These reviews relate to our recent
concerts (plus a couple from the 1940s) and are mostly
courtesy of the Derby Telegraph and audience members
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 Audience Feedback:
We welcome any comments or reviews from our audience about our concerts - please send them to us. |
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 Spring Concert
27th. April, 2013
Derby Cathedral |
The choir delivered its usual robust performance
"Derby Choral Union, under conductor Richard Dacey, and an excellent team of soloists, gave a generally well paced account that successfully negotiated its switches of style."
Read on... |
 Christmas Concert
22nd. December, 2012
Derby Cathedral |
A fine well balanced sound from the choir
"The concert was excellent – both the choir and the soloists – and the programme.
Wonderful start to Christmas."
Read on... |
 Autumn Concert
10th. November, 2012
Derby Cathedral
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Quality of the sound was excellent
"The choir looked confident and relaxed and the quality of the sound was excellent, particularly in the quiet sections which had an intensity and control."
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 Spring Concert
21st. April, 2012
Derby Cathedral |
Great Conviction
"Mozart’s Mass in C Minor may be incomplete but what there is, is a masterpiece. Derby Choral Union’s performance (apparently only their second ever) with Musical Director Richard Dacey was well-grounded and often inspired."
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 Christmas Concert
17th. December, 2011
Derby Cathedral
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Invigorating performance
"Derby Choral Union’s way with Handel’s Messiah has been honed over the years into something fresh and alert. Right from the crisp account of the opening Sinfony, their latest performance maintained that track record."
Read on... |
 Autumn Concert
12th. November, 2011
Landau Forte College, Derby
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Punchy, energetic singing
"Under conductor Richard Dacey, Derby Choral Union rose magnificently to the occasion, with punchy, energetic singing that carried complete conviction in what, for some, was no doubt an unfamiliar idiom."
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| Season No. 145 2010/11 |
 Spring Concert
16th. April, 2011
Derby Cathedral
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Exuberant feel
"Derby Choral Union and conductor Richard Dacey responded well to a mixed bag of works in their spring concert..."
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 Christmas Concert
18th. December, 2010
Derby Cathedral
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Terrific gusto
"Derby Choral Union’s Christmas offering brought together two classics of the English Christmas repertoire, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols and Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols..."
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 Autumn Concert
13th. November, 2010
Derby Cathedral
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Thrilling sense of urgency
"Derby Choral Union’s taut, pacy account of Mozart’s Requiem was impressive testimony to their continually rising standards..."
Read on... |
| Season No. 144 2009/10 |
 Spring Concert
17th. April, 2010
Derby Cathedral
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A Sensitive Account
"The blend of deeply-felt religious sentiment and aura of fashionable Parisian salons that is Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle has not always been easy to get into perspective. It works best as originally conceived, for twelve solo voices, but as Derby Choral Union's performance showed, it can also respond to the large choir treatment..."
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 Christmas Concert
19th. December, 2009
Derby Cathedral
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Most buoyant performance
"As someone generally prone to Messiah-fatigue, I thoroughly enjoyed this, one of the freshest, most buoyant performances of Messiah I've heard for a long time..."
Read on... |
| Season No. 143 2008/09 |
 Peaks Concert
13th. June, 2009
St. Peter's Church,
Alstonefield
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Wonderful rendition
"A lovely sunny day on Saturday came to a fitting conclusion with Derby Choral Union’s performance at St. Peter’s Church, conducted by Richard Dacey..."
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 Spring Concert
21st. March, 2009
Derby Cathedral
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Sheer Exuberance
"This was to have been another joyful collaboration between Derby Choral Union and its patron, Emma Kirkby. Unfortunately she was indisposed, but the choir was very lucky to engage the fast-rising Elizabeth Watts at just a couple of days’ notice. Her thrilling sound and immaculate phrasing instantly dispelled any feelings of disappointment among the audience..."
Read on...
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| Season No. 142 2007/08 |
 Spring Concert
26th. April, 2008
Derby Cathedral
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Very effective
"Dvořák’s Te Deum, written for his first concert appearance in the USA, is an attractive work which has the composer's name stamped all over it. Derby Choral Union clearly enjoyed themselves with it, in a performance full of good-hearted buoyancy..."
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| Season No. 141 2006/07 |
 Spring Concert
21st. April, 2007
Derby Cathedral
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Three cheers to Derby Choral Union
"Most big choral societies will, I imagine, be marking the Elgar anniversary with The Dream of Gerontius, or perhaps The Apostles or The Kingdom. So three cheers to Derby Choral Union for, instead, championing The Music Makers, something of a poor relation among the composer's larger choral works..."
Read on...
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 Autumn Concert
25th. November, 2006
Derby Cathedral
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Choral Union is in confident form
"Derby Choral Union is in confident form these days witness their bright, engaging account of Haydn’s Te Deum of 1800..."
Read on...
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| Season No. 140 2005/06 |
4th. Patron's Concert
 Spring Concert
11th. March, 2006
Pears School, Repton
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Radiantly Fresh
"Mozart's Solemn Vespers for the Feast of a Confessor is probably the second most popular of his large-scale sacred pieces after the Requiem. This is due mainly to the lovely setting of the psalm Laudate Dominum, one of his most inspired pieces of writing for vocal soloist. Put it together with the voice of Emma Kirkby, still radiantly fresh after all these years, and you've got a sure-fire success on your hands. So it was on this occasion..."
Read on... |
 Christmas Concert
16th. December, 2005
Derby Cathedral
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Invigorating account
"I must admit that I sometimes view an approaching performance of Handel's Messiah in an "oh, not again" frame of mind. Usually though, the music wins me round in the first few moments, and this invigorating account was no exception..."
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 Autumn Concert
19th. November, 2005
Derby Cathedral
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Sterling qualities
"This was a bold piece of programming on Derby Choral union's part, an evening of 20th century British works with a first half well off the beaten track...Britten's St. Nicolas got an enjoyable performance, with Richard Dacey holding together the disparate forces, and the music's expressive variety with assurance. It got off to a confident start..."
Read on...
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and a couple of reviews from yesteryear...
Season No. 81 1946/47 |
 Spring Concert
27th. March, 1947
Derby Central Hall
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Memorable Singing of Choral Union
"Derby Choral Union's performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion last night was the most memorable and significant local musical event for years..."
Read on...
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| Season No. 79 1944/45 |
 Autumn Concert
18th. November, 1944
Derby Central Hall
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Fine Choral Work In Haydn’s Oratorio
"Derby's oratorio lovers turned out in their hundreds despite a wet afternoon, to enjoy the Derby Choral Union’s first performance of the season, Haydn’s The Creation, at the Central Hall, Derby, on Saturday..."
Read on... |
