May 18th 2019

The Gloria in D Major is Vivaldi’s most famous sacred work and it is among his most important church music compositions. An independent work in one movement, it was thought to have been written between 1713 and 1717 for the Ospedale della Pietà, one of the orphanages of Venice in which young girls received a thorough musical training.

Noctis will join with members of the Bath Concertino for this concert of celebration, also performing some well-loved madrigals of the 17th Century, including Gibbons’ The Silver Swan, as well as contemporary folk songs by Thomas Hewitt Jones, Daniel Elder and Aaron Copland.

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Get your tickets soon: https://bathboxoffice.org.uk/whatson/vivaldi-gloria/

May 2018

In May 2014 a collaboration of Francis Faux's choral groups gave a highly acclaimed concert in a packed Bath Abbey as the flagship event of Bath’s commemoration of the start of the First World War. Four years later they joined again to perform a special concert commemorating the end of the Great War featuring the music of Elgar, Tavener, Gjeilo and Karl Jenkins, concluding with Howard Goodall's Eternal Light: A Requiem.

A huge thank you to Lucis and Noctis Chamber Choir for their wonderful singing at last night's concert in Bath Abbey. So proud to work with these fantastic groups on a regular basis. Also a pleasure to work with the excellent Southern Sinfonia UK and Melody Makers and soloists Robyn Allegra Parton and Felix Kemp were exceptional. Here's to the next one! - Francis Faux

A superb concert, emotional, serene, beautiful and flawless. One if the best concerts I have attended for a long time. The Dutch couple next to us had heard the rehearsal in the afternoon and were so impressed, they returned in the evening. The standing ovation was so deserved. Worth the two hour drive to hear it. Thank you. - Brian North

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We came, we saw, we gave a performance to be very, very proud of. The hard work paid off as it always does! It was superb to work with Melody Makers, Noctis, Southern Sinfonia and the soloists, Robyn and Felix. But the biggest thank you of all must go to our MD Francis Faux - it was a pleasure and an honour. - Lucis Choir
 

April 2018

It was a delightful Spring evening at St Stephen's Church where Noctis collaborated with The Lochrian String Quartet. You can find highlights of our concert on YouTube. 

Here are some comments from our fabulous audience.

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Rob Bozas Loved the show. Such controlled voices, great timing and layering. A very special evening indeed. 

Sharon Gilborson I enjoyed an absolutely fabulous evening, thank you so much x

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Brian North An atmospheric evening - beautiful music, sung and played superbly. Worth the journey. A special well done to Claire for the solos in Song of Songs.

The Lochrian Ensemble & String Quartet Such a pleasure working with you. Noctis sounded sublime and we really enjoyed the evening. Thank you for involving us in this wonderful evening of music making!

February 2018

Join us this April 14th as we collaborate with the Lochrian Ensemble in this seasonal programme celebrating the joys of spring and love.

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The concert will feature Patrick Hawes’ Song of Songs featuring our fabulous soprano Claire Miller and soundtracks from the movies including Barber’s Adagio for Strings,Nigel Hess’ Ladies in Lavender and Patrick Cassidy’s sublime Vide Cor Meum from Ridley Scott’s Hannibal.

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Song of Songs & Adagio for Strings

Noctis & The Lochrian Ensemble

Saturday 14th April
St Stephen's Church, Lansdown, Bath

7:30pm

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You can purchase your tickets directly from Bath Box Office: 
https://bathboxoffice.org.uk/whatson/song-of-songs/
01225 463362

Lochrian Ensemble
Performing widely in the UK and Italy for nearly three decades, the Lochrian String Quartet has received much acclaim for its rich sound and sensitive music-making. The quartet frequently appear on television, often performing on BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise’, as well as recording for film and in cross-genre collaborations with other artists. Find out more about the Lochrian Ensemble here: http://www.lochrianensemble.co.uk/

