Following the success of our concerts in Paris,
Leipzig and Salzburg, our next weekend sing will be in the historic
city of Budapest, where we will be performing Bach’s towering B
Minor Mass.
The Budapest B
Minor has been two years in the planning and we are delighted that
it has all come together so well. We have recruited a professional
Baroque orchestra to accompany us and have booked the well-known Church of St Michael in the
heart of the city for our
concert. St Michael’s hosts over sixty concerts a year and is as
popular with local music-lovers as it is with visitors.
This is NOT a
Bring & Sing event. Places are restricted and you must have sung the
work before to be eligible. Given the degree of interest already
expressed, we will not be able to accommodate all those who would
like to come so, on this occasion, priority will be given to singers
who have sung the work recently. There will also be a special
advance rehearsal in Bath on 6 June (date tbc) directed by Nigel to
help refresh our collective memories.
Gellert Baths
Gerbeaud's finest..
When we are not rehearsing, there
will be plenty of time to explore this fascinating city astride the
river Danube. Our hotel is within strolling distance of the river,
museums, pedestrian shopping streets and the splendidly opulent Café
Gerbeaud. – one of the last great coffee houses in Europe.
The Hungarian's flair for cakes and pastries rivals - some say
surpasses - that of their Austrian neighbours.
There is also the castle to
explore, the highly-regarded Kodaly museum, an enormous and
flamboyant indoor market, and the city’s
celebrated thermal baths. Rehearsals will begin at 3.30 pm on the
Thursday afternoon but if there is sufficient interest, we will
arrange an optional outing to the picturesque town of Szentendre on
Thursday morning - you will need to book an extra night’s
accommodation on the Wednesday night which we can arrange.
Three evening meals are included
including a dinner cruise on the Danube.
NIGEL PERRIN
After winning a choral scholarship to King's College, Cambridge, to
study under Sir David Willcocks, Nigel Perrin became
well-known as
the original high voice of the King's Singers. For the next eleven
years he travelled the world on concert tours, recorded some
twenty-five albums and appeared in countless television shows with
artists as diverse as Kiri Te Kanawa and Cliff Richard. This
background and experience formed the basis of his current
international career as a highly sought-after conductor, director of
choral workshops, adjudicator and teacher.
Accommodation
Choosing the right location is particularly important in a capital city so we
have booked a hotel that is right in the centre of town. Three
nights Bed and Breakfast accommodation are included in the 3 Star Mercure Hotel as part of the weekend package.
Travel arrangements
This bit is up to you and is not included in the price of the
weekend. Budapest is served by Gatwick, Heathrow and Luton airports.
Hungarian no frills airline, Wizz Air, currently seems to be
offering the best value for money but this may change.
Music
You will need to provide your own score for and it must be the
Barenreiter edition. There are several differences of notation and
underlay from other popular editions, and Nigel will be using page
numbers during rehearsals. It is also, importantly, the edition that
the orchestra will be using. These scores can also be obtained from
Music Dynamics which also sells rehearsal CDs for individual parts.
The Price
The cost of the weekend including the concert, three nights B&B, the
Dinner Cruise and two other evening meals will be £475 per person
sharing. (Single room supplement £45 per night). There are a limited
number of places for non-singers at the reduced rate of £355. Travel
and health insurance Travel insurance is not included but is easy
and cheap to arrange. Holiday cancellation insurance should also be
considered.
Deposit and payment
We will require a £100.00 deposit per person. The balance is payable
no later than six weeks before we leave. Deposit cheques are only
banked following allocation of a place.
Need more information?
Please contact Nick Couchman (nick@runbysingers.org) or Jane
Osgathorp (jane@runbysingers.org) or ring Nick on
01438 812100 (daytime).
