June 2024 – “Inspired by folk-song”
Vaughan Williams: ‘In Windsor Forest’
Doppler: Nocturne Op 19 for Flute, Violin, Cello
Vaughan Williams: ‘Five Mystical Songs’
Afton Water (Scottish folk song) arr. David Willcocks
Swansea Town (Welsh folk song) arr. Gustav Holst
The Turtle Dove ( English folk song) arr. Vaughan Williams
‘Bach in Ireland’ Irish Jigs and Reels
Jonathan Palmer: ‘Sweet was those Notes’
“I just wanted to reiterate in writing how much I enjoyed this evening’s performance. Putting together a programme of such variety (and yet tied together with a theme), and then executing it with such panache, is no mean feat and I think we are lucky in Portishead to have a group capable of putting on such concerts so effectively. The choir had a lot of challenging music to learn and sang it all brilliantly, keeping their concentration from the first note to the last. So congratulations to you all!” Marcus Evans
Audio clips from the concert…
March 2024
Rossini: Petite Messe Solennelle
December 2023 – “Musica sacra dall’Italia”
Verdi: ‘Ave Maria’ & ‘Stabat Mater’ (from 4 Sacred Pieces)
Puccini: ‘Salve Regina’
Vivaldi: ‘Magnificat’
Tchaikovsky: String Quartet Op. 11 (Andante cantabile)
Christmas carols by Vaughan Williams, Karl Leuner, Richard Terry, John Rutter
Christmas carols for choir and audience (arr. Jonathan Palmer)
June 2023 – “BRITISH MUSIC FOR A SUMMER’S EVENING”
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: ‘Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast’
Handel: Coronation Anthem ‘The King Shall Rejoice’
English songs for tenor voice by Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten and Ian Venables
March 2023
Haydn: The Creation
Poster
Programme
Review by Jonathan Palmer
December 2022
Handel: ‘Awake the Trumpet’s Lofty Sound’ (from ‘Samson’)
Handel: ‘Your Voices Tune’ (from ‘Alexander’s Feast’)
Mozart: ‘Coronation Mass’ in C major, K. 317
A selection of Christmas music
June 2022 – “Opera, Jazz, and More!”
Folk songs, jazz arrangements and solos
Famous, memorable tunes from the great operas
March 2022 – “IN TUNE WITH HEAVEN”
Mendelssohn: Hymn of Praise (extracts)
Britten: Three Folk Song Arrangements
Parry: Blest Pair of Sirens
Vaughan Williams: O Be Joyful in the Lord
Jonathan Palmer: She Walks in Beauty (extracts)
December 2020 – “Gloria! A Celebration of Singing Together Again”
January 2020
In January 2020 PCS began rehearsing for a concert which was to include Mendelssohn’s “Hymn of Praise” and Parry’s “Blest Pair of Sirens”. The Choir clearly relished the excitement of the music and preparation went well with the choir producing an excellent sound. As the Covid 19 pandemic developed PCS decided to cancel rehearsals until such a time as meeting together was safe again.
December 2019 – A Baroque/Romantic Christmas
Das neugeborne Kindelein: Buxtehude
Christus: Mendelssohn
Messe de Minuit: Charpentier
Magnificat: Durante
Carols for Choir and Audience
June 2019 – From Russia with Love
Liturgy of St John Chrysostom: Rachmaninov
Russian Folk Songs: Shostakovich
Polovtsian Dances: Borodin
Russian Songs
March 2019 – La Plus Belle Musique Sacrée Française
Fauré: Requiem
Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine
Lilli Boulanger: Hymn to the Sun
Franck: Panis Angelicus
December 2018 – Awake the Voice!
A collaborative Christmas-themed concert with Nailsea Choral Society and Chew Valley Choral Society
Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Finzi: In terra pax
Palmer: Awake the Voice!
November 2018 – We Will Remember Them
A concert to commemorate the end of WW1
June 2018
Music from the Americas including:
– Ariel Ramirez: Missa Criolla
“The choir and its conductor and soloists are to be congratulated on providing a challenging but also very entertaining evening of mostly unfamiliar music, interpreted with gusto and no little finesse.” Peter Hawkins
March 2018
Handel: Messiah
Review
December 2017 – Festive December Concert
Excerpts from:
– Bach: Christmas Oratorio
– Mendelssohn: Elijah
– Borodin: Prince Igor
– Orff: Carmina Burana
Carols for choir and audience
June 2017 – Music from Venice and the Mediterranean
Music by Monteverdi, Gabrielli and Schutz
Well-known songs from France, Spain, Italy and Greece
Review
March 2017 – A Classical Celebration
Mozart: Kyrie K341
Schubert Magnificat D486
Beethoven: Choral Fantasia Op 80
Haydn: Mass in Time of War
“I had no idea there were such resources in Portishead. The choir produced a wonderful programme of music that displayed the enormous talent that surrounds us. BRAVO!” Ian Hawkins
December 2016
Poulenc: Gloria
Opera choruses and Christmas carols
June 2016 – An English Summer Serenade
Music by Morley, Gibbons, Purcell, Parry, Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Britten
John Rutter: A Sprig of Thyme
Review
March 2016 – A Grand Tour of the Baroque
Rameau: Les Indes Galantes (excerpts)
Vivaldi: Gloria
Bach: Air from Suite in D
Purcell: King Arthur (excerpts)
December 2015
Rutter: Magnificat
Palmer: Happy Returns
Three Carol Arrangements
June 2015
An Evening at the Opera
March 2015
Haydn: Te Deum
Mozart: Ave verum corpus
Mozart: Requiem
December 2014
Handel: Zadok the Priest
Bach: Magnificat in D
Palmer: Awake the Voice
June 2014
German: Merrie England
March 2014
Gounod: St Cecilia Mass
Bach: Sleepers Wake
December 2013
Handel: Messiah Part 1
Christmas Carols
May 2013
Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb
Bernstein: Chichester Psalms
Dvořák: Mass in D
December 2012
Karl Jenkins: Gloria
Christmas Carols
May 2012
Dyson: Three Songs of Courage
Holst: Five Partsongs, Op 12
Vaughan Williams: Five English Folksongs
March 2012
Bach: St John Passion
December 2011
Vivaldi: Gloria and Magnificat in D
Christmas Carols
May 2011
Puccini: Messa di Gloria
Vaughan Williams: Five Mystical Songs
March 2011
Brahms: A German Requiem
January 2011
Handel: Messiah
Christmas Carols
May 2010
Haydn: Little Organ Mass
Fauré: Requiem
March 2010
Rossini: Petite Messe Solenelle