Future Concerts
Saturday April 27 at 7.30 pm at St. Eustachius Church, Tavistock
"A Voice from Heaven"
Six centuries of a cappella and accompanied English anthems for chamber choir, including works by Taverner, Byrd, Gibbons, Purcell, Stainer, Stanford, Howells and many more.
Tickets £8 (£5 for under-18s) on the door
Part of the Tavistock Festival of Music & Arts 2019.
Saturday June 15 at 7.30 pm at Wembury Church
"Blow Away the Morning Dew"
South West Chamber Choir presents a summer programme of unaccompanied British folksongs, including arrangements by Holst, Vaughan Williams, Percy Grainger and our Music Director Stephen Trahair.
Saturday/Sunday 20-21 July at Sherborne Abbey
Music for the cathedral services (with concert on Saturday afternoon)
Past Concerts
2018
Sunday 9th December, 2pm & 3pm at the Great Hall, Cotehele
Carols for Advent and Christmas
Saturday 10th November at The Minster Church of St. Andrew, Plymouth
Lest we forget
On the eve of the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice and the uneasy peace which followed it, the South West Chamber Choir gave a concert to commemorate the Great War and the sacrifice made by those who gave their lives and health. To mark this, the Choir commissioned a Requiem for Peace from the local and international composer, Andrew Wilson, which was premièred along with music from the early 20th century by Elgar, Parry and others. There were also some army marching songs, and readings from the war poets.
A century after the War ended, we struggle to make sense of what Harry Patch, the last fighting Tommy, who died in 2009, described as “all those lives lost for a war finished over a table”. The most terrible weapons were deployed by both sides against men armed with rifles and tin helmets: machine guns, poison gas, high explosive. Those who fought in the Great War had their memories, but few would speak about what it was really like to have been part of it. Through poetry and music the South West Chamber Choir sought to portray both the patriotism and hopes of those who went off to 'do their bit' and the bitter harvest they reaped.
The concert was in support of the Royal British Legion and was promoted as part of the Legion’s events for the centenary. Remembrance has a particular significance for the many Plymothians who have served in the Armed Forces alongside people who lost their lives, or who endured the terrible suffering of the Blitz.
"I wish I had a recording of you singing the Beatitudes - one of my favourite choral works and the best live performance I've ever heard. As always, you excelled with your programme notes!"
"Thank you for the wonderful concert and readings in the Minster to commemorate the Armistice Centenary. It was a remarkable achievement to produce Plymouth’s best musical event, for such a significant occasion."
Saturday/Sunday 21-22 July in Worcester Cathedral
Music for the Cathedral Services
Saturday 16th June at St John's Church, Totnes
Sweet Amaryllis
The South West Chamber Choir under its music director Stephen Trahair presented Sweet Amaryllis, a programme of English madrigals from Tudor times to the late C19th revival.
England has an unparalleled wealth of choral chamber music, and the choir has been focussing on different aspects of this repertoire over its forthcoming season, starting with this celebration of English madrigalists. The 1st half of the concert comprised ‘Elizabethan’ madrigals from the Tudor and early Stuart period by Byrd, Morley, Weelkes and others, while the 2nd half featured the C19th revival beginning with Robert Pearsall and ending with Parry, Elgar and Stanford. The programme was sung unaccompanied.
Saturday 24th March at 7.15 pm at Buckfast Abbey
The Wings of Faith
Faure's Requiem and works by Howells and others:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence (Bairstow)
Give us the wings of faith (Bullock)
Requiem aeternam (Howells)
Saraband in modo elegiaco for organ (Howells)
I heard a voice from heaven (Howells)
Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks (Howells)
O thou the central orb (Wood)
Tu es petra for organ (Mulet)
Requiem (Fauré)
The organist was Richard Lea. The soloists were Jane Suckling (soprano) and Tony Kehoe (baritone).
"Last night you and SWCC performed a really beautiful concert - I absolutely loved the whole programme. The Howells Requiem is completely new to me and I want to hear all of it now. I found it inspiring throughout, and the choir performed so incredibly well. My goodness, your sopranos sounded like a chorus of heavenly angels - the intonation was so good throughout - so very hard to achieve."
2017
Saturday 9th December at 6pm at Stoke Damerel Church
Carol Concert
The South West Chamber Choir under its music director Stephen Trahair presented a programme of carols for Advent and Christmas in exciting and varied arrangements by composers old and new, including Berlioz, Malcolm Sargent, David Willcocks, William Mathias and John Rutter, with readings by members of the choir. Richard Line accompanied several of the numbers on the organ or piano.
“Really beautiful concert. The sound is so good … best singing I’ve heard in ages.”
"Apart from the programming, which was excellent, and the beautiful acoustic, what made the evening special was the attention to detail. The dynamics were closely observed and enhanced the drama and contrasting style of the pieces, sections got out of the way when another section had the tune (this was particularly noticeable in those carols where sopranos had very quiet but busy descants, and sang them absolutely beautifully and sensitively), beautiful soft singing in all parts where needed, most of the beginnings and endings done precisely, and a real sense of stillness on occasion."
"What splendid music there was this evening, and what a very touching blend was achieved by the carefully-watching choir."
Sunday 10th December at 2pm & 3pm at The Great Hall, Cotehele,
Carols for Advent and Christmas
Saturday 10th June at 7.30pm at Landulph Church
Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Songs and readings on the theme of the Canticle of the Sun
Saturday/Sunday 15-16th July at Truro Cathedral
Music for the Cathedral Services