Rehearsals are usually on Tuesday lunchtimes and Wednesday evenings. You are not expected to attend both, but you can if you wish. Neither are you expected to participate in all our performances. We also offer remote participation in rehearsals via MS Teams (but you have to contact us for details). We also operate a chamber choir as and when needed, which is currently rehearsing on Thursday early evenings. We have occasional extended rehearsals / workshops on a Saturday or Sunday. Please scroll down to see dates, times and locations of rehearsals.
See the schedule of rehearsals below.
Repertoire
The main work for the summer term is The Holy Spirt Mass by Norwegian composer Kim André Arnesen, which we will perform on 17 July at St John’s Smith Square along with music by British composers that celebrate the mixing of the Latin and English liturgies in sacred choral music. Some of these additional works will be performed by our chamber choir, some by the full choir:
Chamber choir
• Come Holy Spirit – Thomas Tallis chamber
• Bow thine ear O Lord – William Byrd chamber
• Hear my prayer O Lord – Henry Purcell chamber
https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ComeHolyGhost.pdf
https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Byrd-Bow_thine_ear.pdf
https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Purcell_Hear_my_prayer.pdf
Full choir
• I was glad – Hubert Parry
• Beati Quorum Via – Charles Villiers Stanford full
• Evening hymn – Henry Balfour Gardiner
• O clap your hands – Ralph Vaughan Williams
https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/I-was-glad-Parry.pdf
https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Beati_Quorum_Via.pdf
https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Balfour-Gardiner_Evening-Hymn.pdf
Other performances
We also singing at a big memorial service on 10 June and in a church service on 27 June. Music for the memorial service is:
• a Requiem Aeternam setting to Nimrod by Edward Elgar
• If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Tallis_-_If_ye_love_me.pdf
• I vow to thee my country https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/I-vow-to-thee-my-country.pdf;
• Lord of all hopefulness https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/LordOfAllHopefulness.pdf;
•The King of Love https://www.civilservicechoir.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/The_King_of_Love_my_Shepherd_is.pdf
Music for the church service is Will Todd’s Jazz Missa Brevis, which we performed in concert last year.
Learning resources
If you would like to listen, a performance of Holy Spirit Mass by the commissioning choir is on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCQHBwJ_Pselef3WmuHZhB_uOIgw8kKDv
There is a later commercial recording of Holy Spirit Mass by a Norwegian choir on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/3554lRdGwylYShHIBUHQKA?si=TsCOiba0RBiWrFQJxbziCQ
The Musical Intervals Tutor: Listen (madelinesalocks.com)
Rehearsals (see further down for performances)
Rehearsals for the next few months are listed
| Day | Date | Time | Type of rehearsal | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPRING TERM | Weekly rehearsals for the main choir resume w/c 7 January. | Term will include 2 weekend workshops for the main choir on 22 Feb and 15 Mar. | ||
| Weekly rehearsals for chamber choir TBC. | Term will include 1 weekend workshop for chamber choir - date and time TBC. | |||
| Tuesday | 14 January | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 15 January | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 21 January | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 22 January | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 28 January | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 29 January | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 4 February | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 5 February | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 11 February | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 12 February | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 18 February | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 19 February | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| SATURDAY | 22 FEBRUARY | 10am-5pm | SPRING WORKSHOP #1 of 2 *WHOLE CHOIR* | TBC – 2 Marsham Street or another government department in Westminster |
| Tuesday | 25 February | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 26 February | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 4 March | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 5 March | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 11 March | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 12 March | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| SATURDAY | 15 MARCH | 10am-5pm | SPRING WORKSHOP #2 of 2 *WHOLE CHOIR* | TBC – 2 Marsham Street or another government department in Westminster |
| Tuesday | 18 March | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 19 March | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| Tuesday | 25 March | 12.45-1.45pm | Weekly rehearsal | Sacred Heart, Horseferry Rd, London |
| Wednesday | 26 March | 6.30-8pm | Weekly rehearsal | 100 Parliament Street, London |
| SUNDAY | 30 MARCH | 2.30-5pm (approx.) | DRESS REHEARSAL (event is 7-9pm) *WHOLE CHOIR* | Sinfonia Smith Square, London |
| TUESDAY | 15 APRIL | 11.30am-1pm (approx.) | DRESS REHEARSAL (event is 1-2pm) *CHAMBER CHOIR ONLY* | Sinfonia Smith Square, London |
Performances – choir members should refer to Choir Manager for further details
| Date | Time | Type of event | Description | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 30 March 2025 (evening) | 7.00pm | Whole choir concert | Mozart Requiem | Sinfonia Smith Square |
| Tue, 15 April 2025 (lunchtime) | 1.05pm | Chamber choir concert | Easter Festival | Sinfonia Smith Square |
