On Thursday 6 March, the Joint Schools’ Chamber Choir made their highly anticipated first visit to St George’s Chapel, Windsor, singing Evensong in a stunning display of musicianship.
Founded in the 14th century by King Edward III, the chapel has been a place of worship for the Royal Family for centuries. Home to the Knights of the Garter and the burial place of ten former sovereigns, this is a site of both historic and national significance.
Alongside the setting of the appointed psalm and responses, the choir’s performance of Charles Wood’s setting of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis in F Major and Purcell’s Remember Not, Lord, Our Offences was delivered with exceptional clarity and emotion, filling the chapel with a rich wall of sound. Purcell’s Remember Not, Lord, Our Offences was performed with sensitivity and poise, paying careful attention to Purcell’s masterful use of dissonance and word-painting. Wood’s setting of the evening canticles is a bold statement for double-choir containing moments of both pure drama and tenderness. Again, the choir’s performance here was equally impressive, displaying both their technical precision and versatility.
What truly set this performance apart was not just the musical excellence on display, but also the students’ conduct throughout the day. To be on such prominent display in such a prestigious setting requires a level of professionalism from any choir, but such was the level of maturity shown on the day that the clergy and Canon Precentor commended the choir not only for its outstanding levels of musicianship but also the credit that their behaviour brought to both schools.
This was certainly an incredibly special event in the choir’s history and a return visit is certainly planned in the near future. For those who were lucky to be in the congregation and for the members of the choir themselves, this was a truly memorable experience and one that I know will stay with them for many years to come.