Cheltenham Bach Choir Events

Events

Pre-Pandemic Events

During 2020 choir members and Friends of CBC worked together remotely to produce a fund-raising musically themed cookery book which is still available for sale.

The choir has always been involved in a number of cultural and musical events throughout Cheltenham and further afield.

In the past the choir has participated in overseas concert tours and collaborations with other choirs throughout the UK.

The choir has also arranged fund-raising events and social events for members.

a unique, musically-themed recipe book

Support our choir by buying our collection of musically inspired recipes

Choral Cuisine is a musically themed recipe book containing more than 65 delicious recipes with personal contributions from choir members and Friends of CBC.

Choral Cuisine is a collection of delicious recipes by members and friends of Cheltenham Bach Choir

Beautifully illustrated

With its gorgeous watercolours Choral Cuisine is a real show-stopper of a recipe book. Containing over 65 recipes, contributed by members and associates of the choir and drawn from different parts of the globe, including Russia, France, Spain, Singapore and Hungary, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Might you like to try for your Prelude (starter) Pecan, orange and avocado salad with walnut oil dressing? Or could you be tempted by Mel’s amazing barbajuans or Tartiflette for your Chorale (main course)? Or maybe you have a sweet tooth and would like to sample some Raspberry passion for your Passion (dessert)? And when it comes to cakes, well many of us know what fantastic bakes are served up at choir parties. Now those mouth-watering recipes, such as Chocolate spice cake, or the delicious Elisenlebkuchen sent in by our friends in the Göttingen Stadtkantorei, are there in the Arias (cakes and bakes) for us to try out for ourselves. Choral Cuisine will make a great Christmas present so do save up your pennies and get out your whisks and spatulas in anticipation of this great treat!

BUY here

BBC Radio Gloucester - interview

Listen to an interview with Vice Chair of the Choir Gill Douglas - talking on BBC Radio Gloucester about the story behind the creation of Choral Cuisine.

Cotswold Life December 2020 edition

David Crown Musical Director of Cheltenham Bach Choir

Choral Cuisine was designed and illustrated by Kate Smith. Over the many years Kate has been a valued singing member of the choir she has produced our many concert posters and leaflets. Always generous with her wonderful talent, Kate has now provided the styling and the watercolour illustrations for Choral Cuisine. We were thrilled when Cotswold Life featured our fundraising recipe book in the December 2020 edition, and even more delighted that Kate's artistic talents have been duly recognised. Thank you Kate from all the choir.

Why a cookery book?

The Cheltenham Bach Choir is much more than merely a group of singers. It is a community of people who enjoy being together to share the experience of creating wonderful choral music. The community and friendship goes far beyond rehearsals and performances at concerts though, to friends, supporters, fellow musicians, our sister choir in Germany, the Göttingen Stadtkantorei, and many others.

When the pandemic came along and put paid to normal choir rehearsals and concerts, we wanted to create something lasting to celebrate our CBC community, something that all of us could contribute to. Why not a cookbook? We asked all choir members, as well as friends and associates of the choir, to contribute a favourite recipe. And, given that we are a choir, how about a choral theme to link everything together? Thus ‘Choral Cuisine’, a unique recipe book taking you through a full musical programme of delicious dishes, from the Preludes to the final Encore, was born.

Now all we needed to do was to make it happen. Our small project team of choir members was formed, including professional designer and talented artist, Kate Smith (herself an alto with CBC), who has designed and created the whole book. Kate also painted all the beautiful original watercolour illustrations which run throughout. Work began in June and after many hours of team Zoom editorial and proofreading meetings and sampling recipes, the book has now arrived in time for Christmas.

Supporting charities

We will share our joy of music and cooking beyond the sale of the books by donating part of any profit we make to these two local charities related to music and food:

Cheltenham Open Door brings people together through food. We take surplus ingredients and turn them into delicious meals for our guests: people in our community who are vulnerable or struggling. Through good food and good company we give people a place to belong, feel safe and find help.

Mindsong offers group singing and music therapy for people in Gloucestershire including those with dementia, neurological conditions, brain injury, lung conditions and post stroke. It is beginning to work with those recovering from Covid-19.

How to order

Cheltenham Bach Choir - buy our Choral Cuisine Recipe book

Choral Cuisine is available to order directly from us for £10 plus P&P. If you would like to order and reserve your copy(ies), please email our treasurer Sue Silcock on hontreas@cheltbachchoir.com

Please give details of the number of copies you wish to purchase and a full postal address, and we will post your books to you.

Payment for the book and postage

£10 + £3 p&p for up to 3 books

Reduced p&p for 4 or more books is £6

Please pay by bank transfer to -

Cheltenham Bach Choir

Barclays Bank

Sort code: 20-20-15

Account number: 10228737

Important

Choral Cuisine is a recipe book created by members and friends of Cheltenham Bach Choir

Please use your last name and the reference ‘Cookbook’ as the reference in the transfer details so we can link the payment to your order. Please remember to add the correct P&P to your payment. Thank you very much for your support.

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Come & Sing

Every year Cheltenham Bach Choir host the ever popular Come & Sing Day at a venue in Cheltenham.

This annual event is a fabulous way for anyone who enjoys singing to take part in a single day of rehearsal followed by a concert for friends and family.

During 2020 and 2021 we have been unable to do this because of the social distancing and health risks of the pandemic.

Here is a reminder of the last Come & Sing event we were able to organise in 2019.

We will announce our next Come & Sing Event as soon as we are able to do so.

Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man - Come and Sing with Cheltenham Bach Choir

COME & SING EVENT 2019

In October 2019 the choir and guests performed The Armed Man (Karl Jenkins) which was commissioned for the Millennium by the Royal Armouries Museum and is dedicated to victims of the Kosovo crisis. Essentially the work is an anti-war piece based on the structure of the Catholic Mass, with additional sources including the 15th-century folk song L'homme armé and an Islamic Call to Prayer performed by a professional mu'addhin. The text includes words from other religious and historical sources, including the Bible and the Mahabharata. Writers whose words appear in the work include Rudyard Kipling, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Sankichi Toge. The 2019 Come & Sing was conducted by David Crown.

Overseas Events

Göttingen Concert Trip 2018

Through the twinning of the town of Cheltenham with Göttingen in Germany, links have been developed with a local choir in the town and the two choirs regularly organise exchange visits with concerts.

In 2018 the exchange took place between the 31 October and 4 November.

On the 3 November the choir performed A Sea Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams with the Göttingen Stadtkantorei and the Göttingen Symphony Orchestra in the St Johannes Church in Göttingen.

“ A fantastic, memorable and hugely emotional evening in Göttingen. Wonderful work from two fab choirs and an orchestra that truly delivered. I feel very lucky to have experienced this ”

David Crown

Musical Director

Cheltenham Bach Choir

Gallery