‘What a superb concert’ was a phrase echoed by many who gathered at Bradford Cathedral to hear Chordiality’s summer gala concert when the choir performed with the National Festival Orchestra and Cathedral Organist Graham Thorpe.
Under the baton of Chordiality’s Music Director Peter Sherlock, the choir, orchestra, and organist brought forth a tremendous performance to a varied and difficult programme in a packed Cathedral.
The highlight of the programme was the performance of Gabriel Fauré’s sublime Requiem Mass, which was performed alongside another Fauré favourite, Cantique De Jean Racine. The delicate yet lifting quality of the Requiem’s choruses were executed to a disciplined and high standard.
The second half was no less of a triumph with the choir, orchestra and organ again delighting its audience with a series of choral classics. The popular works including The Heavens Are Telling from Haydn’s oratorio The Creation, Verdi’s famous Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves, John Rutter’s For The Beauty Of The Earth, from Handel’s Messiah, the final chorus Worthy Is The Lamb, and Caccini’s Ave Maria which featured flautist Rosie Walsh.
Over 270 people attended and a retiring collection raised £882.42 for Chordiality’s current adopted charity, Bradford Metropolitan Food Bank.
“A superb and joyous evening” was how Peter Sherlock described the choir’s flagship event for 2025. “The concert covered a wide range of complex choruses,” said Peter. “All were executed, by choir, soloists and orchestra, to a very disciplined and high standard. Feedback from many in the sell-out audience clearly showed how much they appreciated and enjoyed the varied programme and how well the music had been performed.”