English Arts Chorale

Prague Tour 2020

Due to travel and gathering restrictions imposed by the UK and Czech Republic governments as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the latest Coronavirus, the EAC tour to Prague cannot now go ahead as planned. We are hoping it will be possible to arrange it for next season.

The two UK concerts in which the Prague Conservatoire Orchestra were scheduled to play have had to be cancelled as well. We hope to be able to re-arrange the concerts for later in the year.

 

A Sea Symphony

During 2020, the English Arts Chorale will be collaborating with the Eye Bach Choir and the orchestra of the Prague Conservatoire in three performances of Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony, and Dvorak's Te Deum.

The first, on Saturday March 28th, takes place in St Edmundsbury Cathedral, and the following day a performance will be given in the Duke's Hall in the Royal Academy of Music in London.

In April, the combined choir will visit Prague for a further performance.

Guest singers are invited to join us for this project - for the latest news about this exciting opportunity, please see below:

 

February 10th, 2020

 

Dear Singer,

Come to PRAGUE for four days of joyous music-making, including VAUGHAN WILLIAMS  A SEA SYMPHONY, DVORAK TE DEUM, and FAURE REQUIEM.

Under their inspirational director Leslie Olive, the English Arts Chorale (Surrey) and Eye Bach Choir (Suffolk) are inviting visiting singers to join them for an exceptional singing holiday in Prague from 15th to 19th April 2020. The project is a three-way collaboration between the two English choirs and the spectacular young Symphony Orchestra of the Prague Conservatoire.

During the tour, Te Deum and A Sea Symphony will be performed in the magnificent Baroque church of St. Salvator, standing proudly at the grand entrance to the world-famous Charles Bridge.  A further concert, including the Faure Requiem accompanied with organ, will take place in the stunning St Ludmila Church, where every wall and pillar is meticulously decorated.

Singers joining the tour also have the option to sing in two further performances of A Sea Symphony and Te Deum at:

·         St Edmundsbury Cathedral in the ancient town of Bury St Edmunds (28th March), where King Cnut founded the Abbey 1,000 years ago and

·         the Royal Academy of Music in London (29th March)

Singers may opt for EITHER:

·         the whole three-concert package (at a cost of £450 plus flights), OR for

·         PRAGUE only (cost £350 plus flights).

·         These costs are on a shared accommodation basis – the single room supplement is £100. A spouse/partner is also welcome to come to Prague at a cost of £250 plus flights.

Please note that there are places available for a few SOPRANOS and ALTOS, but especially TENORS AND BASSES.

Applicants who live within reach of rehearsal programmes at EYE (Fridays) or REIGATE (Mondays) will be expected to join those rehearsal programmes, but with some flexibility reflecting your knowledge of these works and the level of your music-reading.

Applicants who live elsewhere in the UK (and are unable to join those rehearsal programmes) are still encouraged to apply if they:

·         Have fully prepared and performed all of this repertoire at least twice before; OR

·         have outstanding sight-reading, or both, AND

·         will guarantee to attend a FULL DAY workshop in COLCHESTER, ESSEX, on SATURDAY 7th MARCH.

Full details including dates and costs can be found in the booking form, available by clicking here  - for further information or to book a place please email the EAC Prague Team 

Please contact us to confirm your place by end of February at the latest.

With best wishes

Claire Kelly
Project Team, English Arts Chorale