It’s got to be one of the more unusual ways of enjoying a night out and – for the man organising this event – it’s a dream come true.
Here’s what’s on offer.”Enjoy a sumptuous 3 course supper prepared by the talented chefs at Bath Community Kitchen using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.
As you relax between courses, sit back and enjoy transcendent choral music performed by Horizons Choir of Bath.
This magical experience will take place in the magnificent setting of St. Michael’s Without in Bath, with very convenient parking available next door in The Podium.“
Before I go any further I must point out tickets are £48 a head – but it’s not your typical restaurant setting and, apart from fine food, you get to enjoy an entire concert of music.
Musical director Matt Finch told me:
“This event is something I’ve dreamed of putting on ever since starting my choir journey nearly 8 years ago.
When I was Musical Director of Musical Youth Theatre Company in the 90s, we used to put on dinner Cabarets in the Ustinov Studios. They were always very successful as it combined a whole evening’s entertainment in one venue – eating & drinking with friends and good music.
The evening’s food will be presented by Bath Community Kitchen and they have been brilliant at working with me and St. Michael’s Without. The church will have the bar open from 6 pm, so people will be able to come straight from work/home, park in “Waitrose” and the magical evening will commence.
I started Horizons Choir just under 3 years ago, and we have increased our singers’ numbers from 15 to just under 50. We have sung in Bath Abbey, St. Michael’s, Wells Cathedral, been on tour to Aix en Provence, recorded an album on Spotify, and performed with a 40 piece showtime orchestra.
The choir sings a mixture of sacred and secular music, but they make the most of the wonderful acoustics of St. Michael’s.
We will start the evening singing from the altar end of the church, but in between starters and mains, we will sing an antiphonal song from both ends of the church (splitting the choir into 2 choirs) and they will also sing around the dinners to give a surround-sound experience.
Later on in the evening we will be singing an amazing piece called “Sunflower” with Arran Bennett accompanying the choir on the cello (Aaron is an occasional cellist with the Pump Room Trio).
We will also sing one of my compositions called “The Spacious Firmament” where our soprano soloist will sing from the balcony at the back of church filling the candlelit roof with a beautiful melody about the stars and heaven.
The choir continue to support their chosen charity “The Peggy Dodd Centre” in Combe Down. Near the end of the evening we will sing a song called “Remember” with lyrics by Christina Rossetti (who lived in Frome and wrote “In the bleak midwinter”).
The lyrics are very poignant and connect deeply with this charity, as many of us have connections with individuals and families that suffer with Dementia. There will be a raffle and also a collection for the Peggy Dodd Centre at the very end of the evening.
There are only 80 tickets available for this memorable experience, so do book them soon so you don’t miss out. “
Here’s how www.horizonschoir.com
There’s even an ad on YouTube!
