The Durham Singers summer concert is a programme of joyful psalm settings by British and German composers, based around the psalms texts 'O Sing unto the Lord'. Purcell's verse anthem setting is complemented by Julian Anderson's contemporary response to the text, in which the choir begin with the exuberant joy that comes from singing, before taking on the sounds of brass fanfares and the roaring sea. We also sing English settings of the text by James MacMillan and Thomas Tomkins, and William Byrd's Latin motet 'Cantate Domino'
The concert closes with Bach's magnificent double-choir motet, Singet dem Herrn, The quieter central movement uses the Lutheran chorale melody Nun lob mein Seel den Herren, so to prepare the path to Bach's masterpiece, we offer choral and organ settings of the same chorale by some of Bach's great predecessors - Schütz, Buxtehude and Praetorious - along with Pachelbel's own version of Singet dem Herrn.
The audience are invited to join the choir for refreshments after the concert.
