Minster Church of St Andrew, Plymouth
Saturday 21 June 2025 at 7:30pm
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Or click the poster and scan the QR code
Our Opera Gala Evening features some of the most popular and favourite choruses. Be prepared to have your heart strings tugged by the palpable feeling of longing in the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from the opera Nabucco; embrace the power and majesty of the Triumphal Scene from another of Verdi’s operas, Aida. Whereas Spanish workers strike their anvils at dawn and sing boisterously of hard work, good wine and women in Verdi’s Anvil Chorus, Bizet’s Carmen raises the temperature to fever pitch in the provocative Habanera which tells of the untamed nature of love.”
This is our final concert of the season. We will return in the autumn.
TBC
CHRISTOPHER FLETCHER Conductor
Christopher Fletcher considers himself to be both fortunate and privileged to have been Plymouth Philharmonic Choir’s conductor since 1996, during which time the choir has come to be recognised as one of the best in the South West. As well as the choir’s regular concerts with professional orchestras and soloists in Plymouth he has conducted the choir in cathedrals and churches all over Europe, including Notre Dame in Paris.
Christopher was born in Leeds. At an early age he began to show considerable musical talent. At the age of ten he won the Northern Choirboy’s Championship in Harrogate singing Hear ye Israel from Mendelssohn’s Elijah and two years after this he became the first boy treble in the Bradford Diocese to be awarded the R.S.C.M. St. Nicolas Award.
In 1978 Christopher was awarded a scholarship to study at Trinity College of Music, London. After graduating Christopher moved to South Devon, since when he has been actively involved in choral singing, church music and teaching. He has been organist and Master of Music at Plymouth R. C. Cathedral since 2001, previously holding a similar post at the Parish and Priory Church of St. Mary, Totnes.
Christopher is a former conductor of the Stanborough Chorus, The Lupridge Singers, The Chagford Singers and the South Devon Choir.
As well as being in demand as a workshop teacher, Christopher helped to found the annual Rotary Club Come and Sing in1999.This is now an annual event which, under his direction, regularly attracts two hundred singers from all over Devon and beyond.
In 2008 he was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by Rotary International.
Copyright Plymouth Philharmonic Choir. Sponsored by AC Ballard Trust.
