Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester on the Thames

[sweetormiger]

Nick is busy this year:

When: Sunday 14 September 2008 at 19:30
Where: Dorchester Abbey, Dorchester-on-Thames


Concert Title: Music in the Abbey 2008 - Wesley & Stanford, Strauss and Brahms

Performers: Sally Matthews, soprano
Nicholas Garrett


Programme 1: Samuel Sebastian Wesley

Richard Strauss
2: Beim Schlafengehn from 4 Letzte Lieder, '4 Last Songs'

Johannes Brahms
3: Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), Op 45


Note: To end the festival, we are delighted to welcome back Sally Matthews, whose performances have been unmissable over the last few years. Sally will perform Richard Strauss’s swansong, Vier letzte Lieder (the Four Last Songs) and she will be joined by another Music in the Abbey favourite, Nicholas Garrett for Brahms’s Ein Deutches Requiem (A German Requiem). An unmissable evening, which is bound to be a sell-out event.
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What an experience it must be to hear Nick sing in a Church!!! Hope someone will have the joy of hearing it!
Astrid

[Sarah]

That was a great find Astrid, Well spotted.

I noticed that it decribes Nick as "another Music in the Abbey favourite" which would suggest he has performed there before, although I don't remember seeing anything about it.

Sounds like it is set in a beautiful area - not far from Oxford by the looks of it.Is anyone going?

[sweetormiger]

My sould and my imagination will be there!
Though I truly hope some of Nicks fans will be there and report somewhere on the various sites
we now chase. Would love to hear all about what Nick sounds like in a church, to make sure my imagination
is close to real!

Astrid

[lyndsey]

I'm definitely going to try and get there. Oxfordshire wouldn't be too much of a trek - just a few hours down south. With it being a Sunday I shouldn't have a problem. I bet Nick's voice sounds amazing in church acoustics. x

[cumbriandiva]

I have just bookd a seat.

I have booked Block A which is the front Block.

Hopefully you can make it Lyndsey and maybe a few others.

Sarah I can't remember Nick appearing there before.

Here's a link to the Abbey.

http://www.dorchester-abbey.org.uk/






MaryXX

[Sasha]

(
I want to go too!

Ya'll need to take lots of pictures and POST POST POST!

[sweetormiger]

Mary that is great!
You know I think someone had posted something about Nick singing in an Abbey on his forum - before it closed of course- but I can not remember who it was.
But it is so nice that you get to go!

Astrid

[cumbriandiva]

My ticket has arrived all ready so I can relax now .

I will have a look on the Amici forum and see if there is anything on there, unless of course Nick appeared after Amici.


maryxx

[Iembrasil]

Dear Friends, hello!
As always you have very good news for me. It's marvellous!!!!

[serendipity]

You're so lucky Mary. Please be sure to give us the full report.

Welcome Iembrasil, good to have you on this site!

x

[cumbriandiva]

I will report in after the concert.

I have a new camera which takes very good pics so fingers crossed I willnot meet with the camera police.

[Sarah]

My ticket has arrived all ready so I can relax now .
maryxx

I have just got my roster through and may be able to go to this now.However I am confused about the seating as it asks you to pick a seat but then says that it is free seating on the night. Mary how did they explain it to you when you booked?

Mary / Lynz are you both going to stay over or drive back afterwards.I've been checking out travelodges nr Oxford and they are both available for £29.00 which I didn't think was bad.

[lyndsey]

Not sure yet. I suppose it depends on if I get a job in a school - if I do then I'll need to be back for Monday. I'd like to be able to stay behind afterwards though. x

[Sarah]

I've booked! I didn't think I was going to be able to go but my roster has been very accomodating. I also heard from Susan that she is going and bringing a couple of friends too....just need our two other "usual suspects" for a full house!!!

[cumbriandiva]

For those of you are going to see Nick tomorrow night have a great time.

Give him a hug from me.

I am sorry I am unable to go.

Maryxx

[lyndsey]

Wish I was there! Enjoy yourselves and give Nick a hug from me too! x

[Sarah]

This concert was amazing, I don't think I have ever heard anything quite like it before in my life!

