Con Anima Chamber Choir

Sunday

13 November 2016

7pm, St Andrew’s Cathedral, King Street, Aberdeen

This autumn Con Anima present a concert of music and readings focusing on remembrance and peace conducted by internationally renowned composer Prof. Paul Mealor.

Befitting the occasion of remembrance day the music will be reflective and quietly beautiful, honouring those fallen in conflict and reflecting the desire for lasting peace. The repertoire will include Paul Mealor’s own ‘In Flanders Field’, Maurice Durufle’s ‘Ubi caritas’, Sir John Tavener’s ‘Song for Athene’, and works by Parry, Ireland, Stanford, Karl Jenkins.

Con Anima are also proud to present a new choral piece commissioned from Aberdeen University PhD student and composer Mike Merrill.

The concert will be accompanied by organist Prof. Andrew Morrisson, with cellist Gareth John, and include readings for remembrance.

Tickets: £12 / £10 

available from Aberdeen Box Office ( 01224 641122  www.aberdeenperformingarts.com ) or choir members.

This concert will also be performed the day before, in Crathie Parish Church, Ballater:

Saturday

12 November 2016

6.30pm, Crathie Parish Church, Ballater

This autumn Con Anima present a concert of music and readings focusing on remembrance and peace conducted by internationally renowned composer Prof. Paul Mealor.

Befitting the occasion of remembrance day the music will be reflective and quietly beautiful, honouring those fallen in conflict and reflecting the desire for lasting peace. The repertoire will include Paul Mealor’s own ‘In Flanders Field’, Maurice Durufle’s ‘Ubi caritas’, Sir John Tavener’s ‘Song for Athene’, and works by Parry, Ireland, Stanford, Karl Jenkins.

Con Anima are also proud to present a new choral piece commissioned from Aberdeen University PhD student and composer Mike Merrill.

The concert will be accompanied by organist Prof. Andrew Morrisson, with cellist Gareth John, and include readings for remembrance.

Tickets: £12 / £10, available in advance by phoning 01339 742208, or at the door.

Saturday, 20 August 2016

Workshop – 10:30am~5:30pm

Concert – 7pm,

Ruthrieston West Church, Broomhill Road, Aberdeen

Come and sing Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem with Con Anima Chamber Choir, conductor John Hudson, and accompanied by Jeremy Coleman.

Following our concert of the work earlier in the year, join us during the daytime workshops to learn the music, and then for a concert performance in the evening.  Lunch, refreshments, and music hire will be provided for those attending the workshop.

Ranked by some as his greatest work, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem is one of the most beloved of the great choral compositions. The description ‘Deutsches’ refers to the German language, and perhaps Lutheran traditions, but Brahms commented, “I will admit that I could happily omit the ‘German’ and simply say ‘Human’.” Not a liturgical composition, it is Brahms’ setting of his own selection of texts from the Lutheran Bible, “for the comforting of the living, rather than the souls of the dead”.

Join us there to sing this profound and moving masterpiece.

Singers: £15 / 10 (concessions)

Audience: £5 

To register your interest, or for more information, please email info@conanima.org.uk or fill in the application form.

Saturday

19 March 2016

8pm, St Machar’s Cathedral, Old Aberdeen

Ranked by some as his greatest work, Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem is one of the most beloved of the great choral compositions. The description ‘Deutsches’ refers to the German language, and perhaps Lutheran traditions, but Brahms commented, “I will admit that I could happily omit the ‘German’ and simply say ‘Human’.” Not a liturgical composition, it is Brahms’ setting of his own selection of texts from the Lutheran Bible, “for the comforting of the living, rather than the souls of the dead”.

Con Anima will be accompanied by its own Chamber Orchestra, led by Guera Maunder, and joined by soloists Judith Howarth and Andrew McTaggart, under the direction of conductor John Frederick Hudson, in the inspiring St. Machar’s Cathedral, Old Aberdeen.

Join us there to hear this profound and moving masterpiece.

Tickets: £12 / 10 / 5
from Aberdeen Box Office ( 01224 641122  www.aberdeenperformingarts.com ) or choir members.

Saturday

12 December 2015

7.30pm, St Andrew’s Cathedral, King Street, Aberdeen

This December the second performance of our Christmas concert will include Christmas favourites like Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing, Deck the Hall, and The Twelve Days of Christmas, alongside modern Christmas music such as John Rutter’s Candlelight Carol, Bob Chilcott’s arrangement of On Christmas Night, and selections from Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols – there will certainly be something for everyone!.

Con Anima are delighted to announce proceeds from this year’s concerts will be donated to Aberdeen Cyrenians. Aberdeen Cyrenians Fundraising Officer Nicky MacBeath said: “We are absolutely delighted Con Anima Chamber Choir have chosen us to receive the proceeds of this year’s Christmas concerts.”

