09 July 2025 Message from George
Saturday evening's concert was the first time I had performed the Petite Messe Solennelle, and how wonderful it was to share the experience with you all. The work is unusually paced, with large swathes of silence for the chorus interspersed with a few very intense choruses requiring your total stamina and concentration. Well done for adapting to this style (very different from our last two concerts) so well. The choir did a superb job of communicating the work's charm and humour (and, in the case of the final movement, its drama and sincerity) to our generously sized audience, and my heart was warmed, on speaking to a number of them, to hear several comments about singers looking up out of the copies and at the conductor. I agree with the GCS member who called this 'a breakthrough' and it makes me very excited for next season! I must also congratulate you for several long periods of unaccompanied singing, which sounded confident and in tune. My thanks go to all whose hard work made the logistics of the concert run smoothly, and to the trustees with whom it has been my pleasure to work during the course of this year. I wish you all a lovely summer break.
Best wishes,
George
We were due to start our summer term rehearsals on 15th April, but it transpires that there are a substantial number of people on holiday that week. We have decided therefore to begin next term on 22nd April. George assures us that we shall still have plenty of rehearsal time for the Rossini.
Gilles shares his heartfelt gratitude following the “most memorable” Elijah performance at Charterhouse. He praises George’s masterful direction, the orchestra’s sensitivity, and the soloists’ dramatic impact. He reflects on the journey from early rehearsals to a triumphant standing ovation, and warmly welcomes the new singers who joined the project. Gilles encourages everyone to build on this success by inviting friends to join for the summer concert, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. He thanks the anonymous donors, the trustees, and each singer for making this spring concert so special.
In a heartfelt message, George congratulates the choir on a superb performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Charterhouse. He praises the choir’s stamina, tuning, and energy, calling the concert “a joy.” He extends thanks to guest singers, the trustees, and generous donors, and looks forward to the next large-scale work: Mozart’s Great Mass in C minor. George also invites feedback on the earlier concert start time.