Patrick Hawes - Song of Songs

"The relationship of romantic and erotic love to spirituality is the subject of these songs.  They express desire, hope, confusion and joy; the whole range of emotions experienced by the lover – but there is no final consummation.  The metaphors of vine, wine, garden and fountain are ones that prefigure the language of Christian spirituality.  They provide Christian spirituality with a language of love that is both sensual and spiritual, of earth and of heaven.  The text for these songs is faithful to the text of the Bible but poetic licence has provided a narrative structure and the development of some metaphors.  The cry of the lover to the beloved, the heightening of the senses through sumptuous smells and tastes, and the imagery of fire provide a rich basis for a certain type of music – music born out of our time, yes, but which also draws upon the timelessness of tonality, consonance and balance." Patrick Hawes

You can find out more about The Song of Songs and composer Patrick Hawes at the link below:

https://www.patrickhawes.com/2016/12/19/loves-promise/

 

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11th November

Here are some lovely comments from our audience on Saturday night. We thoroughly enjoyed singing in St Mary's which has a lovely acoustic to suit this collection of pieces. Many thanks to George Bevan who accompanied us so beautifully on the organ.

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Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-1594) Missa Aeterna Christi Munera
Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) Te Lucis Ante Terminum
Alonso Lobo (1555-1617) Versa Est In Luctum
Sir Edward Bairstow (1874-1946) Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Sir John Tavener (1944-2013) Funeral Ikos
David Terry  For the Fallen
Maurice Duruflé (1902-1986) Requiem, Op.9

'I just wanted to say I found the evening in its totality profoundly moving. I loved the programme and I loved the singing.'

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'An excellent concert. Fully concur with the organ accompaniment comment - so sensitive and a great use of the stops available as well as mastering a difficult accompaniment.'

'What a wonderful concert you and the team gave us last night!...there is no doubt Noctis are stars in the Firmament in your hands'

'Oh wow! I am still in awe at the fabulous performance last night. Truly stunning. As always, Noctis demonstrated perfect pitch, balance and dynamics but with a sense of passion and synchronicity with each other. Kirsten's solo was simply outstanding - what incredible control! The whole concert was both moving and memorable. Yet again you have set the gold standard'

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October 2017

Here is our little feature in this month's Bath Magazine! Here's a little snippet: 
 

The next concert is a candelit vigil at St Mary's church, Bathwick on Armistice Day where the choir will perform the Durufle Requiem, Palestrina's Missa Aeterna Christi Munera, Tavener's Funeral Ikos and music by Bairstow, Lobo and Tallis as well as a setting of Lawrence Binyon's poem For the Fallen by David Terry.

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The Bath Magazine

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Next Concert: The Durufle Requiem - A few tickets remaining!

November 2017

Join Noctis for their candlelit vigil on Armistice Day as they perform music from the Renaissance by Lobo, Tallis and Palestrina alongside the centrepiece of the concert, the Requiem by Maurice Duruflé.

The Requiem is based on Gregorian chant, which is in its very essence the purest form of music, although the composer’s sensuous harmonies suffuse every note with feeling. Duruflé himself remarked that the Requiem is ‘not an ethereal work which sings of detachment from human concerns. It reflects, in the unchanging form of Christian prayer, the anguish of man faced with the mystery of his final end.

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Durufle Requiem by candlelight

11th November 2017 at 7:30pm

St Mary’s Church, Bathwick

£6.00-£12.00

Book Tickets Here

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10th June 2017

Noctis thoroughly enjoyed their concert at The Holburne Museum. The Gallery had a fabulous acoustic that really supported the tone and dynamic range of the choir. We will certainly be looking at performing there again in the future. 

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Thank you all so much for coming out to support us in such a lovely setting and we're sorry we couldn't accommodate those who tried to get tickets on the night. We did record the concert so some videos will be appearing soon on our YouTube channel. 

Here are some lovely comments from our lovely audience: 

Jackie Holton It was such a wonderful evening.... the setting, the singing, the music and your outstanding musicality.... congratulations x
 

Anthony Corfe Wonderful beautifully balanced ensemble and such sensitive phrasing and passion. A real treat. Thanks.

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Paul Nicholson Fantastic concert tonight - becoming a very accomplished ensemble! 😀 👍

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Kate Scott It was outstanding - the venue, the chosen music, the dynamics, pitch - everything about it was enthralling. Thank you for a glorious evening!

10th June 2017

Tickets are now available for our summer concert at The Holburne Museum. You can purchase tickets directly from the link below or from choir members. 

