Door Time: 7pm
Start Time: 7.30pm
This concert will include performances of significant pieces celebrating the city, presented by members from Solent Symphony Orchestra, Portsmouth Cathedral Choir, Portsmouth Choral Union, Portsmouth Baroque Choir, Fareham Philharmonic Choir, Portsmouth Grammar School and HM Royal Marines Band.
Conductors: David Gostick, Dr David Price, Steve Tanner, Lt Col Huw Williams (RM)
Soloists: Colin Walsh (organ), Alexandra Stevenson (soprano).
Programme:
National Anthem arr. Freda Swain
Copland – Fanfare for the Common Man
Saint-Saëns – Symphony No. 3 (2nd mvt)
Swain – Breathe on me breath of God
MacDowall – Ave Maris Stella
Saggers – Portsmouth 100 Commission: Portsmouth: Stone, Sand and Song*
Swain – Fanfare for a Queen
Parry – Blest Pair of Sirens
Walton – Portsmouth Point
Rutter – Gloria
Parry – Jerusalem
* This will be an 8-minute piece with a secular text from Simon Armitage, the Poet Laureate, who has Portsmouth connections.
This concert is being jointly presented by these groups:
The Solent Symphony Orchestra
The Solent Symphony Orchestra (SSO) was founded in 1992, when a group of local musicians felt there was a need for a regular concert series to be established by an ensemble that belonged to Portsmouth and so “Portsmouth’s own Symphony Orchestra” was established.
The Orchestra draws players from across the South, ranging from freelance professionals, instrumental teachers and current/former Marine musicians. Concerts have been performed at many venues in Portsmouth, including the Marines Museum, St Mary’s, St Agatha’s, The David Russell Theatre plus further afield at St Peter’s, Petersfield and Romsey Abbey.
However the Orchestra’s “home” is very much St Thomas’ Cathedral, where they have performed regularly since the inaugural concert in March 1993.
The orchestra is proud of the long-standing link established with the Portsmouth Festival of Performing Arts, which enables an outstanding young musician to perform a concerto with the Orchestra at their Spring Concert in March. Recent recipients include Thomas Luke (Piano) and Alexandra Peel (Violin), both of whom are now developing exciting careers as soloists.
https://www.solentso.org.uk
Portsmouth Cathedral Choir
Portsmouth Cathedral Choir is made up of Lay Clerks and Choral Scholars with an alternating top line of 24 boys and 22 girls who contribute to the pattern of daily cathedral worship. The choristers rehearse on weekday mornings at 8.00am before a normal school day in preparation for the week’s music.
In any normal week, the Cathedral Choir sings for at least six services. The Choir also sings at various special services and events both locally across the diocese and internationally, and has toured Holland, Sweden, France, Italy, Malta, Estonia, Iceland, Finland and more recently Belgium, Denmark and Estonia.
The Cathedral Choir sings special services and concerts for parishes in the Diocese of Portsmouth, and within the UK they have also sung at St Paul’s Cathedral, St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, Canterbury Cathedral and at Westminster Abbey. The Cathedral Choir maintains strong links with the Royal Navy and takes part in a number of services for them. Highlights include the annual Royal Marines Band Service and the Second Sea Lord’s Carol Service on board HMS Victory. They were particularly delighted to be aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for her commissioning at the end of 2017 in the presence of Her Late Majesty The Queen and The Princess Royal.
Portsmouth Cathedral Choir was the first cathedral choir to broadcast live again on Radio 3 Choral Evensong in 2021 after the BBC paused outside broadcasts in 2020. This time last year, Portsmouth Cathedral Choir was highlighted in the BBC Music Magazine for their new CD of Advent and Christmas carols, Verbum Caro. In 2023 we broadcast Midnight Mass from Portsmouth live on BBC1 alongside Musicians from His Majesty’s Royal Marines Band and were the featured choir for BBC Music Magazine Christmas edition and CD in 2024, re-released by Signum in 2025.
The Choir takes a full part in leading Portsmouth’s Cathedral Sing! Chorister Outreach Programme with Hampshire and Portsmouth schools, hosting The Gabrieli ROAR project in 2023, 2024 and 2026 with 400 children from schools across the region, and we have also introduced children to Handel’s Messiah through our school scheme.
https://www.portsmouthcathedral.org.uk/cathedral-choir
Portsmouth Choral Union
Portsmouth Choral Union is the oldest choir in Portsmouth, being founded in 1880 as Portsmouth Temperance Choral Union. We are proud to have the Right Reverend Jonathan Frost, Bishop of Portsmouth, as our President.
We are a choir of approximately 110 singers, and sing four concerts per season. Under the musical direction of our distinguished conductor, David Gostick, we have extended our repertoire to cover most of the established choral masterpieces, as well as a range of contemporary works.
We have toured abroad to the USA, Canada, Germany and France among others, and have a trip to Durham planned for 2027.
The Portsmouth Choral Union has a happy and productive relationship with the Hampshire County Youth Orchestra and Castle Primary School. Portchester.
https://pcuchoir.org
Portsmouth Baroque Choir
Portsmouth Baroque Choir started life as Drayton Methodist Choral Society in 1952, before being renamed in 1981. Based in central Portsmouth, they attract singers from across The Solent region. Four concerts take place throughout the year in a variety of churches between Chichester and Fareham. Malcolm Keeler has been its Musical Director since 2008 and their President since 2019 is local composer and the choir’s former MD, Ian Schofield.
The choir’s repertoire stretches from the 16th century to the present day but, as its name implies, has a particular interest in music from the 17th and 18th centuries. As a small choir they look to perform works with reduced instrumental forces, and they have a reputation for imaginative programming, often including lesser-known works. In recent years they have collaborated with the Sussex-based period instrument group The Consort of Twelve, including performances of Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, and Bach’s B minor Mass. New members are always welcome.
https://portsmouthbaroquechoir.co.uk
Fareham Philharmonic Choir
Fareham Philharmonic Choir has been singing in and around Fareham for over 100 years. Founded in 1898 by Capt. Eugene Spinney, the choir developed from a group of musically like-minded friends who formed the Fareham Philharmonic Society. Local events led to a regular concert programme and an accompanying Fareham Philharmonic Orchestra.
Today we are a vibrant choir, and sing music from many ages.
https://www.fpchoir.org
HM Royal Marines Band
The Bands of His Majesty’s Royal Marines is regarded as one of the world’s most versatile military musical organisations, providing the Royal Navy, Defence and the State with musical and ceremonial excellence that underpins the fabric of the nation, service ethos and national core values.
https://www.royalmarinesbands.co.uk