Cirencester Choral Society's Spring Concert (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Cirencester Choral Society's Spring Concert

CIRENCESTER Choral Society will be performing Handel's Zadok the Priest as part of its Spring Concert in the Parish Church on Saturday, May 15.

Other pieces include Schubert's Mass in G and Vivaldi's Gloria and, while they have been busy rehearsing, their opposite number, Itsehoer Konzertchor, in Cirencester's twin town of Itzehoe, has been practising the same pieces.

This is in preparation for their first ever joint concert in which they will be accompanied by the world renowned Prague Philharmonic Orchestra on May 21 in the Theater Itzehoe.

The Choral Society, which stages two concerts in Cirencester each year, has received a donation towards members' travel expenses from locally based company Corin Group plc, manufacturers of orthopaedic implants.

"As an international firm, we are very happy to support a local organisation on an international venture," said Iain Dunbar, marketing manager of Corin Medical plc.

Having rehearsed for several months under the expert direction of conductor David Whitehead, members will be doing their utmost to give the audience both here and in Germany a concert to remember.

They also want to live up to the high standards of their illustrious former patron, Ralph Vaughan Williams, who 'felt honoured in becoming a patron' of the Society in the belief that the singers would 'never betray the cause of true music.'

Cirencester Choral Society, which owes its existence to its first conductor, the 'musical missionary' Frederick Helmore, dates back to the 1860s.

The Society has just celebrated the 140th anniversary of its first public performance which took place in the Assembly Rooms above the King's Head Hotel on May 12, 1864. It was reported in the Standard as being attended by a rather large audience which mostly consisted of friends of the members.

Tickets for Saturday's concert from Cirencester TIC (01285 654180).

For more information about the Society or to make a donation, contact Helen Sutherland on 07778 529421.