Bratislava Music Agency
Záhumenská 3/A
841 06 Bratislava 4
Slovakia
International Gregorian Chant Festival 2016
October 20 - 23, 2016, Bratislava
October 20 - 23, 2016, Bratislava
Ensembles
Ealing Abbey Choir
United Kingdom
Ealing Abbey Choir was founded in 1910 by Dom Cyril Rylance (1880–1958), a monk of the monastery, coming into existence as the Catholic Church in England was rediscovering its musical heritage through the works of Renaissance composers and Gregorian chant. The choir’s repertoire of Gregorian chant and Latin polyphony today also includes more recent works by composers such as Jonathan Dove and Eric Whitacre. The Abbey Choir consists of treble choristers and six professional lay clerks. The choristers are all pupils of St Benedict’s School, Ealing, where they play a prominent musical role. The Choir’s principal commitment revolves around the liturgy in the Abbey Church each week and at Christmas and Easter. Outside the liturgy the choir is extremely active. Recently the choir has recorded on the Herald label, with Personent Hodie released in 2010 and Buxtehude’s Membra Jesu nostri in 2013. The choir has toured to Rome (2007), Strasbourg (2010), USA (2011 & 2015) and Poland (2014) to great acclaim, with a future tour planned to Austria and Slovakia (2016). Recent concert performances include Bach’s St John Passion, Handel’s Messiah Monteverdi’s Vespers 1610 and Orff’s Carmina Burana at Cadogan Hall.
Christopher Eastwood
Conductor / Leader
Christopher Eastwood is currently Director of Music at St Benedict’s School, Ealing, and Director of Music at Ealing Abbey. He began his musical studies as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral, under the direction of James O’Donnell, and subsequently read Music at Lincoln College, Oxford, studying the organ with David Sanger. Following his graduation from Oxford, Christopher served as Organ Scholar at Portsmouth & Westminster Cathedrals. He has toured extensively both as a conductor and organist throughout Europe & the USA with various ensembles and has broadcast for Radio 3 and 4. Christopher has achieved great success with Ealing Abbey Choir which is recognised as one of the foremost Catholic choirs in England. Regular tours are undertaken, most recently to Rome (2008), Strasbourg (2010), USA (2011), Poland (2014) & USA (2015). Recent CD releases include Personent Hodie & Membra Jesu nostri (Dietrich Buxtehude), both on the Herald label. As an organist Christopher has given recitals at Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, Magdalen College, Oxford, and many other venues.
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