Cathedral choir by Candlelight // Norwich Cathedral 23.05.14
Choir by candlelight at the Cathedral
As a fan not only of choirs, but also the magnificent cathedral and of course, candleight, I was not someone who was going to pass up on an event like this. The whole place was full to bursting, and there was a lovely atmosphere as people sat quietly chatting and admiring the beautiful ceiling in the cathedral. The choir (all in all, 44 strong) consisted of men, teenage girls and young boys, all from the cathedral choir, and they were conducted by their music teacher and official conductor. There was not as much of a candlelit environment as I would have hoped, just a few at the front, and the choir were heavily lit by spotlights above them, so not quite as magical as I wanted.
They sang 3 pieces, all 20th Century and pretty modern in style, although there were hints of more ancient choral style within it.There were occasioal solos which were superb.The organist (very well renowned) treated us to a very complex and interesting solo piece midway through. Their voices, combined at times with a chap on the cello playing in a minimal style, were just beautiful and soared up the very top of the cathedral. A lot of the singing was very tricky and respect is due to the conductor for keeping it all on track. Some of the littlest choristers were obviously up past their bedtime and kept yawning, much to the delight of the audience sitting toward the front of the nave! Overall, a really lovely introduction to the cathedral choir, and a place of calm and talent in our busy world.
