Latvia Tour Concert

11:36am Friday 2nd March 2007

The boys and men of Salisbury Cathedral Choir are giving a concert in the Cathedral on Sunday March 18 at 4.15pm, performing highlights from the repertoire they will be singing on their forthcoming tour to Estonia and Latvia (April 10 -17).

David Halls, Director of Music, is delighted to be taking the choir here for the first time. "The Diocese of Salisbury has a long-standing link with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, and its Archbishop, Janis Vanags, is a Sarum Canon. The Church in Latvia has entered a new and exciting era, after almost fifty years of Communist oppression and state control when religion was suppressed and the Cathedral used as a concert hall.

"Riga Cathedral has recently been handed back to the Church, and Salisbury Cathedral has actively supported our colleagues there to re-establish Riga Cathedral as a focal point for Christians in Latvia. It is therefore particularly good to be taking our Cathedral Choir there and helping to cement this wonderful friendship.

"The choir will give five concerts in different and beautiful venues and also participate in the main Sung Eucharist at Riga Cathedral. In addition to Riga, the tour party will visit Tallinn, Tartu and Parnu in Estonia.

"Choir tours are important because they not only give the choir a chance to rehearse intensively and perform in different acoustics, but also to take Salisbury Cathedral and all it stands for to a wider world."

• The concert on Sunday March 18 will include music by Bairstow, Bruckner, Byrd, Marenzio, Palestrina, Parry and Wesley.

The choir will be directed by David Halls with Daniel Cook, Assistant Director of Music, and Tim Ravalde, Organ Scholar, on organ.

No tickets are required but there will be a retiring collection.