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http://www.holburne.org/events/northern-lights/?instance_id=10188

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Noctis are delighted to welcome internationally acclaimed pianist, Maria Garcia, for their summer concert exploring the works of several prominent figures in the contemporary choral music scene, including Eriks Esenvalds, Ola Gjeilo and Jussi Chydenius. The programme will examine how nature often provides the richest tapestry of inspiration for composers, ranging from Gjeilo’s setting of WB Yeats’ poem, The Lake Isle of Innisfree, to Esenvalds’ evocative depiction of the Northern Lights phenomenon.

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Friday 19th May

Noctis will be performing in St Michael's church from 8pm on Friday 19th of May!

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This is a free event which will see Noctis showcase a selection of pieces from their upcoming summer concert on June 10th.

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Check out the video for a preview of Deep in the Night by Jussi Chydenius.

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More information on Party in the City is available at the link below.

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http://bathfestivals.org.uk/the-bath-festival/event/party-in-the-city/

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May 2017

Noctis have been selected as finalists in the live performance category for the Creative Bath Awards! 

More about the awards can be found out here: https://www.creativebathawards.org/

"This is the first year of the Creative Bath Awards. It promises to be a stunning evening filled with the best of Bath’s creativity in a celebration of the creative sector. 

Our Awards will be tightly contested and greatly prized, due the high quality and sheer range of creative and tech businesses in Bath. Winning a Creative Bath Award will be a powerful accolade."

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To celebrate their nomination, Noctis released a video of their most popular encore! 

4th March 2017

Noctis were invited by George Bevan at Monkton Combe School music department this morning to lead a workshop on Ola Gjeilo's The Ground.

The session started with an informal 'meet and greet' where the members of Noctis and the students of Monkton Combe chamber choir shared their interests and knowledge on all things acapella! 

Noctis performed Goodnight Sweetheart and Words to demonstrate close harmony and clear diction and Monkton sang the popular King Singer's arrangement of 'I'm a Train'. It was fantastic to see the students engaged in that level of acapella singing. 

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Both choirs then worked on Agnus Dei by Thomas Morley and The Ground by Ola Gjeilo. Directed by Francis and accompanied by George Bevan on the piano, they worked on their phrasing and breath control together as well as focusing on vowel shaping in the latin texts.

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Both choirs were then invited to sing The Ground in the Saturday service in the chapel in front of the school.

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It was a thoroughly enjoyable morning and Noctis are looking forward to working with George Bevan and the Monkton Chamber Choir in the future.

January 2017

A huge congratulations to our bass baritone Sam Young who has just been accepted into The Guildhall School of Music and Drama to continue his studies on the postgraduate course.

Noctis have thoroughly enjoyed working with Sam and will miss his rich tone and humour in the choir. 

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We wish him all the best in the future and hope he can join us again when he's an opera star! 

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http://www.gsmd.ac.uk/music/courses/postgraduate.html

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23rd December 2016

Enjoy our 2016 Christmas compilation for free via Soundcloud this Christmas!
Enjoy live clips from our 2016 concert plus some classics from previous years! 

And available to download to any device for free! 

https://soundcloud.com/noctischoir/sets/christmas-with-noctis

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16th December 2016

Noctis entertained visitors to the enchanted winter wonderland at Bristol Zoo and even the lions joined in for a sing song! 

Check out our facebook live video of Hark the Herald Angels Sing!
https://www.facebook.com/noctischoir/videos/915555291810053/

P.S A big thank you to the lady who gave us her torch to read our music! Much appreciated! 

 

30th November 2016

Noctis braved freezing cold temperatures on a delightful Wednesday evening at The Royal Crescent hotel. Noctis serenaded the guests as they drank their mulled wines in the winter wonderland of the beautiful gardens.
We were hired as a retirement present for the director of Andrews Estate Agents!
We wish him all the best! 

 

March 2016

Noctis are delighted to introduce their newest member of the alto section, Amy Seyers. Amy is a BA Music student at Bath Spa University and joins us in time for our Good Friday Passiontide Service at St Catherine's Church, Batheaston. Welcome Amy!

January 2016

Noctis are pleased to welcome Sam Young to the baritone section of the choir!
 

