FORMER chorister and professional soprano Caroline Halls will be joining the Cathedral Choir in Salisbury for a special concert.

The performance of parts 5 and 6 of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio takes place on Sunday January 16.

The Oratorio is to be sung in German during the Epiphany Devotion ‘The Journey of the Magi’ service, and the choir will be accompanied by period instruments.

A former chorister and pupil of South Wilts Grammar School, Caroline studied music at Oxford and has sung professionally ever since.

Caroline said: “In March 2020 I sang in a concert at the Royal Festival Hall that recreated Beethoven’s epic Vienna concert of 1808. It took place just days ahead of the first lockdown and I remember Stephen Fry, who was narrating, remarking that this might be the last occasion for people to listen to live music for some time. Little did we know just how long that ban would last and what its impact would be.”

The ban on singing and live music significantly affected Salisbury Cathedral’s choir. Not only were they unable to sing for long periods, but recruitment was disrupted and, as part of efforts to return to singing in worship as well as performance, adult singers from the choir volunteered to take part in ‘singing’ tests at PHE Porton Down.

The choir returned for October’s Gala concert marking the 30th Anniversary of the girls choir, and Darkness to Light and the two Carols by Candlelight services went ahead, with limited capacity, and performances of Handel’s Messiah and Monteverdi’s Vespers.

The Epiphany Devotion ‘The Journey of the Magi’ takes place at 5pm. Visit: salisburycathedral.org.uk

 

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