Your events at Classical Events
Details
St Edmundsbury Cathedral
Angel Hill
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 1LS
England
Tickets
Prices: £30 (reserved), £23 (unreserved) (half price for under-30s)
Booking line: 01284 758000
Book Tickets
Programme
William Walton – Belshazzar's Feast
William Walton – Crown Imperial
William Walton – Coronation Te Deum
Hubert Parry – I Was Glad
Hubert Parry – Blest Pair of Sirens
Henry Purcell – I was glad when they said unto me, Z.19
Performers
Roderick Williams – baritone
Benedict Collins Rice – Conductor
Bury Bach Choir
Bath Bach Choir
Southern Sinfonia
Other concerts in this Series (+)
Programme Note
Experience the Drama of Ancient Babylon
Join the combined choirs of Bury Bach Choir and Bath Bach Choir for an unforgettable evening as we present William Walton’s magnificent oratorio Belshazzar’s Feast, one of the most thrilling and dramatic works in the choral repertoire. This biblical epic tells the story of the Babylonian king’s downfall with overwhelming power and intensity, featuring some of the most exciting choral writing ever composed. From the haunting opening narration to the triumphant finale celebrating the liberation of the Jewish people, Walton’s masterpiece will transport you to ancient Babylon for an evening of musical storytelling at its absolute finest.
Belshazzar’s Feast demands everything a choir can give – thunderous fortissimos that shake the concert venue, delicate pianissimos that draw you in, and rhythmic complexity that will leave you breathless. Walton’s score brilliantly captures both the decadence of Babylonian revelry and the righteous anger of divine judgment. Featuring powerful solos - sung today by stellar talent Roderick Williams - massive choral forces, and orchestral writing that ranges from intimate chamber music to earth-shaking climaxes, this performance promises to demonstrate the full range and capability of our combined choirs.
To complete the programme, Southern Sinfonia will play William Walton's Crown Imperial March, and the combined choirs will perform Hubert Parry’s wonderful Blest Pair of Sirens and I was Glad, together with Walton’s Coronation Te Deum, a regal and celebratory piece for double choir and semi-choruses which he composed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey.
Do book now for this rare opportunity to hear one of Britain’s greatest choral works performed live by a choir of over 150 singers and an orchestra of over 50 players – it’s a musical experience that will stay with you long after the final notes fade away.