The Orchestra of St.John's along with the OSJ Choir sang as part of the Music in the Abbey Festival at Dorchester Abbey with Sally Matthews and Nick. The village of Dorchester was very picturesque (you americans would call it quaint) and the Abbey itself was simply beautiful.After arriving at our hotel a little early, Kate & I decided to drive the 10 miles into Dorchester to find the abbey and have a look around before the concert. We were walking around the grounds and could hear the most incredible music coming from inside. We just stood in silence and listened. The village itself is quite small and we couldn't hear a single noise other than the singing and a few birds in the trees, it was really beautiful. As we walked around to the front, we met another couple with a small child and were beckoned inside by a steward who said we could look around as the choir were "just rehearsing" for a concert tonight. We walked in and almost imediately spotted a familiar figure (even though he had his back to us) in a black t-shirt and jeans.Not wishing to interrupt him, we walked quietly around the church and the couple we came in with pointed out some interesting memorial stones,explaining that one of them was said to be about the ghost of the abbey. We stood and listened for a few minutes and then went to leave. As we walked up the aisle to the door I was aware of someone walking parallel to me in the other aisle, I glanced over to see Nick and so gave a quick wave. He caught up with us at the door and we stood and spoke for a few minutes. He hadn't yet rehearsed his part but told us to hang around as the choir were brilliant and the acoustics were just right for this type of music. He also rated the soprano Sally Matthews very highly and said he was sure we would enjoy the performance tonight.

We stayed for a little while longer but didn't stay for Nick or sally's rehearsals.Nick was right though, we did enjoy every minute of the concert. Kate & I discussed afterwards whether we had enjoyed it because he said we would or because he knows what we like and knew we would enjoy it. We think it is probably the latter as we had already heard the choir before seeing Nick and decided they were incredible, but Nick had been right and we did enjoy it. There have been concerts of Nick's we have been to where we didn't enjoy certain elements (not related to Nick) and afterwards Nick would say that the singer hadn't been on top form or that he didn't think we would enjoy it and again was right.

I don't know if I can sufficiently describe how amazing the choir was. Nick didn't actually perform until the last song in the 2nd half and yet by the 2nd song in the programme, we were so entranced by the singing that we almost forgot why we were there. The motets by Stanford were all sung A Capella and yet I was so caught up in the sound of the choir I didn't actually notice that the orchestra weren't playing - that may sound strange but it really is difficult to describe. I particularly liked Justorum animae and Beati quorum via which seemed so fitting to be performed in the abbey and were complimented by the acoustics. Another favourite was the Bluebird by Stafford again sung a Capella with one soprano voice mimicking that of the bird. It was a lovely floaty song - simply breathtaking.

Nick performed part of Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem and sounded absolutely incredible. The Orchestra and choir really complimented his voice, which was on top form and he really sang his heart out and expressed the tone and feeling of the piece really well.You were blown away by the whole programme and it was nice to see Nick performing with such a professional orchestra and choir. For me, whenever I go to see Nick perform, he is always the hi-light and best performer, but this time it wasn't the same. That's not to say that Nick didn't give an amazing performance but rather that the choir and orchestra were also of such a high standard that they were all on an equal par.

Nick came and chatted to us at the end of the concert and I think I was lost for words as I was still so overwhelmed from the concert. Nick said he had really enjoyed it too and we had noticed how most of the time he was sat with his eyes closed, lost in the music, occasionally swaying his head in time or nodding with approval. Nick I should also mention, looked "well fit" in his white bow tie and tails and still with a little bit of a tan from his holidays. He had been deeply chuffed and somewhat embarressed when someone said they thought he was "well fit" so of course we're going to tease him with that for a while now.

I would really recommend the Orchestra of St. Johns and the Orchestra of St. John's Choir. If you do ever have the opportunity to hear them, you should go along. 10/10

[sweetormiger]

Thank you Sarah, really wish I could have heard it!
Glad you and Kate could make it and really am glad you took the time to tell us about it.

[lyndsey]

Sounds like a brilliant concert. Did you get any pictures? x

[serendipity]

Thanks Sarah, I really enjoyed reading your review...sounded heavenly.

[Sarah]

Kathy, it really was heavenly, that's a good way to describe it.

Lynz we didn't get any pictures sorry. I had taken my camera to get some shots of the Abbey and then got sidetracked by the sound of the choir. The interior of the Abbey was very beautiful but it didn't seem right to take pictures in there. So sorry ladies, no pictures of the Abbey or Nick.
If any of you are on Facebook, go to the St.John's Orchestra page as they have some photos and video clips of the night (they don't include Nick though)

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