Sam joined us for our Messe de Minuit concert in December and you can find out more about Sam here!

You can listen to Sam on SoundCloud:
https://soundcloud.com/sam-young-baritone

Enjoy!
 

December 2015

Check out our 12 Tracks of Christmas on our Audio Page to get you in the festive mood! 

Follow us on Soundcloud: 

https://soundcloud.com/noctischoir/sets/noctis-christmas-selections

This compilation includes brand new recordings of the choir including In the Bleak Midwinter (this year's carol request, as voted for by you!) plus live favourites from recent years.

Enjoy, share and have a very Merry Christmas! 

 

November 2015

This month, The Bath Magazine are celebrating the many choirs of Bath and their upcoming concerts.

Check out Noctis' profile here! 

We are lucky to live in such a fabulous city full of song!

Read the entire issue here.

August 2015

Noctis asked the public to request their favourite Christmas carol or song and they received wide range of carols and songs! So much so, that when the poll closed there was a three way tie! 

The winning requests are:
 

Mary Did You Know by The Pentatonix

What Sweeter Music by John Rutter

In the Bleak Midwinter by Harold Darke
 

We certainly have our work cut out and we'll keep you up to date with the recording process. 

Thanks to all who participated! 

20th June

Noctis will be performing their variety concert this year at The Pound Arts Centre. 

As well as performing as a choir, they will showcase their individual instrumental and vocal talents through a wide range of genres. 

Tickets are available from this link:

The Pound Arts Box Office

Tweet about our concert using

@NoctisChCh    #NightandDay

Join our Facebook Event too! 
Noctis Event: Night and Day

We're all thoroughly looking forward to seeing you all! 

February 2015

Noctis are pleased to announce a new member to the choir, India Gilborson. She will be singing mezzo soprano and alto parts in the choir. 

We are already enjoying singing with her and have some exciting repertoire to share with you all very soon! 

December 2014

On the weekend of their successful concert at Burdall's Yard, Noctis took some time out from rehearsals to record Karl Jenkin's a cappella work, I'll Make Music. 

Noctis are pleased to announce they are submitting this video for the Boosey & Hawkes Sing Motets competition. 

Details on the competition can be found here.

The competition is to celebrate Karl Jenkin's new album, Motets. The prize is a brand new short a cappella choral work composed by Karl Jenkins for the lucky winning choir, and dedicated to them.

Fingers crossed!!

Please share our video with #SingMotets 

December 2014

Noctis are proud to have raised £210.00 for The Genesis Trust in Bath whilst entertaining Christmas Market shoppers in Bath. 

The Genesis Trust supports vulnerable people in Bath to overcome poverty and hardship and take positive steps forward in their lives.

'We hold up hope for people until they are strong enough to hold it for themselves.'

For more information on The Genesis Trust please visit their website on the brilliant work they do. 

http://genesistrust.org.uk/

November 29th and 30th

Noctis will be entertaining Christmas shoppers at the wonderful Christmas Market in Bath this weekend. 

They will performing many traditional carols in a variety of languages and singing a selection of Christmas classics! 

Come and see us!
Saturday 5pm - 6pm
Sunday 3pm - 4pm 

Under the Abbey Green Archway

November 2014

Hooray! Tickets are now on sale! But get them quick as there is limited availability at this unique venue. 

A Ceremony of Carols
Sunday December 7th, 14:30 
Burdall's Yard, Bath

For more information check our events page. 
 

For Tickets: Click Here

Venue Information available here.

Let us know you're coming on our facebook events page too! 
 

October 2014

In May this year, Noctis were invited to work with Cathal Smyth (Chas Smash, Madness) on his debut solo album: A Comfortable Man. 
 

They worked with Joe Duddell and Cathal at Sarm Studios in London.

You Are Not Alone is the first track off the album.
 

"It’s a delightful tune with a soulful piano and voice and gentle strings. It’s got a hint of REM’s Everybody Hurts about it, with some added reassuring calm. It’s very moving and ends with angelic choral harmonies from the Noctis Chamber choir. Stunning."  MIS

An insight into the album is available here: 
The Guardian: Chas Smash Going Solo

www.cathalsmyth.co.uk

Noctis are looking forward to the full release in 2015! 

