2025-2026 season
Saturday 27th June 2026
Shrewsbury Abbey
Rutter’s Magnificat
Mozart’s Requiem
Shrewsbury Music Festival treated the townspeople of the Shrewsbury to a very special night of music on Saturday night. The festival has been running for four years now and essentially is the joining to together of two choirs (and anyone else who wants to join in) in order to stage a programme of large choral works. These concerts have included Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius and The Kingdom, and this year, Mozart’s Requiem paired with John Rutter’s Magnificat. Playing to a packed Abbey the concert began with William Walton’s Crown Imperial – always a crowd pleaser! The orchestra, expertly led by Anne Tupling was certainly on form under the hand of Richard Robbins, this year’s Musical Director. He shaped the music beautifully and brought to an uplifting and exciting climax. It was a great to start to the evening – the audience responding enthusiastically.
Rutter’s Magnificat is music that is melodically appealing and for the most part the choir conveyed this, especially in the opening and concluding movements. The blend of the two choirs was impressive and the tone excellent, with some lovely unison singing. They sounded great! Hilary Cronin, soprano soloist for this work was superb. What a beautiful and rounded sound she makes with a wonderful bell like quality in her top notes. Richard Robbins knows exactly what he wants for the choir and orchestra and his conducting is purposeful and intensely musical.
After the interval it was time for Mozart’s iconic Requiem. Is there anything better from this period? Choirs do love to sing it and audience love to hear it. Hilary Cronin (soprano), Bethan Langford (Contralto), Joshua Owen Mills, all of national and international standing were joined by graduating student Toby Hall, from Shrewsbury School. The four soloists treated us to some lovely quartet singing in the Recordare and the Benedictus, where young Toby held his own. The choir was really on form throughout. Their singing was full of energy and foreboding, especially in the Dies Irae. Congratulations to the choir on the variety of tonal colour, and the dynamic range. Rex Tremendae and Confutatis were powerful and the Salva me sections beautifully negotiated. Richard Robbins displays a great sense of architecture in his conducting and took us on wonderful journey as a result. He is in full control of the choir and the orchestra. Shrewsbury Sinfonia were wonderful to hear. Over the last ten years they have become more and more unified and sound like a well-developed orchestra. Although this is essentially an ad hoc orchestra, many of the players come back repeatedly. Enormous thanks for all the hard work from Anne Tupling, who books the players and bows the string parts!
Richard Robbins
Hilary Cronin - Soprano
Bethan Langford - Alto
Joshua Owen Mills - Tenor
Toby Hall - Bass
Sunday 17th May - St Alkmund’s Church
Caelan Godden
Showcase Recital
It goes without saying that the quality of music-making displayed at our Sunday afternoon recitals is excellent but to hear a young musician giving his first ever recital, and one which showcases the incredible artistic and technical demands of Beethoven’s late C minor Sonata, Op 111 and Chopin’s B minor Sonata op 58, is a privilege. The audience were treated to a “musical banquet, food for the ears, the mind and the soul”: a banquet of the very finest virtuosic skill coupled with a maturity of musical vision rarely seen, let alone in a student of a mere 18 years.
Surpassed in difficulty only perhaps by the Op 106 “Hammerclavier” Sonata, the Sonata in C minor Op 111 challenges even the most advanced students of the piano with its range of technical difficulties, the need to conjure forth sounds evoking the orchestral range of Beethoven’s later symphonies and it was a challenge fully met by Caelan Godden with the sonorous majesty of the opening theme and his exquisitely controlled shimmering trills. Caelan’s artistic vision of the second movement, the Arietta, was deeply convincing and utterly satisfying.
And then to Chopin’s Sonata Op 58 in B minor, widely regarded as being one of Chopin’s most difficult compositions. Caelan’s delivery of this mighty work was well-nigh perfect with its expansive opening movement. The scherzo, treacherous in the rapidity of the right hand moto perpetuo, skittered along at a furious pace, leaving this member of the audience quite breathless before launching into the thunderous introduction to the serene nocturne-like largo. Finally the magnificent rondo, Presto, non tanto, starting gloomily but moving to its joyful thrilling coda in the major key.
Very rightly Caelan was rewarded with a well-deserved standing ovation. He returned the compliment with an exquisite performance of the C major Prelude by Bach, so beloved of students of the piano but never played more sensitively than here.
Mendelssohn - Hebrides Overture (Fingal’s Cave)
Haydn - Heiligmesse
Brahms - How lovely are they dwellings (from A German Requiem)
Brahms - Piano Concerto No 2 in Bb
Saturday 18th April 2026 - Shrewsbury Abbey
Spring Concert
The choral’s first concert of the year got the summer off to an exciting start.
Shrewsbury Sinfonia opened with a rich performance of Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture. It was a joy to hear it as they performed effortlessly the beautiful tone colours, colourful orchestration and dramatic themes. The orchestra kept us gripped as they painted a picture of the Hebridean coastline. They started gently but gradually built the music to an astonishing climax finally giving way to the final chords and flute floating away into the distance. Martin Cook’s thoughtful and elegant interpretation of this classic of the repertoire could really not be bettered.
