Cantamus prepare for West Dorset concert series

West Dorset choir Cantamus will be giving three concerts this spring.

The programme, Sacred Songs of Joy and Sadness’, is built around three principal works: Allegri’s Miserere – sung, unusually, in English – Beatus Vir by Monteverdi and Cantique de Jean Racine by Fauré.

It will also include shorter pieces by Byrd, Weelkes, Mozart and Rachmaninov.

“Our spring concerts include some of the most intensely emotional pieces from the sacred music canon – some truly sorrowful music, as befits the Lenten season, but also some joyous, uplifting works,” said musical director Malcolm Knowles.

“The three longer works in our programme will be familiar to many listeners, but we’re including a number of very beautiful songs that aren’t often heard nowadays.”

“We’ve chosen to do the Allegri Miserere in English because the words are very moving and the audience would miss this if we were singing in Latin.”

Cantamus was established last year and has already given three successful series of concerts. Its members – most of whom live in Bridport, Lyme Regis or the surrounding villages – are like-minded singers who enjoy performing choral music to a high standard and are brave enough to attempt unfamiliar works.

The concert details are as follows: St John’s Church, West Bay, will host the choir on Saturday, March 9, at 7.30pm.

The Church of Our Lady, Queen of Martyrs, and St Ignatius, North Chideock will be the next venue on Saturday, March 16, at 7.30pm.

The choir’s final port of call will be the Catholic Church of St Michael and St George, Silver Street, Lyme Regis, on Saturday, April 6, at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the concerts will cost £7 and will be available on the door at each venue.

For more information, visit www.cantamus-dorset.org

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