September 2014

As a new season begins, Noctis are pleased to introduce their new bass Ben Collings to replace Michael Longden. 

Ben is also starting a Masters in Music Performance but a little closer to home at
Bath Spa University.

Check out our About section to find out more about Ben. 

August 2014

Our second bass, Michael Longden, has won a place on the Masters in Vocal Studies course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland!

We wish him all the best and for a fruitful two years in Scotland.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

July 2014

Noctis were delighted to receive a grant of £150 from the New Brew artist development scheme which will go towards their forthcoming Christmas recording. The album will feature the SATB arrangement of Britten's Ceremony of Carols as well as other festive music and you can listen to a sneak preview at our Christmas concert in Burdall's Yard later this year.

More information on the artist development scheme is available here.

Check out upcoming events at Burdall's Yard.

21st June, 7:30pm

Rehearsals are well underway for Noctis' big concert of the year. This concert is truly special for Noctis as they showcase their individual vocal and instrumental performances as well as performing as the award winning choir. 

Why not make a date with Noctis and let them enchant you with their performances, enjoy champagne and canapes on the veranda and try your luck with their luxury raffle! 

Book tickets directly from choir members or from the link below.

Book Now
 

Sunday 4th May - 7.30pm

Come to St. Michael's Without in Bath and listen to the most performed composer in the world today talk about his life and demystify his music. A rare opportunity to see the man in the flesh and ask him your questions in this unmissable evening.

Saturday 10th May - 7:30pm

Karl Jenkins' critically acclaimed Mass for Peace will be the focus for this major choral event in 2014, commemorating the centenary of the start of the First World War.

The choirs of Organum, Corsham Choral Society and Noctis, conducted by Francis Faux, together with a local orchestra, will combine for this performance.

The concert will also feature the UK premiere of Christopher Tin's dramatic Kia Hora Te Marino, and music by Eric Whitacre and Ola Gjeilo.This is a charity concert for the Royal British Legion.

Tickets On Sale Now - Book in advance to avoid disappointment. 

Tickets Available from Bath Box Office

Join the Facebook Event page for updates and press coverage.

January, 2014

2014 is starting to look rather busy! 

• A live recording session of student compositions at Bath Spa University.

• Performance of Elgar's Oratorio The Dream of Gerontius with Vox 8, Bath Cantata & Bradford on Avon Choral Society.

• Performance of The Armed Man with Organum and Corsham Choral at Bath Abbey.

• An Evening with Noctis - an exclusive concert in the heart of Bath where you get to see the other talents of the Noctis members.

2013 has been a busy year for the choir! After winning the Phyllis Cambridge cup at the Mid-Somerset festival, the choir have had a busy schedule, performing with early music specialist Dante Ferrara at the Bath Fringe Festival and joining tenor Carlos Alonso for a truly memorable evening of music making to raise money for Penny Brohn Cancer Care. 

Keep up to date with our events page or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

Happy New Year!

15th December 2013

Noctis held their successful Christmas concert in the historic village of Nunney in Somerset.

They performed a variety of Christmas carols and songs in the first half including Stopford's A Christmas Blessing, Warlock's Bethlehem Down and Ralph Allwood's Jingle Bells. 

2013 marks the centenerary of Benjamin Britten's birth so Noctis performed the rather rare SATB version of

his Ceremony of Carols with harp accompaniment in the second half.

This concert was recorded and excerpts are available on our media page! Enjoy!

October 2013

Noctis were asked to entertain guests at the Great Bath Feast held in Bath Abbey. They sang a selection of light classical and jazz repertoire including a couple of movements from Chilcott's Jazz Mass and Jenkins' Adiemus.

Bath On TV documented the event which can be viewed on our media page.

The night was a great success, a sell out event with monies donated to a variety of charities.

Noctis were also mentioned in the live BBC Points West broadcast from the Abbey as Ali Vowles commented on how our heavenly singing added to the atmosphere of the event.

September 2013

Noctis were invited to join tenor Carlos Alonso to raise money for Penny Brohn Cancer trust. Noctis sang choruses from Turandot, La Traviata and Phantom of the Opera! 

It was an emotional event that raised a significant amount of money for the charity.