| |
|
Chapel Choir Tour of Japan -
December 2005
 |
While
choirs up and down the land entertained congregations with
festive carols, the Chamber Choir of Christ College set off at
the end of term for some rather different singing engagements.
The choir travelled nearly 10,000 miles to Osaka and
Tokyo at the invitation of schools with whom Christ College has
friendship agreements, and to lead the annual carol singing at
the British Embassy in Tokyo. |
|
The choir
sang a mix of festive music, secular and classic pieces, pop
medleys, and even Japanese folk songs before audiences of a
thousand schoolchildren in both cities, as well as singing at
various prestigious temples in Kyoto, and in the City Hall in
Osaka for the Deputy Mayor.
|
 |
 |
In Tokyo
the choir performed with traditional Japanese harps at a concert
for Hosada School, and rounded off their tour with an evening of
carols at the British Embassy at the invitation of the
Ambassador, Sir Graham Fry. |
|
The Choir
made a great impression on all their Japanese hosts and have
been invited to return.
|
 |
Chapel Choir Tour of Malta 2001
The chapel choir of Christ College, Brecon, no strangers to performing
for audiences outside their own four walls (they have a CD and
two BBC broadcasts to their credit), broke fresh ground when
they accepted an invitation to take part in the 13th Malta International
Choir Festival. This 2001's festival was held in Valletta's
Mediterranean Conference Centre - once the site of the Holy Infirmary of
the Knights of St John, but rebuilt after severe bomb damage in World
War II and winning, for the quality of its restoration, the 1979 Europa
Nostra Award.
 Pitted against choirs from Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic,
Italy, Finland and England, most of whom were specialist musicians and
old hands in the world of international competition, the Brecon
choristers nevertheless had a whale of a time, and although not among
the top three when the trophies were awarded at the end of the week they
returned with a host of happy memories and very much the wiser for the
experience.
|
