30th Anniversary Concert - This Shining Night
6:00pm, Sun, 18 May 2025
Share: 
- Event Details
-
Type of event: Performance Start time: 6:00pm Venue: St Mary's Church, Chartham
Church Lane
Chartham
Kent CT4 7JWSee map below Ticket pricing/options: Full (£10)
Under 16s (Free)Tickets: 
Description: 
Canterbury Chamber Choir’s 30th Anniversary Concert - A Celebration in Song
Conductor: Peter Futcher
Organ and Piano: Ed Kemp-Luck
Weddington Strings
Soloists: Sally Maclean, Rafa Barton Hodges, James Futcher & Orlando Barton Hodges
Join us as we mark thirty years of musical excellence with a special anniversary concert in the beautiful surroundings of St Mary's Church, Chartham. Under the direction of Peter Futcher, we present a rich and inspiring programme that spans various styles, celebrating the power and beauty of choral music.
Ola Gjeilo – Sunrise Mass
A work of radiant beauty and deep emotional scope, Sunrise Mass blends cinematic grandeur with choral lyricism. Gjeilo’s setting of the Latin Mass moves from an ethereal opening to a triumphant, light-filled conclusion, reflecting a journey from darkness to light—both musically and spiritually.
Peter Futcher – Jubilate Deo (Premiere)
Specially composed for this anniversary concert, Jubilate Deo is a joyful and uplifting setting of Psalm 100.
Eric Whitacre – i thank You God
Whitacre’s setting of E.E. Cummings’ poem is a luminous meditation on gratitude and wonder. Rich, shifting harmonies create a sense of awe and transcendence, perfectly capturing the poet’s ecstatic vision of the world.
Benjamin Britten – Rejoice in the Lamb
This spirited and eccentric cantata sets the words of the 18th-century poet Christopher Smart. Britten’s inventive, playful, and sometimes poignant choral writing brings to life Smart’s unique celebration of divine joy—including his famous ode to his cat, Jeoffry!
Gerald Finzi – My Spirit Sang All Day
A brief but exuberant choral work, this setting of Robert Bridges’ poem overflows with lightness and energy. Finzi’s hallmark lyricism and effortless melodic flow make it a beloved gem of the English choral tradition.
Herbert Howells – A Hymn for St Cecilia
Written in honour of the patron saint of music, Howells’ Hymn for St Cecilia is both intricate and radiant. Setting a text by Ursula Vaughan Williams, it beautifully expresses the sacred and mysterious nature of music itself.
Morten Lauridsen – Sure on this Shining Night
This tender and deeply expressive piece, based on a poem by James Agee, shimmers with warmth and quiet serenity. Lauridsen’s characteristic lush harmonies and flowing lines make it a timeless reflection on beauty and hope.
Whether you have been part of our journey or are discovering us for the first time, we invite you to celebrate with us—an evening of music, reflection, and joy.
