Brighton Festival Chorus Returns to Brighton Dome for Christmas Concert
Following last year’s virtual sing-along, Brighton Festival Chorus (BFC) returns to the stage for its annual Christmas Concert at Brighton Dome on Sunday 12 December at 4pm. A festive highlight, the Chorus will be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Brighton Festival Youth Choir, mezzo soprano Juliette Pochin and baritone Alex Otterburn.
Featuring the very best Christmas classics from It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Leroy Anderson’s magnificent Sleigh Ride, to Bach’s Magnificat and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, the performance also includes the chance to sing-along to favourite carols with a choir of 120 singers and the full Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The audience are also encouraged to bring along a terrible Christmas joke to be read out and one lucky audience member will be selected to try their hand at conducting.
BFC recently joined the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to contribute backing vocals to a newly released Christmas album from German singer Howard Carpendale, and some of these arrangements will be performed on the day. The Chorus’s recording of Carmina Burana with Antal Dorati features on the soundtrack of the Netflix hit show, Squid Game, with over 12 million streams online.
BFC Chairman, Richard Blows, said: “It’s a fantastic feeling to be back as part of Brighton Dome’s Christmas programme and promises an afternoon filled with sparkle and joy following the challenges of the previous year. What could be better than putting on a Christmas jumper, waving some tinsel and celebrating the festive season together with friends, family and some wonderful music.”
Brighton Festival Chorus Annual Christmas Concert
With Brighton Festival Youth Choir and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Brighton Dome, Church Street, Brighton, BN1 1UE
Conductor: James Morgan
Mezzo Soprano: Juliette Pochin
Baritone: Alex Otterburn
Sunday 12 December 2021, 4pm
Tickets from £12.50. Under 16s half price
Book online: brightondome.org
Tel: 01273 709709
Ticket Office open Mon-Sat 10am-2pm
Howard Carpendale and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was released on Universal Music on 26 November and is now available for download on Apple Music and Spotify.
Ends
High-res images can be downloaded via Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/b78r2d8h0a1rxqp/AABZWgn0lJ0v_erB7uPRNOQOa?dl=0
For more information or to arrange interviews, previews and reviews, please contact:
Tim Rounding & Fiona McNae, Brighton Festival Chorus: [javascript protected email address]
Katie Fowler, Brighton Dome Senior Press Officer – [javascript protected email address]
Sue Bradburn, Brighton Dome Head of Press & PR – [javascript protected email address] | 07954587099
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival
Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival manage a year-round programme of events across three venues - the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre; the annual Brighton Festival in May; and music education services (Brighton & Hove Music & Arts and East Sussex Music), teaching children and young people across the region.
Located on the Royal Pavilion Estate, the venues have a rich history spanning over 200 years (starting life as the Prince Regent's stables and riding house), providing an extraordinary space in which to bring the arts alive. The Corn Exchange and Studio Theatre are currently closed for a major capital refurbishment project.
As a registered charity, we aim to champion the power of the arts, to enrich and change lives, and to inspire and enable artists to be their most creative. We commission and support both emerging and established artists and companies, enabling them to develop, take risks and deliver work of the highest quality.
brightondome.org / brightonfestival.org
About Brighton Festival Chorus
Brighton Festival Chorus (BFC) was founded in 1968. Its debut performance was Belshazzar's Feast, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer, William Walton.
In the 50 years since it was formed, BFC has established and maintained a reputation as one of Britain’s finest choirs, working with top professional orchestras and artists, and delivering consistently high-quality performances and recordings. The Chorus is as much in demand in the world of commercial music as it is in the concert halls of the UK and Europe with recent clients including Walkers Crisps and Loewe. The Chorus’s recording of Carmina Burana with Antal Dorati features on Netflix’s new chart-topping horror show, Squid Game, and has had over 12 million streams on Spotify.
Known for its versatility, BFC performs not only the standard choral repertoire but also new works, commissions, collaborations with popular music artists and recordings for television. Undeterred by the pandemic, BFC was one of very few choirs that staged a Christmas Concert in 2020. Streamed to living rooms across the country, the Chorus movingly sang, socially distanced, from the auditorium of the Brighton Dome with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on the stage. Upcoming performances include the closing concert of the Brighton Festival, appearances at the Royal Albert Hall for Classical Spectacular concerts and for a performance of Carmina Burana in September 2022.
BFC supports Brighton Festival Youth Choir to promote and sustain interest in choral singing in young people, as well as arranging choral workshops to encourage participation in the local community.