Kent Chamber Choir - Autumn anthems and songs

This concert is in support of St Mary's Fabric Fund.

Kent Chamber Choir is looking forward to its first visit to Upchurch for a concert in the village's fine medieval church where Sir Francis Drake's father was once vicar. The choir enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad for its singing of a wide variety of choral music from unaccompanied miniatures to larger-scale works with orchestra. Tonight's programme comprises a typically broad selection with anthems in the first half and, after interval refreshments, songs from England, Hungary and Ireland.

In addition, our guest artist and gifted young mezzo-soprano Nicola Roberts sings two groups of solos to enhance the evening's entertainment. Nicola, whose goal is to become an opera singer, is the 2014 winner of the Kath Topping Vocal Award. This annual award was established by Kent Chamber Choir to help young musicians aiming for a professional singing career pay for lessons and buy vocal scores.

Included in the choir's programme are J S Bach's exuberant motet Lobet den Herrn (Praise the Lord), and an intensely moving setting of A spotless rose by Paul Mealor whose Ubi caritas, chosen by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for their wedding, made a big impact nationwide. Also featured are such well-known and much-loved items as Percy Grainger's arrangement of The Irish tune from County Derry (Danny Boy) and Vaughan Williams's bucolic Linden Lea. New to some are three of George Shearing's jazzy Shakespeare settings with keyboard and bass guitar accompaniment, and new to all, a première performance of Alan Vincent's When whispering strains do softly fall.