Exeter Philharmonic Choir hosts free Topsham event ahead of Spanish tour

Exeter Philharmonic Choir is performing for FREE in Topsham

Exeter Philharmonic Choir is holding a free event in Topsham this weekend ahead of a five-day tour in Spain.

The choir is preparing to get its 2024-25 season of concerts under way this autumn following a sell-out season last year, but before that 47 members will travel to Salamanca.

At the end of September, the group will perform concerts in the Old Cathedral of Salamanca and Valladolid Cathedral and sing in a Mass at The Basilica of St Teresa in Avila.

As part of practicing its Spanish tour repertoire, the choir is performing for free in St Margaret’s Church in Topsham on Saturday, September 21, from 4.30pm to 5.30pm and all are welcome to attend.

One of the highlights of the programme will be the performance of a new work by the choir’s associate director of music Stephen Tanner, which was commissioned for the tour.

Un Salmo Español, a setting of Psalm 21, contains subtle references to Spanish rhythms and harmonies which the choir hopes audiences will appreciate.

Director of music Howard Ionascu said: “This tour is a wonderful opportunity to sing in magnificent Spanish cathedrals and to showcase a full programme of English sacred music, from the Renaissance and Baroque period, through the Romantic and early 20th-century repertoire to contemporary English composers. ” The choir has just published its programme for the coming season. It promises another year of wonderful music-making, as always with top professional soloists and ensembles.

Handel’s Messiah will start the season in Exmouth on November 9, followed by the ever-popular Carols in the Cathedral on December 17 and 18. For its two festive concerts, Exeter Philharmonic Choir will be joined by two trumpeters and a solo soprano, as well as Dr Todd Gray from the University of Exeter, who will present interludes illuminating A Devon Christmas.

The spring concert in Exeter Cathedral on March 15, 2025, will be a Mozart double bill, accompanied by the London Mozart Players, featuring the Great Mass in C minor and the Violin Concerto No.1 played by rising local star Joel Munday.

The final concert of the season on June 14, 2025, also in Exeter Cathedral, is A Feast of English Choral Music, with baritone Thomas Humphreys and organ solos played by Stephen Tanner. Visit exeterphilharmonic..org.uk for more information, with tickets on sale now.