Tag Archives: 2024

Carol Concert in aid of HARP 2024

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A wonderfully festive atmosphere filled St Andrews Church, Westcliff-on-Sea, on Saturday 21st December 2024 as Southend Bach Choir welcomed friends, family and the wider community to A Carol Concert in aid of HARP.

Under the direction of Roger Humphrey, with Andrew Palmer at the organ, the evening offered a generous mix of well-loved traditional carols, uplifting modern favourites and moments of quiet reflection. From the joyful opening of John Rutter’s Joy to the World to the much-loved In the Bleak Midwinter and the celebratory close of The Twelve Days of Christmas, the programme captured the full spirit of the season.

Audience participation was very much part of the evening, with everyone invited to sing along to familiar carols including Once in Royal David’s City, O Come, All Ye Faithful and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Seasonal readings and solo moments were woven throughout the programme, adding warmth, meaning and a sense of shared celebration.

Thanks to Gaz de Vere for permission to use the photos.

The concert also marked another valued opportunity to support HARP, Southend’s homelessness charity. A retiring collection helped raise funds for their essential work supporting people experiencing homelessness across the town, reminding us all of the importance of compassion and community at this time of year.

With festive refreshments enjoyed afterwards and plenty of Christmas cheer to go around, the evening was a heartfelt way to round off the choir’s year — sharing music, generosity and goodwill as Christmas approached.

Autumn Concert 2024 – Handel’s ‘Messiah’

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Southend Bach Choir presented a performance of Handel’s Messiah on Saturday 23rd November 2024 at Holy Trinity Church, Southchurch, continuing the choir’s long-standing association with one of the most beloved works in the choral repertoire.

Under the direction of Music Director Roger Humphrey, the choir performed this monumental English-language oratorio, which traces the prophecy, passion and resurrection of Christ across its three-part structure. From the opening Sinfonia and Comfort ye, through the drama of He was despised and All we like sheep, to the triumphant Hallelujah and concluding choruses, the evening offered a powerful and moving musical journey.

The performance featured four distinguished guest soloists: Elizabeth Dunlop (soprano), Ruby Bak (mezzo-soprano), Samuel Kibble (tenor) and David Townend (bass), with organ accompaniment provided by Stephen King. Together, they brought depth, clarity and expressive warmth to Handel’s arias and recitatives.

Holy Trinity Church, Southchurch, provided a fitting and resonant setting for this timeless work, which holds special significance for the choir — selections from Messiah formed part of its very first concert in 1943. This performance both honoured that history and celebrated the choir’s continuing vitality today.

It was an evening of musical excellence and shared tradition, warmly appreciated by a full and attentive audience, and a highlight of Southend Bach Choir’s concert season.

Summer Concert 2024 – Glories of English Music

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Southend Bach Choir presented Glories of English Music, a celebratory evening of choral music held on Saturday 13th July 2024 at West Leigh Baptist Church, Leigh-on-Sea. The programme showcased much-loved works by John Rutter, Charles Villiers Stanford and Bob Chilcott, offering a rich journey through English sacred and secular repertoire.

The concert featured powerful choral works including Rutter’s Te Deum and Gloria, Stanford’s evocative Songs of the Fleet, and Chilcott’s lyrical The Lily and the Rose. The audience also enjoyed a selection of traditional and folk-inspired pieces such as O Danny Boy, Skye Boat Song, and Over the Wave.

Baritone Nicholas Bacon was the evening’s soloist, performing Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet (including Sailing at Dawn, The Song of the Sou’-wester, and Farewell), as well as Vaughan Williams’ Songs of Travel (The Vagabond, Let Beauty Awake and The Roadside Fire). Stanford’s beautifully atmospheric The Blue Bird added a moment of stillness and reflection to the programme.

The concert took place at West Leigh Baptist Church, founded in 1914 and long committed to serving the local community through initiatives such as youth and children’s work, the Southend Foodbank and the Parish Nurse ministry. Proceeds from the evening supported the church’s Phase 2 building project, which will provide a sports hall, dedicated spaces for Parish Nurses, and kitchen facilities to further benefit both the church family and the wider community.

It was an evening that combined outstanding English music with a strong sense of community purpose, and the audience’s support played a vital role in helping to bring the church’s vision for the future closer to completion.