Shrewsbury Choral surpassed itself with a captivating performance of Haydn’s Heiligmesse. Each movement was executed with evident musical competence and precision. The stirring Kyrie opened the work with jubilation. The lively Gloria followed with lovely harmonies and a cohesive sound and the Credo demonstrated delicate lines and calm tones perfectly capturing the mood of the movement. As the work progressed, the mood and atmosphere continued to be depicted by beautiful phrasing and dynamics. The sopranos were lyrical and confident supported by a strong alto section and the tenors and basses were rich and powerful but giving way to more sombre tones when required. The fugal sections were started confidently and built up to a moving climax, full of emotion and atmosphere. The carefully balanced tones of the organ, under the fingers and toes of Shrewsbury Choral’s accompanist John Bowen, and the first-class orchestra under the leadership of Anne Tupling complemented a technically brilliant performance, beautifully coloured by meaningful expression and musicality. It was a truly uplifting and spiritual performance complemented by the serene venue giving the audience an unforgettable experience.
Brahms’ How lovely are Thy dwellings opened the Second Half and gave a light and flowing interpretation of one of his popular pieces maintaining the wealth of the rich melodies, harmonies and atmosphere. The voices moved together effortlessly and smoothly, ebbing and flowing, surging and falling back to deliver Brahms’ characteristic romantic lyricism. The performance was atmospheric and evoked the deep the spirituality that inspired the piece.
The technical demands of the Brahms Piano Concerto No 2 in B flat were more than amply met by the astoundingly talented young pianist Sean Goddard. Fresh and inspired, backed by a superb orchestra, he demonstrated a mature approach to the first deeply stirring movement. Special mention must be made of the beautiful horn playing by Ed Roddy and Philip Harriet here. The tempestuous scherzo second movement was a tour-de-force while Sean captured the great lyricism of Brahms’ themes in the third movement alongside the haunting playing of the solo cellist, Hilary Summers. The finale, full of optimism with its lighthearted and sometimes frivolous character, brought the concerto and the evening to a joyful close.
Sunday 8th March - St Alkmund’s Church
William Poon
Showcase Recital
William Poon, a student at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Professor Graham Scott is a pianist of rare quality. He presented an imaginative programme that reflected his culture and background, so it was a delight to hear the Three Chinese Pieces by the American composer Abram Chasins and Moonlight Over Spring River by Doming Lam. His playing of these beautiful pieces was fresh and elegant, technically assured, and full of pianistic colour. This was also true of his performance of Schuman’s Davidsbündlertänze. William was relaxed and personable, introducing each piece to the audience with an explanation of the music. What a delightful performance and afternoon.
Sunday 8th February - St Alkmund’s Church
Letizia Palmieri
Showcase Recital
A small but enthusiastic audience were entranced by a performance of virtuosic mastery combined with poetic vision delivered by RNCM Postgraduate student Letitia Palmieri who opened with Stephen Hough’s Sonatina Nostalgica playing with charm, assurance and lyricism. So drawn into the musc were the audience that they were quite mesmerised to the extent that they forgot to applaud! This is not to suggest that they did not appreciate Letizia’s skill and intensely romantic vision of this beautiful composition.
Then into Liszt’s Grand Concert Fantasy on “La Sonnambula”, a piece demonstrating the supreme mastery of the piano which guaranteed Liszt his place in the history of music and interpreted today with great assurance and aplomb.
The audience were then treated to the Caprice-Impromptu by the French composer Cécile Chaminade. It is good to see music by female composers included in recital programmes and in this piece Letizia explored the glorious sonorities of this wonderful work.
Letizia’s final performance brought tonal depth and lyricism to the spikey and percussive harmonies and textures of Prokofiev’s challenging 8th Sonata where sweeping cantabile melodies penetrated through spectacular brilliance.
And then, as a final treat, the encore: one of Domenico Scarlatti’s many dazzlingly fleeting Sonatas.
A thoroughly wonderful occasion.
Saturday 7th February 2026
Come and Sing Day - Rutter’s Requiem
It’s official! We are the ‘Friendly Choir’!
So said one of our guests who had travelled from Stoke-on-Trent to enjoy a day of choral music exploring John Rutter’s beautiful and poignant Requiem under the sensitive and expert direction of Dr Martin Cook with the able fingers of accompanist John Bowen on the piano (who somehow managed to convincingly play those rare insturments, the ‘eighty-eight keyed cello’ and the ‘eighty-eight keyed oboe’ too). Rutter’s music is usually presented to audiences in two forms, one for full orchestra and one for a stripped-down ensemble. In the case of the Requiem, the smaller ensemble consists of flute, oboe, timpani, glockenspiel, harp, cello and organ but today we had piano and it was more than adequate.
We spent the morning and the first part of the afternoon studying the music before performing it to an appreciative audience of choir supporters, family and friends and, no doubt, passers-by who happened upon live music-making in the heart of Shrewsbury.
