Month: August 2026

Bristol Bach Choir marks its 60^th Anniversary this season, and the highlight of the year will be this performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers in the iconic Clifton Cathedral. This will be the ideal venue in which to hear this masterpiece, with its great spaces, fabulous acoustic, and fascinating architecture. The work is a tour-de-force of choral writing, with a vast variety of textures and styles, and will include a fantastic line-up of soloists and full period orchestra. It is a work which benefits from being seen as well as heard, and this should be a perfect marriage of piece and venue.

Bristol Bach Choir will explore choral music from the USA across many of the styles to emerge from that nation’s musical heritage. These will include evocative and highly emotional works from Samuel Barber, Randall Thomson and Morton Lauridsen, sensual sound works from Rene Clausen, traditional American songs, and gospel-inspired arrangements. The remarkable range of compositional languages is perhaps to be expected in a nation of such a size and with such a mixed cultural history, and this should be a fascinating taste of some of these styles.

Come and sing choruses from Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 for an afternoon with members of the Bristol Bach Choir. We will be led by our very own conductor David Bednall and ably accompanied by Nigel Nash. The afternoon will conclude with a performance to residents of St Monica’s.

We will start singing at 1pm; registration from 12.40 and our performance to residents will end around 5pm. Score hire is included in the price and breaks for tea, coffee and our now famous range of cakes will also be available.

Bristol Bach Choir is joined by Bristol Ensemble String quartet for their annual Spirit of Christmas concert. The beautiful sound of strings will be a natural accompaniment for many of the seasonal works from across the centuries and styles, and the choir will also perform a selection of unaccompanied pieces. There will be entertaining readings and a chance for everyone to join in with favourite carols in what will be a delightful evening of festive cheer.

The Glory and the Dream has as its centre piece Richard Rodney Bennett’s rarely heard evocative and imaginative setting of Wordsworth’s ‘Intimations of Immortality’. This famous and highly influential poem ponders the passage of time and how the joyous wonder of childhood passes over the years, and is beautiful, melancholy, and optimistic by turns. It features a virtuosic organ part which adds colour to the wonderfully lyrical choral writing. It is joined on the programme by Vivaldi’s much-loved Gloria which is full of Italian sun and timeless melodies, it’s multi-movement form including solos, duets, and full choruses. We also perform some motets by Henry Purcell, and Jonathan Dove’s Seek him that maketh the seven stars in what will be an inspiring and varied programme.