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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

We're starting a new term this Tuesday 8 September in a new rehearsal venue, as we work towards our all-Britten Autumn Concert (Nov 21). Our Director of Music, Adrian Bawtree (pictured) warmly invites you to join us each Tuesday at 7.30pm at St Nicholas Church, High Street, Strood ME2 4TR.

Photo of Adrian in red and white striped shirt smiling to camera in head-and-shoulders shot.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

Summer Concert: our Music Director Adrian Bawtree's moving and tuneful cantata about the Battle of Trafalgar, 'Make More Sail', along with Poulenc's mesmerising 'Gloria', at St Augustine's Church, 192 Rock Avenue, Gillingham ME7 5PW on Saturday 11 July 2026 at 6pm. Tickets: rochesterchoral.co.uk

Colour photo of part of a sailing ship with flags, including the union jack ensign, and a rainbow behind.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

We can't wait to hear stunning Australian soprano soloist Bella Marslen at our Summer Concert on Saturday 11 July 2026. It's at St Augustine's Church, 192 Rock Avenue, Gillingham ME7 5PW at 6pm. Tickets are available via the website in our profile. #choirs #singing #kentuk

Bella looking straight to camera in a colour head-and-shoulders shot. She's a white woman with long, wavy brown hair.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

A moment's rest before Rochester Choral Society perform in this beautiful space at Barcelona Cathedral as part of our Catalonia Tour 2026 earlier this month. By the aisle on the front row on the right of the picture is our Director of Music Adrian Bawtree, with his wife Victoria to his left.

Photo of the pews in the central nave with ornate gold-finished drapes on the walls and the lower parts of the grand light-coloured arches above.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

SPRING CONCERT THIS WEEKEND! Elgar's stunning 'The Dream of Gerontius' performed in the equally breathtaking Rochester Cathedral, Kent. This Saturday 21 March 2026 at 6pm. Tickets can be bought via our website in biog. There must be something about blue butterflies for our posters and Bluesky! 🦋

Photo of three posters for our Spring Concert overlapping. The design is predominantly blue, with a blue and white butterfly emblem on the left against partial blue sky and light clouds, plus some foreground foliage.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Meet Esmée Loughlin-Dickinson. She's delighted to be making her debut as The Angel in 'The Dream of Gerontius' with us @rochestercathedral.bsky.social. That's on Saturday March 21st at 6pm. Tickets via our website in biog or here: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc... She's one to watch!

Portrait of Esmée with long auburn hair, leaning on the back of a chair smiling and looking into the camera.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

New year – new musical you! Join us for rehearsals on Tuesday nights from 13 January 2026 if you can get along to the Vines Church in Rochester ME1 1XN at 7.30pm. We're preparing for our Spring Concert performance of Elgar's beautiful and moving 'The Dream of Gerontius'. We hope to see you there! 😀

Champagne bottle opened, spraying golden sparks across the numbers '2026'.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Our new singer Helen (centre) brought along her mum (L) and cousin to her first concert: our Autumn Concert at St Margaret's Church in Rainham, Medway. Everything went very well and we're grateful to all those who made that happen – including Helen, of course. Welcome and thanks to her! 🤩👏

Left to right: Helen's mum with patterned scarf, Helen wearing the RCS turqoise scarf on black top and skirt, and Helen's cousin in dogtooth checked dress, black on white. All are smiling brightly!

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

Approaching fast: our Autumn 2025 Concert. It's on St Cecilia's Day – Saturday 22nd November at 6pm. Our main work is the beautiful 'Mass in D Major' by Antonín Dvořák. It's at St Margaret's Church, Rainham. Tickets and more info at our website in bio. ⤴️ We look forward to seeing you there! 😀

Poster for the concert including a painting of St Cecilia looking skywards.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Images from a very enjoyable day of Choral Celebrations in Maidstone last weekend. Our Director of Music Adrian Bawtree is pictured alongside the day's director, Stephen Barlow (right, wearing a green top); our Assistant Director of Music Robbie Carroll; and talented alto Tammie West.

Adrian smiling alongside Stephen by the lectern at the theatre.

Robbie strikes a 'High School Musical' conducting pose underneath a basketball net!

Tammie smartly dressed in a dark trouser suit with the RCS light blue scarf, which blends well with the light blue vertical stripes on a black background behind her.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

A date for your diary: the combined musical might of nine local choirs, including Rochester Choral Society! Saturday 27 September 2025 at Mote Hall, Maidstone ME15 7RN. Tickets £10.00 (under 16s free) Email: choralcelebrations25@gmail.com We look forward to seeing you. 😀 Kent Arts & Wellbeing

Graphic headed Choral Celebrations with Stephen Barlow. Combined choirs performing 'In Windsor Forest' by Vaughan Williams, and 'How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place' by Brahms. Choirs include RCS.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

It was a privilege to honour our singer Paul Simpson, who sadly died in November 2023, at the Barbican last Friday. Our former singer and talented jazz musician James Taylor wrote a beautiful song, 'Temps Perdu', in memory of Paul. We performed it in the presence of members of his family.

