Summer choral concert to bring Stanford and Vaughan Williams to Axminster
Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
Music lovers in Axminster are being invited to enjoy an evening of stirring choral music this June as Axminster & District Choral Society presents its Summer Concert at The Minster Church.
The concert takes place on Saturday 13th June at 7.30pm and will feature two celebrated English works - Songs of the Fleet by Charles Villiers Stanford and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ much-loved Five Mystical Songs.
The performance will also showcase acclaimed baritone soloist Julian Rippon, whose “rich and expressive” voice is expected to be one of the highlights of the evening.
Audiences can enjoy pre-concert drinks from 6.30pm before the choir takes to the stage in the historic town centre church.
Stanford’s Songs of the Fleet, based on poems by Sir Henry Newbolt, opens the programme with dramatic and patriotic themes inspired by England’s naval traditions. The five-part work ranges from the energetic “Sailing at Dawn” to a moving and reflective finale.
The second half of the concert features Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, a powerful setting of poems by 17th-century Welsh priest and poet George Herbert. The work combines joyful choral moments with quieter, deeply reflective passages, including the well-known “Love bade me welcome”.
Axminster & District Choral Society, which celebrated its 40th anniversary season last year, remains one of East Devon’s best-loved community choirs. Founded in 1984, the society performs three concerts each year at The Minster Church and continues to attract loyal audiences from across the region.
Tickets cost £15 for adults and £10 concessions. They are available online at axminsterchoral.co.uk or from Archway Bookshop in Axminster.
( Photo courtesy of ADCS 📸 )