BBC Singers at The Sedbergh Music Festival

Written by: Rob

Location: Sedbergh Music Festival, Sedbergh
Venue: Sedbergh School Chapel
Duration: Evening Out

As part of Cumbria Tourism’s 50th anniversary, the team are trying out 50 different tourism experiences throughout the year – to help inspire your own days out across the Lake District, Cumbria. This time, Rob Cowley visited Sedbergh to see the BBC Singers perform as part of the 2024 Sedbergh Music Festival.

Tonight’s concert, the last in the 2024 Sedbergh Music Festival, featured the BBC Singers and the location for the concert was the wonderful Sedbergh School Chapel.

It was a full house for this concert, conducted by cumbrian born David Hill. The concert was also being recorded for future broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

The concert comprised two halves of music spanning 400 years, which is some indication of the diversity of the music the BBC Singers perform.

The first half included gems from Byrd, Tallis, Stanford and Tavener. As someone who was brought up on popular music with an appreciation for classical music as an adult, I wasn’t familiar with every piece, but the intricacy of the harmonies and quality of composition, combined with voices from singers with absolute control and mastery of their art was mesmerising and quite emotional to experience.

A short interval followed during which many conversations in the audience concerned the excellent performance so far. 

Then to the second half, with performances of lighter music including a choral suite of humorous songs from Flanders and Swann (including audience participation on the final chorus of ‘Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud’ etc), an ABBA medley cleverly arranged for choral singing and a choral arrangement of ‘Sing to the moon’ by Laura Mvula; all further examples of the ability the BBC Singers have to celebrate and expertly perform music of all times and styles. The audience lapped it up and gave rapturous applause for every piece performed. The full list of music performed at the concert can be found here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e5fcd4

Thanks to the BBC Singers and all concerned with the Sedbergh Music Festival for bringing such a wonderful programme of concerts to Cumbria.

The Sedbergh Music Festival is an annual event now in its 24th year. It provides opportunities for the local community to enjoy quality music making, both as audiences and performers. It aims to broaden their experience of a wide variety of music and provides a venue for high quality music to be enjoyed in this rural community. Workshops for local schools, community choirs and free concerts for children ensure the widest participation and engagement.

Find out more about the Sedbergh Music festival

The BBC singers is one of the world's most acclaimed Chamber Choirs and the only full time professional British chamber choir. Currently celebrating its 100th year, but threatened in 2023 when the BBC proposed closing the choir, a huge public campaign followed and convinced the BBC to reverse its decision. The choir, based at Maida Vale, tours throughout the UK and overseas and works with a wide range of other musicians. The BBC singers will perform at the proms in 2024 and listen out on Radio 3 for the broadcast of the concert at the Sedbergh Festival. 

Find out more about the BBC Singers

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