Colchester Chamber Choir - Song of Songs, featuring jazz guitarist Chris Allard

A remarkable evening of music fusion comes to North Essex when internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist, Chris Allard, joins the Colchester Chamber Choir for Songs of Songs, a concert of 16th and 17th century choral masterpieces interwoven with modern jazz improvisations. Chris, who was born in Wivenhoe, has played all over the world – recent appearances include the O2 Arena, Royal Albert Hall and Royal Festival Hall – with major names including Sir John and Jacqui Dankworth, Dame Cleo Laine, Steve Waterman and Jamie Cullum.

Musical Director, Roderick Earle says: ‘This promises to be a unique experience of contrasting and complementing musical genres. The choir will perform extraordinary and wonderful vocal settings of that most sensual of biblical books, The Song of Songs, by Renaissance composers including Palestrina, Guerrero, Victoria, Lassus and others. Chris will interpret the music through his own jazz improvisations both separately and interwoven with the singing.’