HIGHLIGHTS OF SEASON 46

  • Singing the Lobet Den Herrn at the St Sepulchre without Newgate Church for the Brandenburg Festival.  Learning this fantastic ( and long!) Bach choral piece from memory was a huge challenge
  • The choir celebrated its 800th concert performance at the Reading Concert Hall and was joined by the chart topping classical pianist Ji Liu.

Cork International Choral Festival

The undoubted highlight of the season was qualifying and participating in the Cork International Choral Festival. It was a hugely enjoyable social and singing event for the choir with an emotional roller-coaster of both elation and disappointment.

The choir flew en masse to Cork and sang ‘Train’ at the airport before checking in at the Maldron Hotel. As well as the main competition in the City Hall , the choir performed at fringe and church concert venues.

30 April 2015 – Triskel Christchurch, Cork (Cork International Choral Festival Fringe Concert)
1 May 2015 – Maldron Hotel, Cork (Cork International Choral Festival Choral Trail)
2 May 2015 – City Hall, Cork (Cork International Choral Festival Fleischmann Competition)
2 May 2015 – St Francis Church, Cork (Cork International Choral Festival)
3 May 2015 – City Hall, Cork (Cork International Choral Festival Gala Concert)

Cork International Choral Festival – Competition Pieces

  • Salvator Mundi – Thomas Tallis
  • I Know My Soul hath Power – Charles Parry
  • Ave Maris Stella  -James MacMillan
  • Hodie Christus Natus Est – Poulenc

The standard of singing and performance from the participating choirs in the choral competition was very high. Reading Phoenix put its heart and soul into the performance and we thought we had done quite well – however the judges were more taken with the elite national youth choirs and semi-professional singers rather than a hard working choir from Berkshire. The disappointment at coming last was visceral, but the choir still celebrated like we’d won anyway!

CHAIRMAN   Robert Jackson

LIST OF ENGAGEMENTS

20 September 2014 – Holy Trinity Church, Theale
27 September 2014 – St John’s Church, Alresford
18 October 2014 – Christ Church URC, Henley
15 November 2014 – St George’s Church, Tilehurst, Reading (Schools Workshop with Wilson Primary School)
13 December 2014 – Reading Minster, Reading (Carol Concert)
24 January 2015 – St Sepulchre without Newgate Church, London (Brandenburg Choral Festival)
7 February 2015 – All Saints Church, Reading
28 February 2015 – Trinity Church, Lower Earley, Reading (with Jewel Tones)
16 March 2015 – All Saints Church, Windsor (BBC Easter Programme Recording)
21 March 2015 – St Mary’s Church, Slough (Schools Workshop with St Bernard’s Prep School)

16 May 2015 – Concert Hall, Reading Town Hall, Reading (Annual Concert with Ji Liu, piano)
13 June 2015 – Church of the Ascension, Burghclere
11 July 2015 – Reading Minster, Reading (Come and Sing, Verdi Requiem)