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2023

28 June 2023
A Rousing end to the 2022/23 Season with Viva Italia!
9 June 2023
Cathedral Visits - Summer 2023
12 May 2023
Simon Toyne appointed as our new Musical Director
20 March 2023
Dame Ethel Smyth Mass in D - A resounding success!
13 February 2023
The Ethel Smyth full score has arrived

2022

13 December 2022
Christmas 2022 Concert & Fundraising
1 October 2022
New Accompanist Announced
1 September 2022
2022/23 Season Launched
31 August 2022
2022/23 Season : Our Conductors
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2021/22 Season - Done!
30 July 2022
Another (!) Special Evensong
13 June 2022
Jubilee Proms - Staggering Success
30 May 2022
MD steps down after 15 years
29 May 2022
A Special Evensong
2 April 2022
Carmina in Style
1 March 2022
Song for Ukraine
21 February 2022
#22for22 Update
7 February 2022
The Armed Man

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16 December 2021
#22for22 is launched
4 December 2021
Christmas is Back! with a brassy bang!
6 November 2021
714 Days... Back in Concert
27 October 2021
660 Days... We're Back
4 October 2021
Annual General Meeting
1 August 2021
2021/22 Season Launched
7 June 2021
Expanding the Canon
18 May 2021
Live Singing started ... stopped
17 May 2021
Fridays and the Future
14 April 2021
Virtual Video
12 April 2021
Summer in the Alps
26 March 2021
Fridays at Four - Spring Done
9 March 2021
International Women's Day
22 February 2021
Cooking up a Feast
12 February 2021
Centenary Classics
11 January 2021
Classical Classics

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Masses of Masses Grand Finale!

7 December 2015

On Saturday just over one hundred members of the Northampton Bach Choir were joined by five magnificent soloists and the Bach Camerata in a performance of two of Haydn’s most remarkable Masses alongside the Toy Symphony, sometimes attributed to him (though perhaps more likely by Leopold Mozart).

A lovely concert in every way and from all performers.

 
Vicar, Banker and Councillor amongst others in Toy Symphony

The concert was held on the Eve of St Nicholas’s Day and so Haydn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai was the obvious choice, and this was swiftly followed by (again, appropriate for the Eve of the Patron Saint of Children, and forefather of Santa Claus) the Toy Symphony. The second half of the concert was a very rare performance of Haydn’s Great ‘Organ Solo’ Mass, featuring Director of Music at St Matthew’s, Stephen Moore, on a very special ‘box’ organ.

A rattling performance, we all agreed.

 
Listening to the Balance our MD brings in the Sopranos
 
A near Full Capacity Audience

The near-capacity audience heard stunning performances from all, not least our four vocal soloists; it was a particular delight to hear Stephen George’s tenor solos – Stephen was a member of the Bach Choir until earlier in 2015 and we wish him well with his continued solo career, and work as Lay Clerk at Peterborough Cathedral. Our toy soloists included the Vicar of St Matthew’s Church, our President, a local County Councillor, a ‘Friend’ of the Choir, and representatives from educational establishments including NMPAT and the Higher Education sector. Not quite a butcher, baker, and candlestick maker, but nearly!

A perfect programme from the latest Northampton Bach Choir offering: TWO magnificent Haydn Masses topping & tailing his "Toy Symphony" which went down a treat.
 
Missa Sancti Nicolai in Full Flow

We are always delighted when members of the audience write to us on Twitter, Facebook, E-mail, or ‘Snail’ mail … and after the concert we received more notes thanking us for such a fine performance than ever before – some of the quotes are peppered throughout this news item. This was a perfect way to conclude our Masses of Masses season, where we traced the Masses of Bach, Haydn and Mozart – writing within a small geographical area and time period. What wonderful diversity and incredible music!

Once again the Choir's true professionalism and pure joy in singing left us eagerly awaiting their 2016 ‘Italian season’.