formerly Saint Michael's Singers
WELCOME to the website of Coventry Cathedral Chorus, one of the leading amateur choirs in the Midlands. We are a choir of around 80 singers who come together to enjoy learning and performing choral music. Under the leadership of our Musical Director Rachel Mahon we regularly give four concerts a year in Coventry Cathedral and other venues in the Coventry area.
Summer Concert 2023
We finished off our season at St Nicholas Church, Kenilworth, with a concert of music ranging in time from 17th century madrigals to 20th century jazz arrangements of Shakespearean songs. "A really lovely evening last night. What a wonderful venue and an amazing performance." (Cllr Alan Chalmers) - pictured with the Chorus and conductor Luke Fitzgerald)
We look forward to seeing you at our next concert on 11 November, which will be part of the annual Coventry Peace Festival. We’ll be joined for this concert by The Parliament Choir.
11 November 2023
Rachmaninov: Vespers by candlelight
7.00pm in Coventry Cathedral
Oja Gjeilo: Ubi Caritas
Rachel Mahon says
Ola Gjeilo (b 1978) is a Norwegian composer whose reputation is steadily growing. Much of his music is gentle and calm. You may have heard him at the Mindful Mix Prom concert this summer, where he played some of his piano improvisations. Also appearing in that concert were Voces 8, who sang Ubi Caritas, which we include in our programme tonight.
Josef Rheinberger: Abenlied
Rachel Mahon says
Josef Rheinberger’s (1839-1901) musical talent was obvious from a very early age, as he was organist at his local parish church in Liechtenstein. His first composition as performed the following year. The Abendlied was also an early work, first written when he was just 15 years old. Tonight we are singing a revised version of Abendlied, made when Rheinberger had reached the age of 24.
Samuel Barber: Agnus Dei
Rachel Mahon says
Samuel Barber’s (1910-1981) most well-known piece is probably his Adagio for Strings, which in 2004 was voted the saddest piece of classical music. It was performed at the Last Night of the Proms in 2001 in memory of the victims of the September 11 attacks and again in 2021 on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Barber himself arranged the version we are singing tonight – a setting of the Latin text Agnus Dei, which we offer as part of the Coventry Peace Festival.
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vespers
Rachmaninoff’s (18433-1943) Vespers present an exciting challenge for the choir! First, we’ll be singing in Russian, something the choir has not done before. And the range of notes is huge. Some of the basses have to reach down to the very deepest notes in choral music, and there are very high notes in places for the sopranos. We’re ready to meet the challenge.