The UK’s largest choral society celebrates 40 years of singing

KENSINGTON, U.K. - March 27, 2014 - PRLog -- In celebration of its 40^th anniversary, TRBC has commissioned a new work, In Praise of Singing, from the composer Jonathan Willcocks that will be performed at the Summer Singday^® on Sunday 13^th July 2014 alongside Fauré’s Requiem, under Willcocks’ baton. There will be a Singing Workshop on Saturday 14^th June in central London to help singers to learn this new work.

Willcocks says “I’ve chosen texts which both celebrate singing but also seemed ideal as the basis of a work for a really large chorus and orchestra. I am thrilled to be able to help to celebrate this 40^th birthday landmark in what has really become an important musical tradition for so many singers in the Royal Albert Hall”.

The charity partner for the event is the National Autistic Society.

There will also be the usual spring concert, which this year is Mozart’s Requiem conducted by the popular TRBC Principal Conductor Brian Kay, on Sunday 12^th May, the eve of his 70^th birthday.

On Sunday 30^th November, the annual Messiah from Scratch^® conducted by Kay will be augmented by an auction for the opportunity to conduct the Hallelujah Chorus in support of the British Heart Foundation, for whom the annual performance has raised thousands of pounds over the years.

The second Scratch^® Youth Messiah will also take place that afternoon with the opportunity for around 1,000 young singers to take part for free under the leadership of Suzi Digby OBE in a concert supporting Water Aid.

ENDS

Notes for editors

TRBC is the UK’s largest choral society with around 12,000 singing members. It began life in 1974 when Canadian Don Monro, a student at Imperial College, got together with fellow scientists to hire the Royal Albert Hall and fill it with amateur singers for the very first Messiah from Scratch^®:  no rehearsal at all for the chorus, just an electrifying, adrenaline-filled performance. Our other RAH concerts in May and July (‘the last night before the Proms’) have rehearsals on the day, and TRBC also organises singing breaks to prestige overseas venues, and relaxing choral cruises.

A full press pack containing information on TRBC’s history, people and fundraising is available from Jo Forrest.

http://www.trbc.co.uk