SALISBURY CATHEDRAL CHOIR MAKE THEIR FIRST VISIT TO SALISBURY'S TWINNED CITY OF SAINTES

The boys and men of Salisbury Cathedral Choir are making their first visit to Salisbury’s twinned city of Saintes from 15 – 20 April and are giving a special pre-tour concert in the Cathedral at 4.15pm on Sunday, 22 March.

David Halls, Director of Music, said that “Although the choir has visited France in the past, this will be the first time it has visited Saintes and the very beautiful Charente-Maritime region. We are grateful to the Salisbury-Saintes Twinning Association, in particular its chairman Mrs Bridget Brennan, for her support with the arrangements and are honoured that the choir have been invited to perform at an evening Reception for the Association in Saintes.”

The choir give four concerts in different and beautiful venues in Cognac, Saintes and Saujon, sing Mass in Saintes Cathedral on the Sunday morning, and visit a school and work with the children. Their schedule also includes an excursion to see the latest work on L’Hermione, (General La Fayette’s frigate, built in 1779, which is currently undergoing restoration in nearby Rochefort) and a visit to the well-preserved Roman Amphithreatre in Saintes.

David Halls continued, “Choir tours are important because not only do they give the choir a chance to rehearse intensively and perform in different acoustics, they also provide an opportunity for the boys and men to have quality time together away from the daily pressures of their term time schedule.”

At their Pre-Tour Concert on Sunday 22 March, the choir will perform music by Bruckner, Byrd, Casals, Mendelssohn, Purcell and Stanford. “The repertoire we sing in France contains quite a few Eastertide pieces which clearly we cannot perform during Lent, so although this concert is rather penitential in feel, it is full of really very beautiful music.” The choir will be directed by David Halls with Daniel Cook, Assistant Director of Music, and Stephen Moore, Organ Scholar, on organ. No tickets are required but there will be a retiring collection.

Saintes Choir Tour Concert/Service Venues:
16 April Concert in Cognac
17 April Workshop with children in school in Saintes
Evening Reception with the Salisbury-Saintes twinning association
18 April Concert at Abbaye aux Dames, Saintes
19 April Mass in Saintes Cathedral
Concert in Saujon
20 April Concert for the Sisters of the Poor, Saintes