the final concert with current conductor and music director Ellie Slorach, who will conduct the performance after being appointed to conduct a BBC Proms concert at The Royal Albert Hall in London later this year.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Chester Festival Chorus will stage a concert featuring Mozart's Requiem in D minor (K626) and Rory Wainwright Johnston's A Glimpse of the Light at St Thomas' Church in Chester on June 21.
  • A Glimpse of the Light is a contemporary piece written to complement the Mozart Requiem and features similar themes in a modern style.
  • The concert will be conducted by Ellie Slorach in her final performance as the choir's musical director.
  • Ellie Slorach is the founder and artistic director of Kantos Chamber Choir and has worked with several orchestras and choirs across the UK and internationally.
  • Rory Wainwright Johnston is a conductor and composer from Bradford-on-Avon, near Bath, and has developed a professional relationship with RIAS Kammerchor, working as a deputy and assistant conductor.
  • The concert will feature the British Sinfonietta, an orchestra of top-flight freelance professional musicians, who have performed in notable events worldwide.
  • Chester Festival Chorus has established itself as one of North West England's leading large-scale mixed-voice choirs, performing major choral works from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Poulenc, and Tavener.

Statistics:

  • 1791: The year Mozart's Requiem in D minor (K626) was unfinished at the time of his death.
  • 1792: The year Franz Xaver Sussmayr completed Mozart's Requiem.
  • 1978: The year Martin Merry established the Chester Summer Music Festival, where Chester Festival Chorus has performed major choral works.
  • 1981: The year Chester Festival Chorus was formed by Martin Merry, a founder of the Chester Summer Music Festival.
  • 2022: The year Rory Wainwright Johnston developed a professional relationship with RIAS Kammerchor, working as a deputy and assistant conductor.

Sources:

  • Paul Crofts (no date provided)
  • Chester Festival Chorus website (no date provided)
  • Rory Wainwright Johnston's biography (no date provided)