Reading Haydn Choir - Summer Concert

Reading Haydn Choir – 2023 Summer Concert “Summer Cocktails”

It’s been a convention for our choir to sing a lighter repertoire for our summer concert, and this year’s event (Saturday 1st July, 7.30 pm at Tilehurst Methodist Church, RG31 5AN) will be no exception.  

We’ll be performing some traditional (and less traditional) folk songs, some 20th Century, jazzy popular pieces by the likes of Cole Porter and George Gershwin, as well as the cantata “The song of St. Francis” by Howard Blake (best known for composing “Walking in the air” from the 1982 film – the Snowman). Taking the words, written in early Italian, from St. Francis’s poem “Il Cantico del Sole” the cantata is written for a four-part chorus and piano accompaniment.  It’s quite quirky and great fun both to sing and to hear!

We’ll also be singing John Rutter’s rousing arrangement of the spiritual “Down by the Riverside”, inviting the audience to participate in the final verse as ‘Choir 2’.  The more voices the merrier, so please don’t be shy and join in if you feel you can!

As well as our Choir, we’re lucky to be featuring the professional tuba player, Andrew Kershaw, to play a number of solo items.  As an expert performer on tuba and related historic instruments, Andrew is also a conductor and teacher. Having a musical education from the Royal Academy of Music and Trinity College of Music he has, during his career, played with a number of top orchestras. These include the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the Halle and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed on film and TV recordings, theatre productions, with various brass ensembles and, on the lighter side, has toured the UK and USA with Sir Elton John.  Andrew now runs Queen Victoria’s Consort and plays for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the Gabrieli Consort and London Mozart Players amongst others.

We should be in for a real treat!

We look forward to seeing you in Tilehurst on the 1st July.