A group of singers from Frome’s biggest local choir has just returned from the stage of the world-famous Carnegie Hall in New York.
Frome Voices received an invitation last year from Distinguished Concerts International New York to join a 250-strong international choir to sing in the US premiere of ‘Symphonic Adiemus’, a stunning work by the renowned Welsh composer, Sir Karl Jenkins. DCINY are experts in putting on large-scale musical events. This concert marked Karl Jenkins’ 75th birthday and he was there in person to hear his work performed to a packed theatre.
The Frome singers worked hard beforehand to learn the music and arrived ready for final intensive rehearsals with the conductor and orchestra in New York. Sixteen choirs from as far as Australia, Germany and Canada took part – a truly international gathering. The concert itself was on Martin Luther King day, a national holiday, and the audience braved bitterly cold weather with temperatures of minus 10 degrees to attend. The reviews were glowing and the choir was deservedly proud of its achievement.
“It was tremendously exciting,” said Alan Burgess, who conducts Frome Voices, but who this time joined in the singing as a bass. “We were all thrilled to be performing on the same stage as some of the world’s most renowned musical celebrities – Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald…. and now Frome Voices. It was also a wonderful opportunity to show how a choir from a small English town can perform to the highest of choral standards.
“Of course the group had the chance to take in some of New York’s iconic sights too, and some warm relationships were forged with singers from other countries in the choir. Where next, we wonder?”
The full Frome Voices choir is now starting rehearsals for a concert in the Cheese and Grain on Sunday 31st March. This will be a performance of another Karl Jenkins work that was also performed in New York – the beautiful and unusual ‘Stabat Mater’, a work that includes singing in English, Latin and Arabic. The choir, soloists and orchestra will also perform other twentieth century British music, including Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Tippett and the joyous ‘Gloria’ by John Rutter.
Tickets will be on sale shortly at the Cheese and Grain.
For more information on Frome Voices please contact Jane Talbot 01373 472 218 or Olivia Date on 01373 302 567
Above: Frome Voices singers with Sir Karl Jenkins at a rehearsal in New York.
