From Sutton Benger to Carnegie Hall!
Bruges 2014
In 2014 the choir embarked on its first tour!
After performing a very nervous Flash Mob of Toto’s Africa at Folkestone, we nipped across to Belgium and had a fabulous time performing at some great venues – Sint Maartenskathedraal (Ypres), the Menin Gate (Ypres) and the Church of Sint Gillis (Bruges).
Paris 2017
Following our successful and thoroughly enjoyable experience in Belgium, the choir crossed the Channel again in April 2017 to perform at three stunning venues in Paris – Eglise de la Madeleine, Eglise St Louis en l’Ile and Eglise St Germain l’Auxerrois.
We were particularly excited to be invited to sing Fauré’s Requiem in the magnificent Eglise de la Madeleine, where the work was first performed in 1888. In the words of our then Music Director, Rachel McCorry:
“Although Faure wrote several works involving full orchestra he had a particular talent for smaller and more intimate settings which have won him increasing numbers of admirers. This work embraces an elegant subtlety and is particularly poignant as Fauré composed it shortly after his father’s death. Of the many settings for the Requiem, this is probably the most widely loved. Its gentle simplicity is ethereal and I challenge anyone not to be moved by the beauty of this humble masterpiece.“
Please click on the following links for videos of us singing during our Paris tour.
Zadok the Priest – Eglise de la Madeleine
Lux Aeterna – Eglise de la Madeleine
Cherubic Hymn – Eglise de la Madeleine
Gaelic Blessing – Eglise St Louis en l’Ile
Carnegie Hall New York 2019
The Village Singers performed as part of a 250-strong international choir performing the US premier of Sir Karl Jenkins’ Symphonic Adiemus on 21st January 2019 at the Carnegie Hall in New York. This is a huge accolade for a choir as young as ours and a huge testament to the vision, passion and commitment from Rachel McCorry (MD) and Paul Wendell (AMD) and the sheer hard work of the choir members who attend each week to be put through their paces.
Amsterdam 2024
We had planned this tour a few years earlier, but had to postpone it due to Covid. So, it was with a lot of pent-up excitement that the choir set off for Amsterdam. As always, the journey was very much a key part of the overall experience with lots of singing (and possibly some drinking) on the coach and ferry.
Given the tragic events in Ukraine and Gaza, our flash-mob performance (and there were many!) this year was a lovely arrangement of Let There Be Peace On Earth and it was warmly received wherever we sang it.
Our tour programme, Music for Easter, included the Benedictus from the Armed Man and excerpts from Miserere by Sir Karl Jenkins, Durante’s Magnificat (previously attributed to Pergolesi), Monteverdi’s Beatus Vir, five Bruckner Motets – Christus Factus Est, Os Juste, Locus Iste, Ave Maria and Ecce Sacerdos, as well as works by Schubert and Stainer amongst others. We performed at the De Waalse Kerk, Kerk de Bron and the Vondelkerk – all beautiful. Despite being very hard work, we had a great time and returned home a close and tightly gelled unit.