The much-admired local choir which proudly bears the name of our featured composer returns with a concert that will include favourite part songs by Elgar and Coleridge-Taylor, including the latter’s The Viking Song, as well as a selection of Vaughan Williams’ choral works including A Dark-eyed Sailor and Valiant-for-Truth.
Tickets now on sale!
Sunday 31 October @ 1:30 PM
St Martins in the Cornmarket, Worcester WR1 2DJ
Light refreshments will be available to purchase from 12.00pm at St. Martin’s
The Elgar Chorale in Concert
Piers Maxim – conductor
Tickets – £8
Click here to book
Book by phone via Worcester Theatres – 01905 611 427
Programme
2 Part Songs – Elgar
O wild West wind
Owls, an Epitaph
Three English Folk Songs – Vaughan Williams
The dark eyed sailor
The spring time of the year
Just as the tide was flowing
2 Part Songs – Donald Hunt
A Good-Night
Now the crimson petal
The Lee Shore – Coleridge Taylor
The Viking Song – Coleridge Taylor
2 Part Songs – Elgar
As torrents in Summer
How calmly the evening
The souls of the righteous – Vaughan Williams
Valiant-for-truth – Vaughan Williams
Shout, o ye winds! – Roderick Williams
C. Michael Whitefoot
The Elgar Chorale is a mixed voice choir of up to 40 singers. Many of us are professional musicians and we run a busy programme of concerts taking place across Worcester, Worcestershire and beyond.
Under the leadership of the founder and Musical Director, Dr Donald Hunt, the choir had gained a reputation for the quality and variety of its performances. It is particularly noted for its interpretations of music by the greatest English composer after whom it is named; Sir Edward Elgar. From January 2015 the choir is now under the directorship of Piers Maxim and we look towards enhancing this reputation.
Over the years we have raised thousands of pounds for good causes by hosting, and being invited to perform on behalf of, charities. We have taken leading roles in some of Worcestershire’s most prestigious music festivals. We are also asked to perform at weddings and on civic occasions.
In between its active concert season the choir finds time to travel. We have completed highly successful tours to the South West and abroad to Germany, France and South Africa.
Piers Maxim was appointed Director of Music of the Elgar Chorale in January 2015. Working with many choirs as conductor, assistant conductor and chorus master, during his career, while singing, organ playing, composing and teaching are a large part of his life too.
Piers began his musical career singing – as a boy chorister at St Paul’s Cathedral, London. An organist since his teens, he was Organ Scholar at his school, Christ’s Hospital. He continued to play during his time at Wells Cathedral and as a Choral Scholar at Clare College, Cambridge. After graduating, he continued his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.
In the field of opera, Piers has worked in European opera houses including Staatsoper Berlin, Le Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris, and the Netherlands Nationale Reisopera. Chorus Master from 2002 to 2004 at Scottish Opera, Piers conducted La Bohème (Puccini) and Aida (Verdi). From September 2004 until 2009, he was Chorus Master at Le Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie in Brussels. There he worked on around 40 operas on stage and in concert.
From 1996 to 2012 Piers Maxim was Assistant Conductor to René Jacobs and worked on many Handel operas and oratorios. Piers made his USA debut conducting Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) in New York in April 2007. This same production toured South Africa in September 2007, where Piers received glowing critiques. In October 2010 Piers conducted the first performance of a staged baroque opera in China – Handel’s Semele.
Piers has conducted much of the choral repertoire while leading several choirs in England – Messiah and Saul (Handel), Mass in B minor (Bach), Mass in C minor (Mozart), The Dream of Gerontius (Elgar), Sea Symphony (Vaughan Williams), A Child of our Time (Tippett), to name but a few.