Con Anima will be conducted by Dr Roger B Williams MBE, with accompaniment on piano/organ by Drew Tulloch, at St Andrew’s Cathedral, King Street,  in the heart of Aberdeen.

The concert will be interspersed with readings of poems by poets from the North-East and Dunbar.

Admission: Free, donations welcome

Friday

11 December 2015

7.30pm at Fyvie Castle

This December our first Christmas concert will include Christmas favourites like Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing, Deck the Hall, and The Twelve Days of Christmas, alongside modern Christmas music such as John Rutter’s Candlelight Carol, Bob Chilcott’s arrangement of On Christmas Night, and selections from Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols – there will certainly be something for everyone!.

Con Anima are delighted to announce proceeds from this year’s concerts will be donated to Aberdeen Cyrenians. Aberdeen Cyrenians Fundraising Officer Nicky MacBeath said: “We are absolutely delighted Con Anima Chamber Choir have chosen us to receive the proceeds of this year’s Christmas concerts.”

Con Anima will be conducted by Dr Roger B Williams MBE, with accompaniment on piano/organ by Drew Tulloch, in the historic music gallery of NTS Fyvie Castle.

The concert will be interspersed with seasonal readings.

Tickets £10/8/5

Sunday

08 November 2015

7.45pm, St Andrew’s Cathedral, King Street, Aberdeen

This year, our autumn concert will explore two important and prolific eras of British music: the Tudor period & the early 20th century. Secular and sacred works by Tudor composers such as Thomas Weelkes & William Byrd, and 20^th century composers such as Gerald Finzi and Herbert Howells will be performed, including Howells’ undoubted masterpiece “Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing”.

Con Anima chamber choir will be conducted by Peter Parfitt, and accompanied by Andrew Morrisson on organ, in the historic Cathedral of St. Andrew, Aberdeen.

Tickets £10 (£8 conc.) from Aberdeen Box Office ( 01224 641122 www.aberdeenperformingarts.com ) or from choir members.

Saturday
21 March 2015

7.30pm, St Machar’s Cathedral, Old Aberdeen

This concert moves from the confidence and jubilant resonance of the trumpets and drums of J.S. Bach’s Magnificat through his extrovert third Suite – with its famous Air – to Maurice Duruflé’s more searching and inward-looking Requiem. In this, it mirrors the drama of Holy Week which follows just ten days later.

The outstanding chamber choir Con Anima, will be accompanied by its own Chamber Orchestra, led by Jean Fletcher, in the inspiring Cathedral of St. Machar. Soloists will include Colin Brockie and members of the choir. The concert will be conducted by Roger B. Williams.

Tickets £12 (£10 conc.) from Aberdeen Box Office ( 01224 641122 www.boxofficeaberdeen.com ) or choir members.

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

Saturday
13 December 2014

3pm, St Mary’s Chapel, Blairs

6pm, King’s College Chapel, University of Aberdeen

Our services will offer the traditional mixture of carols old and new: Alongside a chorus from Handel’s perennially fresh Messiah and familiar carols from the twentieth century by Herbert Howells and John Rutter, we will be presenting the world premiere of Sweet was the song by Philip Cooke and the spectacular Tota pulchra es by James MacMillan. With old favourites like Once in royal David’s city and Hark the herald-Angels sing for congregational singing, there is something for everyone.

We are pleased to support Blairs College Chapel Trust and the Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) through the donations from these services.

Saturday 8 November 2014

Concert: 7.30pm

St Andrew’s Cathedral, Aberdeen

Con Anima, will be performing an exciting programme featuring music from the glories of 17th century Venice. This concert recreates a Vespers Service as it might have been heard in the Basilica di San Marco with choral and instrumental music by contemporaries of Monteverdi. The Vespers culminates in a performance of the seven-part Magnificat by Giovanni Rigatti. The concert will be held in the magnificent acoustic of St Andrew’s Cathedral in King Street and forms part of the celebrations of the church being raised to Cathedral status in 1914. Come and join us!

Tickets £10 (£8 conc.) from Aberdeen Box Office ( 01224 641122 www.boxofficeaberdeen.com ) or choir members.

Saturday 31 May 2014

Concert: 7pm

Gelnmuick Church, Church Square, Ballater

Admission FREE

Having gone North and South for our last two summer concerts, this year we’re venturing west a wee bit, to Ballater, to sing two glorious Glorias, in very different styles, by Vivaldi and Poulenc, and a brand new piece written for us by John Hudson. Join us at Glenmuick Church, Ballater, for an evening of joyful music in a fittingly beautiful part of Scotland.