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days and covering over 2800 miles
of Northern Europe. They took on tour three specially
commissioned works: two sets of bi-lingual sacred songs,
including the
Director of Music’s own set - Fem hellige sange,
and a set from
Adrian Self, plus an anthem from
Humphrey Clucas, also set bi-lingually, O Jesu,
blessed Lord.
Find out more about the 2012 choir tour by reading the
latest news article -
The Boys on Tour! (Northern Europe)
2011 - Paris in the Springtime
In May 2011, as part of the summer’s festival Voyage à
Paris the combined choirs of Boys, Girls and Men made a
return visit to Paris to sing the first performance, in the
presence of the composer, of a newly commissioned mass
setting for antiphonal choirs and organs by
David
Briggs – Messe pour Saint Sulpice – jointly
commissioned by ourselves and the
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer
in Calgary, Canada. They also performed at the Cathédrale
Notre Dame de Paris, giving the French première of
Philip
Stopford's Missa Brevis, also in the presence of
the composer.
Find out more about the 2011
choir tour by reading the latest news article -
Voyage à Paris, by a Senior Chorister
2010 -
Summer in Ireland
In 2010 the senior boys and girls, alongside the choral
scholars and lay clerks, sang for the first time in recent
years at St George's Chapel, Windsor, where they gave the
world premiere of their 2009 commission, Ave Maria by
Dr James MacMillan, and at King’s College, Cambridge. The
Girls and Men spent a week in residence at Christ Church
Cathedral in Dublin, also singing at the Roman Catholic
Pro-Cathedral.
Find out more about the 2010 choir tour by reading the
latest news article -
Agus déanfaidh mé do mholadh ar an gcruit a Dhia, a Dhia
liom!
2009 -
Autumn in Poland
After such a monumental tour in 2008 the Boys and Girls
mounted a simple trip to Lublin in Poland where they sang in a
performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem on the exact
date of the seventieth anniversary of the invasion of Poland.
The Choirs also sang at Chester Cathedral where they joined
nearly 350 other singers in the Chester Diocesan Choral
Festival directed by our own Director of Music. Earlier in the
year they held a singing week at All Saints where they sang at
the daily Eucharist and gave a sacred concert performing
choral works by Felix Mendelssohn and a secular concert
performing Malcolm Arnold's 'Three songs from 'The Tempest'',
Richard Rodney Bennett's 'The Aviary' and Benjamin Britten's
'Friday Afternoons'. Earlier in the year the Director of Music
and a number of singers accompanied the Northampton Bach Choir
on their tour to Northampton's twin-town of Marburg, and were
glad to reinvigorate friendships begun in 2007.
2008 -
Summer in Canada & the United States
During August the choirs of Boys, Girls & Men undertook their
most substantial tour ever : a two-week visit to Canada and
the United States, singing at eight venues in New York,
including two live broadcasts, at Bethlehem & Albany
Cathedrals, Rochester, the Niagara Falls and St James'
Cathedral Toronto. The tour party numbered over one hundred
with sixty-eight singing members. Parents were kept up-to-date
on the choir's progress from the chorister blog, which may be
accessed by visiting:
allsaintsnorthampton.blogspot.com
2007 -
Easter in Germany
The Boys and Men travelled to Köln, Siershahn, the Westerwald
and Northampton's twin-town of Marburg immediately after
Easter. There they gave the first performance of the Director
of Music's first set of bi-lingual sacred songs - 'Fünf
heiligen Lieder'. Additionally they visited Lichfield,
Peterborough and Southwark Cathedrals and held a residency at
Westminster Abbey. As the majority of the girls choir were
sitting public examinations they didn't tour abroad this year,
but visited St Edmundsbury Cathedral and Westminster Abbey.
2006 -
Summer in the Channel Islands & France
The Boys and Men travelled to Cornwall and sang a residency at
Truro Cathedral, and gave concerts in Lanteglos-by-Fowey, St
Michael’s Mount, Porthleven and Gunwalloe. The Girls and Men
toured Guernsey, Brittany and Paris, perfoming motets by Jean
Langlais accompanied by Marie-Louise Langlais at the Langlais
Festival, and receiving a standing ovation at Sunday Mass at
the Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris, performing Frank Martin's
Mass for double choir.
2005 -
Easter in Switzerland
Using the city of Basel as our base, the Boys and Men were
able to explore an area of Europe which was new to many of us.
Not only did we perform in several churches in Basel including
the Munster (for a special Jubilee service for the Anglican
Chaplaincy), but we ventured to France and to Germany to sing
in Strasbourg and Freiburg respectively. The weather was
perfect for the entire week, which together with the stunning
scenery made for a very enjoyable tour. Staying together in a
Youth Hostel proved entertaining, and there were several
memorable games of football in which choristers proved they
could more than hold their own against much bigger and heavier
Choral Scholars! The Choir also sang in Christ Church
Cathedral, Oxford, New College, Oxford and in St Paul’s and
Peterborough Cathedrals.
2004 -
Summer in Nice & Monaco
A tour which the Girls and Men are unlikely to forget –
stunning scenery, magnificent churches, fine accommodation
(palm trees and a perfect view of the Mediterranean for
breakfast!) and ample time for shopping and sunbathing. The
choir gave concerts in Beaulieau-sur-Mer and in the vast
church of St Pierre d’Arène, Nice, as well as singing services
at the Anglican Church in Nice and most extraordinarily for
Saturday Evening Mass at Monaco Cathedral. To sing Gombert’s
8-part masterpiece 'Lugebat David Absalon' with the West doors
of the cathedral open and showing the famous harbour in the
midst of a thunderstorm was truly something special. The Choir
also sang in St Alban’s Abbey and Birmingham Cathedral and
held a week-long residency at Norwich Cathedral.
2003 -
Summer in the United States
It was an honour for the Boys and Men to be invited back to
Newport, Rhode Island where a Festival of British Cathedral
Music has been running since All Saints first visited in 1995.
A typically warm welcome from our American hosts was coupled
with a gruelling schedule in the shape of nine services within
four days, and in extreme heat! We also spent two days in New
York – saw the sights, and gave recitals in the cathedrals of
St. Patrick and St. John the Divine, and at Ground Zero which
was a very moving experience. The Choir also spent four days
singing the services in Durham Cathedral between 24th and 27th
April.
2002 -
Easter in Germany
The Boys and Men visited Germany during the Easter break,
singing in Wittenberg and performing in concert at the
Thomaskirche in Leipzig - here they performed Bach's Motet 'Jesu,
meine Freude'. It was an honour for the Boys and Men to sing
this masterpiece in Bach's own Church. The choirs also sang at
Chichester and St Paul's Cathedrals.
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