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Saturday, October 10, 2015

DURBAN CHAMBER CHOIR



(Conductor Christopher Cockburn)

Conducted by Chris Cockburn, the Durban Chamber Choir sings Britten and French in performances planned for Durban and at Hayfields in Pietermaritzburg.

Essentially (but NOT the ‘official’ press release blurb) the Durban Chamber Choir’s two concert’s in October billed as Britten and the French under the musical direction of Christopher Cockburn will be performing a programme of choral music from Benjamin Britten’s Festival Cantatta Rejoice in the Lamb (lyrics written by Christopher Smart) and a collection of various French choral works from the 16th to 18th centuries by composers such as Orlandus Lassus, Camille Sant SaĆ«ns and Claude Debussy.

The Britten work is particularly fun, filled with weird and wonderful imagery: For I will consider my Cat Jeoffrey and For the Mouse is a creature of great personal valour are just two of the fragments from the poem Jubilate Agno by Christopher Smart, written whilst Smart was incarcerated in Bethnal Green Asylum in the 18th century, and set to music by Britten in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the consecration of St Matthew’s Church, Northampton, in 1943. \\

The French music is also appealing, and eminently suited to chamber choir performance, especially in the old-fashioned acoustic of St Thomas’ Church and the Hayfields Lutheran Church.

The Durban concert takes place on October 18 at 15h00 at St Thomas Church in Musgrave. Tickets R50 (R30 pensioners and children) payable at the door.

The Pietermaritzburg concert will take place on October 25 at 15h00 at the Lutheran Church, Hayfields in Pietermaritzburg. Tickets R50 (R30 pensioners/children) payable at the door.

For more information visit www.facebook.com/DurbanChamberChoir or follow on Twitter www.twitter.com/ @DbnChamberChoir