Saturday 9 October 2021
Exeter Cathedral

“A fabulous performance … as people were leaving at the end of the concert, you could feel the buzz and excitement …

Members of the audience were full of praise for this very special concert. I can’t thank you enough for the outstanding performance; I am extremely grateful to you as a choir for waiving your fee and I can assure you that this money will be spent wisely, looking after the welfare of our Army family.” (Phil Hutchens, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity).

Members of Exeter Festival Chorus were delighted to sing in Exeter Cathedral again on Saturday 9th October 2021 and to be part of the concert organised by the South West Regional team of ABF The Soldiers' Charity.

This fundraising event, entitled Hope, Renewal and Inspiration was the culmination of many months of planning by the ABF’s regional team. The richly varied programme, compèred by the BBC’s David FitzGerald, included numbers performed by the young people of Centre Stage; solo items by soprano, Davina Hastings; violinist, Sophie Rosa, and organist Timothy Noon. Exeter Festival Chorus sang alongside friends from St David’s Singers and the Exeter Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Mark Perry (Musical Director of St David’s Singers and Deputy Conductor of the Exeter Symphony Orchestra). Stirring pieces performed by the choir included Parry’s I Was Glad, Jubilate Deo (Gabrieli) and Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves (Verdi).

Taken during rehearsal by a member of the orchestra, this photograph captures the joy the choirs felt as they practised Gabrieli’s a cappella Jubilate Deo in the glorious setting of Exeter Cathedral.