Season Overview
Our Come & Sing Messiah was re-scheduled for April 17th, in St Mary's Church, Reigate, with an evening performance complete with professional soloists and orchestra. This would have been a carbon-copy of the very first concert performed by the then St Mary's Chorus, later re-named as The English Arts Chorale, in April 1980, with 150 local singers taking part.
Gavin Carr was to lead a singing day on May 2nd, exploring Paul Carr's Four Seasons - this too has been cancelled.
In 2020, it was exactly 1,000 years since the foundation of the Benedictine Monastery in Bury St Edmunds by King Canute, whose marketing department was clearly way ahead of French Connection's. In October we were due to join in the millennium celebrations - this has now been re-scheduled for a second time, until May 2022, and we will be taking part in a concert in St Edmundsbury Cathedral, singing Paul Carr's specially-composed Into the Light.
In June we were due to participate in a fund-raising concert in the Hawth Theatre Crawley, organised by our sponsor KMG Chartered Financial Planners, in aid of St Catherine's Hospice and Cancer Research. This has ben cancelled.
Our final event of the season, on July 3rd, was to be a performance of Paul Carr's Four New Seasons and Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem. Sadly, this too has been frustrated, and we had to make do with livestreaming a rehearsal of Autumn from Paul Carr's new work, which is the movement commissioned by and dedicated to the EAC.
A Festive Christmas Concert
Livestreamed to your Living Room
The English Arts Chorale is inviting you to join them for some beautiful, inspiring and festive music, in our Christmas concert live-streamed from St. Mary’s Church, Reigate, at 6pm on Saturday 12th December. The concert will last around 40 minutes - perfect to accompany pre-dinner drinks!
As well as traditional and well-loved carols, the concert will include arrangements by EAC’s artistic director Leslie Olive; former member Mark Browse’s spine tingling version of There is No Rose; and Paul Carr’s The Lamb, a glorious setting of William Blake’s text, commissioned by members of EAC.
If you’re looking for something to bring you the spirit of Christmas, please join us from the comfort of your living room, for a special evening of celebration and festive magic.
While the concert is free to attend, we would very much welcome any donations, which we will be sharing with our chosen charity, St. Catherine’s Hospice.
Watch the recording on YouTube ►
CANCELLED
Come & Sing Messiah
On the exact same day of the year - 17th April - in the exact same place, with exactly the same great music, we celebrate and give thanks for 40 years of life-enhancing music. Four sparkling young soloists and full orchestra join the EAC for what we can promise you will be an unforgettable occasion.
A Come & Sing, followed by an evening performance with orchestra and soloists
Jane Burnell
Florence Pettet
James Edgeler
Jamie Wright
Conducted by Leslie Olive
St Mary's Church, Reigate RH2 7RN
Saturday April 17th, 2021
A Singing Day with Gavin Carr
CANCELLED
The well-known choral conductor and director Gavin Carr will lead this singing day exploring Paul Carr's Four Seasons
St Mary's Church Reigate RH2 7RN
Sunday May 2nd
St Edmundsbury Cathedral
POSTPONED UNTIL MAY 28th 2022
As part of the Abbey of St Edmund Millennium celebrations, the EAC are giving the first performance of a specially-commissioned work by Paul Carr, Into the Light.
English Arts Chorale
Suffolk Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor: Leslie Olive
St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Bury St Edmunds
Saturday May 29th, 2021
World Première CANCELLED
Paul Carr Four New Seasons
Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem
Soprano: Jay Britton
Baritone: Gavin Carr
The English Arts Chorale & Orchestra
conducted by Leslie Olive
St Mary's Church, Chart Lane, Reigate RH2 7RN
Saturday July 3rd, 2021 7.30pm
Ticket Prices: £22; £17; £12