Choir hosts an ongoing encore

1:43pm Friday 20th June 2008

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Miriam Craig talks to the chairman of the Radlett Choral Society about a joint concert with a French choir and a celebration of 25 years of friendship

Next week Radlett Choral Society will play their part in strengthening the bond between England and France as they host a choir from the town of Louveciennes.

The exchange is part of the twin relationship of Radlett and Louveciennes and the two choirs have sung together ten times already. This year, the two towns celebrate 25 years of cultural exchange.

Diana Johnston has been a member of the Radlett Choral Society for more than 30 years and is now their chairman. She says: "Louveciennes is a suburb of Paris, not far from Versailles, so it's very similar to Radlett in that it sits 15 or 20 miles outside the city."

Twenty-eight singers from the French choir will join 60 from the Radlett Choral Society to sing Gabriel Fauré's Requiem, Josef Rheinberger's Abendlied and Knut Nystedt's Immortal Bach.

Of the piece by Fauré, Mrs Johnston says: "It ties up particularly well with the visit because Fauré was at one time an organist at the church in Louveciennes.

"It's a very beautiful piece of work with a soprano solo. As a requiem, it's obviously very spiritual and it was apparently inspired by the death of Fauré's father and mother."

Each choir will also sing works separately, and all the pieces will be accompanied by a small chamber orchestra and organ.

Over the years, the two choirs have come to enjoy a comfortable relationship. As part of this visit, the two groups will spend time socialising and going on an outing to Kew Gardens together.

Mrs Johnston says: "Like all choirs, people change around and move on. But there have been definite friendships between the choirs and people have asked to stay with particular people.

"It's lovely making music with another choir, meeting people from a different country, possibly staying with them and having other conductors. It's an excellent cultural exchange and does a lot for entente cordiale."

The summer concert will take place on Saturday, June 28, at Bourne Hall, Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, in Butterfly Lane, Elstree, at 7pm (entrance on Aldenham Road). Tickets cost £10 (concessions £8, accompanied children free) and are available from the box office on 01923 226836 or 01923 243545.