Poster listing RCS alongside the James Taylor Quartet and the orchestra (the London Studio Orchestra).

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

Huge thanks to everyone involved in making our Summer Concert such a success on Saturday! Special thanks to our accompanist Robbie Carroll (pictured in rehearsals) and to our fabulous Director of Music Adrian Bawtree. We're very grateful also to our fine soloists and to our valued audience. 👏👏👏

Robbie at the piano, smiling, in a brown shirt and light beige trousers.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

We welcome back star baritone Simon Thorpe for Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's captivating Hiawatha trilogy. You may recognise Simon as having been our Charles Dickens in the organ loft in Thomas Hewitt Jones' 'Regards from Rochester'! Summer Concert this Sat: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

Portrait of Simon in sunny setting surrounded by trees. He's wearing a fawn jacket with a navy blue polo shirt.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

We can't wait to welcome back stylish soprano singer Susan Young to our concert platform. She's been praised for her rich, warm sound. Join us for Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's The Song of Hiawatha at St George's Centre ME4 4UH on Sat 12 July at 6pm: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

Black and white portrait of Susan smiling to camera in close-up.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

RCS singer Polina gets into character again in her homage to Hiawatha: 'Is Hiawatha in danger?' Hear the full compelling story in Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's delightfully tuneful trilogy at St George's Centre, Chatham Maritime on Saturday July 12th at 6pm. www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

Polina, in an outfit suggesting native American design, is among the trees looking up with dappled sunlight on her face.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

We're so proud to name the composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor among our former conductors. And we're delighted to be performing his work, 'The Song of Hiawatha', in our Summer Concert at the St George's Centre on Sat July 12th @ 6pm. Details and tickets here: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

Black and white portrait of Samuel looking smart and regal in a wooden chair - photographer unknown.

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Jocelyne Wilson @joss-wilson.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Can’t wait for this epic concert. First conducted by the composer in 1898 in the year of its publication #coleridge-taylor #hiawatha #minnehaha

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Our singer Polina (pictured) pays homage to Hiawatha... 'If Minnehaha is in the forest, where is Hiawatha?' *** Save Saturday July 12th to hear our former conductor Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's popular trilogy! www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

Photo of Polina wearing Minnehaha-style costume looking through leaves in a wooded area.

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Songle @songleglobal.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

🎶 Music Fun Fact 🎶 In 2013, a performance in Boston set a world record with the largest orchestra ever assembled—8,097 musicians played together, including strings, brass, percussion, and choirs. A literal wall of sound! 🎻🎺🥁 #WorldRecordOrchestra #MegaMusic #MusicTrivia #SoundOfThousands

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musicadeidonum.bsky.social @musicadeidonum.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

CD review: Colonna, 'Caro ardore, sacro amore - Concerted Psalms for two choirs and orchestra' (Soloists, Coro e Orchestra della Cappella Musicale di S. Petronio (Bologna), Ensemble Vocale 'Color Temporis'/Michele Vannelli) www.musica-dei-donum.org/cd_reviews/D...

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Three Choirs Festival @threechoirs.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

It is with profound sadness that the Three Choirs Festival marks the passing of the esteemed composer and conductor Ronald Corp OBE. We were greatly anticipating Ronald's presence at this year's festival in Hereford. Read more - 3choirs.org/news/remembe...

3choirs.org

Remembering Ronald Corp (1951–2025) | Three Choirs Festival

It is with profound sadness that the Three Choirs Festival marks the passing of the esteemed composer and conductor Ronald Corp OBE. His significant contri

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Reposted by Rochester Choral Society

Imperial College Chamber Choir @icchamberchoir.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Woah-oh we're halfway there! A massive thank you from ICCC to everyone who has donated so far; we really appreciate your support. We'd be so grateful if you could consider contributing to and sharing our fundraiser to help bring our 'Home'-themed CD to life! www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/iccc-new-c...

crowdfunder.co.uk

Imperial College Chamber Choir CD Recording

We are raising funds to record our second CD. We plan to make an exciting new album on the theme of “Home”, with Convivium Records

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 04/05/2025

We're delighted to be performing a famous work by a former musical director of RCS in our Summer Concert: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's The Song of Hiawatha. Also works by Parry and James Taylor. St George's Centre, Chatham, Sat July 12th 6pm. Tickets & more: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

Idyllic scene of stream with white foam over protruding rocks by lush green trees.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

A huge thanks to everyone who made our Spring Concert such a stunning success: from soloists to front-of-house staff, and from our organist Robbie Carroll to Director of Music Adrian Bawtree. And to you if you were in the audience or the choir stalls! Next concert for your diary: July 12th.

