An amateur choir has been given a workshop by an international opera singer ahead of their performance at a historic venue in the city.
Brighton Festival Chorus, founded in 1968, will be performing Bach’s famous St Matthew Passion at the Brighton Dome on February 19.
Andrew Staples, an internationally known tenor, led a session with the choir alongside its music director James Morgan, providing his expertise ahead of the performance which will be in front of hundreds of spectators.
The choir will be accompanied by Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra for the piece, which was written by the German composer in the 1700s.
Speaking of the session, Andrew Staples said: “Spending the afternoon with the choir and James Morgan, working with them on Bach’s masterpiece, I’m left inspired and impressed.
“Their passion for the piece is evident in every note they sing.
“Join them on February 19 to explore this true treasure of our choral heritage, and to enjoy what is sure to be a performance of emotive power and beauty.”
The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS), one of Britain’s leading musical charities, offered the choir the chance to explore the 300-year-old piece with Andrew, who has performed all across Europe.
Brighton Festival Chorus established itself as one of the most prominent symphony choruses in the country and one of its recordings, Carmina Burana with Antal Dorati, featured on Netflix’s chart-topping series Squid Game.
The Argus once described the 150-strong chorus as “one of the jewels in the city’s music crown”.
Richard Blows, chairman of Brighton Festival Chorus, said: “We are very lucky to have secured this session with the RPS and Andrew Staples. It’s part of a new initiative by the RPS to shine a light on non-professional groups like ours and connect them with professional counterparts.
“Andrew’s unique insight into this monumental work came at just the right time in the rehearsal process.
“After a series of rehearsals focusing hard the intricacies of Bach’s music and its close relationship with the language, it was both refreshing and energising to have the chance to connect with the fullness of the story we will be telling the audience in two weeks’ time, and the brilliance of Bach’s masterful setting.”
The performance, which will be led by conductor Robert Howarth, is at the Brighton Dome on February 19 is at 2.45pm.
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