Dixit, Dixit

Two performances of Handel’s “Dixit Dominus” in March and April made for an exciting spring for Bath Camerata.  The Good Friday concert at Wells Cathedral was the first of these traditional concerts to be conducted by Benjamin Goodson, who was at first perhaps disappointed with the acoustic during our rehearsal and then much pleased when the huge audience tempered the acoustic and allowed the Dixit Dominus to proceed at a goodly pace.  We were lucky to secure the services of a highly talented group of young musicians called Medici who played on period instruments and made use of the ability of the Wells chamber organ to play in baroque pitch. The players joined us in the traditional cream tea between rehearsal and concert but unfortunately had to head to London after the concert, thus missing out on the new micropub experience at Just Ales.

Also on the programme for Good Friday was James MacMIllan’s beautiful “Miserere”, which has become a firm favourite of the choir and audiences alike, and Bach’s “Jesu Meine Freude”.  A great concert to sing and a marvellous, large and appreciative audience.

At the end of April we journeyed to Wotton-under-Edge for their highly successful Arts Festival.  We again sang Handel’s “Dixit Dominus” but this time with the Bristol Ensemble and therefore a semitone higher in modern pitch.  This seemed much more difficult at first but once fully warmed up in the rehearsal, the higher pitch kept us on our toes all the way through.  We also sang Britten’s “Hymn to St Cecilia” and the Bristol Ensemble played Holst’s “St.Paul’s Suite”, Britten’s Simple Symphony and Faure’s “Elegie”, with a young cello soloist called Christopher Brown. One reviewer wrote:

“This was a blisteringly good performance from both players and singers. I was a little worried about the Britten, whom I generally find impenetrable. But these pieces were anything but. First rate.”

We thoroughly enjoyed performing with The Bristol Ensemble and are delighted to be making plans with them for next season.