Rochester Sinfonietta in rehearsal in Rochester Cathedral.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 30/03/2025

We were delighted to welcome the Mayor of Medway, Councillor Marian Nestorov and the Lady Mayoress Liubov Nestorov to our Spring Concert last night. They're pictured here flanking our wonderful Director of Music who delivered such a stirring event, Adrian Bawtree.

Photo of the mayor with his gold chain of office standing in Rochester Cathedral alongside our conductor and, next to him, the mayor's wife.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

We're full of the joys of our Spring Concert Saturday 29th March! Haydn's The Creation can be see in the glorious setting of @rochestercathedral.bsky.social at 6pm. Tickets available from: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

rochesterchoral.co.uk

Tickets & Concerts - Rochester Choral Society

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

Congratulations to (L to R) our Director of Music Adrian Bawtree (organ), Matt Bawtree (electric guitar) and our Assistant Director of Music Robbie Carroll for a really enjoyable evening of music taking us through galaxies far, far away! The journey was inspired by Luke Jerram’s 'Mars: War & Peace'.

Adrian, Matt and Robbie in front of Luke Jerram's 'Mars: War and Peace' on display at Rochester Cathedral.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

We're delighted to confirm prize-winning soprano Charlotte Kennedy to play the joint roles of Archangel Gabriel and Eve in Haydn's major joyous work The Creation. That's on Saturday March 29th in our Spring Concert at Rochester Cathedral at 6.00pm. Tickets and more information at our website.

Colour portrait of Charlotte in a bright (spring-like!) floral dress.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

We have great pleasure in confirming talented London-Irish tenor Hugo Brady for the part of Archangel Uriel in Haydn's The Creation. That's in our Spring Concert at Rochester Cathedral on Saturday March 29th at 6.00pm. Tickets and more details here: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

Colour head-and-shoulders portrait of Hugo looking into camera.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

We're delighted to confirm prize-winning Scottish baritone Daniel Barrett for our Spring Concert on Saturday March 29th. He'll be taking on the roles of Archangel Gabriel and Adam in Haydn's The Creation at Rochester Cathedral at 6.00pm on that day. There's more on our Facebook page and our website.

Monochrome portrait of a smiling Daniel in a dark polo neck top.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

Do follow us on Facebook. Additional details of our Spring Concert on March 29th at Rochester Cathedral can be found here: www.facebook.com/events/11494...

Screen grab of the Facebook event for the Spring Concert on March 29th 2025 at Rochester Cathedral at 6.00pm. Post includes a photo of the choir in concert dress at the cathedral.

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 26/01/2025

We're delighted that we go into 2025 with the very talented Robbie Carroll as our new Assistant Director of Music. He's also ADM and sub organist at Rochester Cathedral, accomplished at the keys as well as in directing singers. From Ireland originally, he's a real people person with great wit!

Formal colour portrait of Robbie in suit and tie looking into the camera.

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maryburslem.bsky.social @maryburslem.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Tickets are available here: www.rochesterchoral.co.uk/tickets-conc...

rochesterchoral.co.uk

Tickets & Concerts - Rochester Choral Society

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Rochester Choral Society @rochesterchoral.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

Welcome to Rochester Choral Society (RCS) on Bluesky! Please save the date for our Spring Concert: Saturday March 29th - 6pm at Rochester Cathedral. Haydn: The Creation - conducted by Adrian Bawtree with the Rochester Sinfonietta. Tickets £20.00, £16.00, £15.00 – students & children: £1.00.

Colourful Eve (left) & Adam artwork with the serpent wound on a tree between them - by Jacqui Parkinson

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Colin Howey @colinhowey.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

Rochester Cathedral viewed from the battlements of the castle

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Helen McCarthy @glider.bsky.social · 23/12/2024

clouds behind the old cathedral pure drama and no performance ever repeated #tanka #poetry #Rochester Photo: my own, Rochester Cathedral from the London-bound platform at Rochester station

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Hannah Valerie @eckerusla.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

@rochestercathedral.bsky.social was founded in 604, making it the second-oldest of England's cathedrals. My visit in June 2022 featured sunshine, Luke Jerram's 'Gaia' and, (thanks to the lovely @canongordon.bsky.social), out-of-hours access and a mini tour! #AdventCathedralling #CofE

Portrait view of yellow roses in
front of the tower at Rochester
Cathedral on a sunny day

Portrait view of Luke Jerram's
"Gaia" installation (giant
inflatable earth, suspended
from the ceiling) at Rochester
Cathedral, facing eastwards
with stone statues and steps
towards the quire behind

Portrait: elaborate stone doorway, c. 1340, with a wooden door below open, showing a glimpse of the cathedral's Chapter Library inside

Unusually well-preserved 13th
century "Wheel of Fortune" wall
painting at Rochester Cathedral

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