BRADFORD GIRLS' CHOIR

Bradford Girls sing on BBC!                                                         Monday 5th March saw the Bradford Girls' Choir make their debut broadcasting live on the BBC.  Traveling to Emmanuel Church in Didsbury, Manchester the girls provided music for the live broadcast of the Daily Service, which appropriately included music by two women composers.  To see pictures and a report about the occasion, click here to see the new Diocese of Leeds Music Department Blog.

Schools Prom                                                                                  The Bradford Girls' Choir made a welcome return visit to St. Georges Hall, Bradford in March to perform at the annual School's Prom.  Featuring the City of Bradford Youth Orchestra and other talented local musicians, the concert celebrates youth music making in the Bradford Area.  Click here to go to the blog entry, and here for more photo's from the occasion.

Remembrance Sunday                                                      Remembrance Sunday 2006 saw the Bradford Girls' sing at the Solemn Mass in St. Anne's church, the beautiful town centre church of Keighley.  Music sung at the Mass included gregorian chant (missa pro defunctis) and the Pie Jesu from the Fauré requiem.  The liturgy concluded with the singing of the hymn, Abide with me, and prayers for those who have fallen in the service of our country.

Mass of the Children                                                                  Saturday November 4th saw the debut performance of the Bradford Girls' Choir at St. Georges Hall, Bradford's premier venue for classical music and the arts.  As the guests of the Bradford Festival Choral Society, the choir performed John Rutter's Mass of the Children, conducted by the composer himself.  Reviewed in the Yorkshire Post, the Girls' choir was described as having 'sung magnificently.'!

This concert marks the first event in the year long celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Bradford Festival Choral Society. 

John Rutter receiving the applause at the end of the concert.  Also on the stage are the soloists, orchestra, choral society and the Bradford Girls' Choir.

Mass Of The Children was first performed at Carnegie Hall, New York in February 2003.  The composer notes that he wrote this work to repay a debt so as to give young singers the chance to sing with adult professionals. This piece has been written for Soprano and Baritone Soloists, a Children's Choir, an Adult's Choir, and an Orchestra or Chamber Ensemble.  The performance on November 4th was accompanied by the Camerata Concert Orchestra, with soloists Grace Davidson and Jeremy Huw Williams.

The Girls and Boys choirs will return to St. Georges Hall on December 16th for the BFCS Family Christmas Concert, which features famous conductor, Sir David Willcocks.

First Performance                                                                            The Girls first public performance took take place on Sunday 16th July, when they sang Mass at St Clare's church, Fagley.  The Mass setting was the Missa Brevis by Diocesan Director of Music, Benjamin Saunders alongside motets, including the popular setting of 'For the Beauty of the Earth' by John Rutter.

Two further girls' choirs are based at Leeds Cathedral.

 'The children sang magnificently...'     Yorkshire Post, 10th November 2006