Page with info about the French Choir Visit to Sheffield April 2022
The Vocale ensemble de Perigueux came to Sheffield the weekend of 22nd to 25th of April 2022
They joined the Sheffield Phil, and members of the Bochum Chorus and of course the Black Dyke Band for our joint concert in the Sheffield City Hall on the Saturday 24 April 2022.
The French choir also sang two concerts of mainly French Music as below, with the Chorus Director Patrick Hillard and accompanied by Christopher Hainsworth,
There were some organ pieces too to keep us well entertained, including Théodore DUBOIS: Toccata in G. Alfred LEFEBURE-WELY: Andante for Spring.
On Friday 22nd April at 18.30, the French choir performed in the Church of St Michael’s, Malton, Yorkshire
On the Sunday, Christopher played the organ at St John’s Buxton, Derbyshire for an 11 O’clock Choral Eucharist service, to which all were welcome!
The visitors then went sight seeing, rehearsed in Buxton in the afternoon, and performed the concert at 7pm, before returning to Sheffield.
Programme:
— G. Fauré – Le Cantique de Jean Racine
— G. Fauré – Le Madrigal
— G. Fauré – La Pavane
— G. Fauré – extrait du Requiem : Libera me
— G. Fauré – Tu es Petrus
— Jean Absil – Le Bestiaire (Le Dromadaire – l’Écrevisse – le Chat) (a cappella)
— Charles Gounod – La Messe aux Chapelles
— Angèle Ravizé – Au Clair de la Lune (a cappella)
— Jean-Philippe Rameau – Ô nuit
— Morten Lauridsen – Les Chansons des Roses (3 pièces sur les 5 du recueil : Contre qui Rose ?, Rose complète, Dirait-on) (a cappella en partie, avec piano pour « Dirait-on »)
— Marc-Antoine Charpentier – Messe de Noël (Kyrie et pourquoi pas un autre extrait)
— François Couperin – Jubilemus, exultemus
— Arthur Honegger – Laudate Dominum
sur l’orgue, Théodore DUBOIS: Toccata in G
Alfred LEFEBURE-WELY: Andante for Spring
Saturday 23 April 2022 7pm
Handel’s Messiah
Sheffield City Hall 23rd April 2022
The Chorus was thrilled to be able to present the brass band version of Handel’s wonderful oratorio Messiah, with the world-famous Black Dyke Band, and visiting choirs from Bochum in Germany 
and Perigueux in France. The Chorus have undertaken tours in both Bochum and Perigueux in recent years, and has strong associations with the choirs in the two cities.
This brass band Messiah collaboration was planned for 2019 but had to be postponed due to the pandemic. However, all three choirs were determined to go ahead, and the big event was planned for St George’s Day 2022. Featuring new aria arrangements for brass by Chorus Music Director Darius Battiwalla, and four wonderful soloists, this was an evening to remember!
Black Dyke Band
Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus with Philharmonischer Chor Bochum and Ensemble Vocal Perigueux
Darius Battiwalla, conductor
Catrin Pryce-Jones, soprano
Margaret McDonald, alto
Richard Rowe, tenor
James Geidt, bass
Tickets priced £18, under 16s FREE, will be available shortly