The Burford Singers are to mark the centenary of the ending of the First World War by performing Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem at Tewkesbury Abbey on Saturday June 23rd.

Some 100 members of The Burford Singers will be joined by soloists Linda Richardson, James Gilchrist and Quentin Hayes, plus the Choristers of the Bristol Cathedral and the English Arts Orchestra. Brian Kay, the Vice-President of the Association of British Choral Directors and the Royal School of Church Music, will conduct the performance along with Leslie Olive, founder and artistic director of The English Arts Chorale.

Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem was first performed on 30th May 1962 and was commissioned to mark the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral which was destroyed during a World War II bombing raid. One of the defining works of the 20th century, and arguably Britten’s greatest achievement, the piece focuses on the horrors of warfare.

Catherine Martin, who has been singing with The Burford Singers for just over a decade, says the performance on June 23rd will be one to savour. “We’re all so excited to perform at Tewkesbury Abbey,” said Catherine. “It seems fitting to perform this incredible piece of music at such an iconic setting. The acoustics inside the Abbey are just perfect, it will be a great honour for us to perform there.

“The work is scored for full-size symphony orchestra, including a massive percussion section, plus a chamber ensemble of thirteen players, chorus, three soloists, boys’ choir and organ, and presents a huge challenge technically and logistically. It will be a real team effort, we’re all looking forward to what promises to be a great night,” she added.

Catherine, who hails from Stirling in Scotland but now lives in Cheltenham, says the 40-minute weekly journey across the Cotswolds to Burford is a small price to pay to get the chance to perform with such a renowned group of vocalists. Continued Catherine: “We practise every Thursday evening, it’s always a great thrill to see everyone. I travel over from Cheltenham, I think I’m the only Cheltonian in the choir, but people travel from all over the county. We’re bound together by our love of singing and performing. Being part of a choir is really uplifting, it’s great for the soul. I’ve made so many friends over the years. There’s between 90 and 100 members of the choir, we’ve got a great range of voices that all compliment each other.

“We’ve been practising for the performance at Tewkesbury Abbey for several months now. We recently had a full rehearsal which went as well as we could have hoped for.”

The Burford Singers were formed in 1960 as a group of three female voices singing folk songs at a garden party. Since those early days the choir has grown significantly in size and, in 1979, appeared live on BBC TV in the Sunday Worship series. “I joined in 2008 and have had the pleasure of welcoming many new faces to the choir in that time. It’s great to have something to look forward to each week, I love seeing everyone at practice.”

Prior to the performance at Tewkesbury Abbey the choir will be travelling to Hampshire to perform Britten’s War Requiem at Winchester Cathedral, one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. “Winchester Cathedral is an awe-inspiring building, I know everyone involved with the choir is really looking forward to singing there. To get the opportunity to sing at famous buildings like Tewkesbury Abbey and Winchester Cathedral is a huge honour.”