University Choir

The University Choir is a chorus of around 250 voices drawn from students and staff of the University as well as the general public from the surrounding area. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings during term and the choir usually gives three concerts in each academic year.

Concert programmes are essentially from later Baroque to 20th century focusing on large scale repertoire usually with orchestra - University Orchestra or an outside professional orchestra - recently the Orchestra of Opera North, Northern Sinfonia and Yorkshire Baroque Soloists.

Soloists appearing with the choir are of a high calibre and in recent seasons these have included:

Catherine Bott, Lynne Dawson, Wendy Goodson, Viki Hart, Julie Kennard, Emma Kirkby, Mhairi Lawson, Joanne Lunn, Katherine Manley, Nicola Mills, Helen Neeves, Rachel Nichols, Lynda Russell, Carolyn Sampson, Bethany Seymour, Yvonne Seymour, Catrin Woodruff; Jeanette Agar, Susan Bickley, Robin Blaze, James Bowman, Frances Coad, Catherine Denley, Joanne Rondell, Vanessa Williamson; Joseph Cornwell, Jason Darnell, Joshua Ellicott, James Gilchrist, Martyn Hill, Nicholas Mulroy, James Oxley, Adrian Thompson, William Knight; Tom Appleton, Matthew Brook, Michael George, Thomas Guthrie, Glenville Hargreaves, Peter Harvey, Richard Jackson, Russell Smythe, Mark Rowlinson, David Thomas, Julian Tovey, Stephen Varcoe, Roderick Williams.

Auditions

The choir is open to all University members, both staff and students, without audition. Non-university members are required to audition and should contact Catherine Duncan to arrange a time.

Recent repertoire

  • Beethoven  Symphony No. 9
  • Brahms  A German Requiem
  • Britten   War Requiem
  • Bruckner  Motets
  • Elgar   The Dream of Gerontius
  • Fauré   Requiem
  • Handel   Coronation Anthems
  • Handel   The Messiah
  • Handel   Saul
  • Haydn   The Creation
  • Haydn   Nelson Mass
  • Haydn   The Seasons
  • Mendelssohn Elijah
  • Mozart   Coronation Mass
  • Mozart   Mass in C Minor
  • Rachmaninov  The Bells
  • Rossini   Petite Messe Solenelle
  • Verdi   Requiem
  • Walton   Belshazzar’s Feast