Gents of St John's fill the Chapel

This year’s Brecon Choir Festival, originally conceived at Christ College, exceeded all expectations with sell-out audiences for the main events around Brecon over a busy Festival Weekend 20-23 July.

Christ College was particularly thrilled to support and host the Gents of St John’s for the lunchtime concert in the Chapel on Saturday 22 July. Described by BBC Music Magazine as an “immaculately blended, responsive, interactive consort”, the Gents are a professional vocal ensemble made up of the choral and organ scholars at St John’s College, Cambridge.

Charles Hylton Stewart's Psalm 23 sung in the antechapel was a moving opening to an uplifting programme that included Raymond Williams’ ‘Pan fo’r stormydd garwa’n curo’, the ‘Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis’ (Worcester Service) and a selection of close harmony a capella arrangements. Rarely will the Chapel have heard such magnificent singing, and all who attended came away feeling they had experienced something very special.

Another highlight of the Festival was the sell-out performance in Brecon Cathedral on Saturday evening of the renowned Treorchy Male Voice Choir who were supported by the winner of the Festival’s inaugural Young Singer Award, soloist Erin Thomas. 

With all the supporting events and ‘Afterglows’ at the Clarence it was a fantastic weekend for Brecon, choral music and singing. The Brecon Choir Festival will be back next year (18-21 July 2024) when it promises to be even bigger and better. Hay Festival watch out!