And yes - we ARE the ‘Friendly Choir’ as evidenced by the huge number of participants in today’s workshop, a Shrewsbury Choral record for come-and-sing days of 71 choristers spanning the age range from twelve into the eighties! And when we weren’t singing, we were enjoying each other’s company over cakes and drinks.
Our thanks to the cake-bakers, the team at St Alkmunds who made their beautiful church available, to the organisers, to John, and particularly to Martin for his skillful direction of this gorgeous music.
MESSIAH in WHITCHURCH
13th December, 2025
A return visit to the beautiful Church of St Alkmund’s in Whitchurch saw Shrewsbury Choral performing Handel’s magnificent Messiah under the considered and careful direction of Martin Cook perfectly accompanied by a well-balanced ‘mini-orchestra of string quintet and harpsichord supplemented by trumpets and timpani for those big glorious moments such as the Hallelujah Chorus. Local soloists Holly Teague, Helena Cooke, William Smith and Peter Edge shone in the arias and recitatives.
A first-class performance!
15th November 2025 - Come and Sing Day at St Alkmund’s Church
Haydn’s ‘Nelson’ Mass
Another fun-filled day singing great choral music in Shrewsbury’s beautiful St Alkmund’s Church. Haydn’s Nelson Mass, perhaps the most popular of his masses, is the ideal work for choral workshops providing just the right level of challenge to amateur musicians. Solos were admirably performed by members of Shrewsbury Choral while John Bowen supported our singing from the piano during the workshop and on the organ for the final performance open to the public, all under the genial and authoritative leadership of our director Martin Cook.
Thanks to all who made this enjoyable day possible.
9th November 2025 - Showcase Piano Recital at St Alkmund’s Church
Edward Lloyd - RNCM
Liszt- Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses, S.174
Rachmaninoff-Volodos, Op.21 No.7 'How Fair this Place'
Rachmaninoff-Wild, Op.4 No.3 'In the Silence of the Night'
Rachmaninoff - Sonata No.2 In B flat minor Op36, (Original version, 1913)
On Sunday afternoon we were treated to a recital given by the exceptional talent of Edward Lloyd. Edward is just another exceptional talent under the tutelage of Graham Scott.
Described as "A highly poetic and expressive performer with strong musical instincts alongside beautiful tonal colouring creating a notable silence in the audience indicative of their expressive ability and communicative musicianship." (Pascal Nemirovski) Edward proved to the audience that all of this is true. He plays in the moment and is able to spin out a musical phrase like a continuous silver thread. Combined with a virtuosic technique he is able to hold the audience in a spellbound silence.
Edward made his concerto debut with the Oxford Festival Orchestra in the Church of St Mary the Virgin in 2022. Subsequent performances have brought him to the Bridgewater Hall, Steinway Hall London, Stoller Hall, and most recently the Liszt Academy in Budapest.
His competition achievements include prizes in the Christopher Duke International Piano Competition, Vienna International Competition and the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe Competition. Edward is also involved in chamber music and has received the first prize in both the Dorothy Richardson and the Alexander Young Competitions for vocal accompaniment.
An Evening of Opera Highlights and Hits from the Musicals
Joined by the mighty British Police Symphony Orchestra under their director Dr Richard Jenkinson, Shrewsbury Choral and their director Dr Martin Cook delighted a sizeable audience with a scintillating programme of favourites from the world of opera and musical theatre.
The Orchestra demonstrated their fine skills in performances of overtures from Wagner, Verdi, Johann Strauss II and Bernstein and provided supportive accompaniment to the Choir and their guest soloists, soprano Holly Teague and tenor Chris Barnes.
The audience were taken on a whirlwind tour from 16th Century Germany to 18th Century Scotland and Spain, to provincial Russia in the 1820s for the Polonaise and Waltz Scene from Tchaikovsky’s ‘Eugene Onegin’ - making special mention of the society’s accompanist, John Bowen who left the piano to make his debut singing operatic solo as Onegin - then back to Biblical times with the celebrated ‘Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves’ from ‘Nabucco’ before being propelled into the interval with that most famous drinking song, ‘Brindisi’ from ‘La Traviata’
The second half opened with the champagne-fuelled revelries of Strauss’ ‘Die Fledermaus’ and Lehár’s lyrical ‘Vilja’s Song’ performed beautifully by Holly Teague before moving into the 20th Century with the music of Leonard Bernstein’s ‘Candide’. The evening was brought to a brilliant conclusion with two medleys of hits from Schönberg’s ‘Les Misérables’ and from that perennial favourite penned by Rodgers and Hammerstein, ‘The Sound of Music’ with the audience joining in with ‘Edelweiss’ and ‘Climb Every Mountain’. Some in the audience even left their pews to join in the waltz!
Congratulations to the two Musical Directors, Shrewsbury Choral’s Dr Martin Cook and the BPSO’s Dr Richard Jenkinson, for their shared vision in bringing together the talents of so many skilled musicians to perform such a broad-ranging and entertaining programme.
Special thanks go to The Wynn Foundation, The Prince Rupert Hotel and to Barnes Logistics for generous financial support for this wonderful concert.
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