A WEEK-LONG festival of high quality classical music is coming to Tavistock next week.

Chamber choir The Exon Singers will be in town from Wednesday, July 30 until Sunday, August 3, with concerts and recitals in St Eustachius’ Church and nearby Buckland Abbey.

Artistic director Joseph Judge has put together the festival alongside accompanist, organist Neil Taylor.

Joseph said: “Essentially the chamber choir that hosts the festival, but we also involve guests and this year we have the Haldon Quartet, which is a Devon-based string quartet. They will be performing by themselves, but also collaborating with the choir.”

Some of the performances are accompanied by organ, piano or strings while others are a capella, seeing the unaccompanied voices of the choir roll back the centuries in the evocative surroundings of the medieval parish church.

There is also a recital of organ music by Neil Taylor in the church on the Friday lunchtime.

“We have a mixture, which is a selling point of the festival,” said Joseph. “I would like to think there is something for everyone, even people who may not usually attend classical concerts.

“The concert we do on the Wednesday night, the opening night, is a more popular programme. This opens with ‘I was Glad’ by Charles Parry which even if people don’t know the name, they will recognise. It has been performed at every coronation service since 1911.”

This concert, which begins at 7.30pm, also includes: Joanna Marsh Thou hast searched me and known me; Simon Preston Alleluyas; Eriks Ešenvalds Magnificat; Edward Bairstow Blessed City, Heavenly Salem; Edward Elgar The Spirit of the Lord; Amy Summers Nunc dimittis; Louis Vierne Adagio (Symphonie III); snf Gerald Finzi Lo, the Full Final Sacrifice.

Something more unusual will be offered on the Thursday night with ‘Despite the Snow’, starting at 7.30pm in the parish church.

This hour-long recital for choir and piano begins in the grip of winter with Franci’s Poulenc’s ‘Un soir de neige’ – a snowy evening, which is an a cappella chamber cantata for six voices, which Joseph describes as “dark and descriptive”.

This programme also features Eriks Ešenvalds’ Stars, “which is just gorgeous”, and sees the choir playing on wine glasses filled to various depths to add a wind chime-like sound.

Then on the Friday, the choir will give a free more informal lunchtime performance in The Great Barn at Buckland Abbey at 1pm of ‘Sun, Moon, Sea and Stars’, a programme of 20th and 21st century works.

There is also a chance for local singers to accompany the choir in its finale, the Saturday night concert.

To prepare for this, there is a choral workshop on the Friday evening, August 1 from 6.30-8.30pm in the parish church, which will see Joseph Judge with Neil Taylor on the church organ, will prepare Edward Elgar’s The Spirit of the Lord and Oliver Tarney’s contemporary setting, inspired by the former.

The Saturday evening concert in St Eustachius’ Church sees the Exon Singers, Haldon Quartet, Neil Taylor and the Exon Festival Quartet come together in a programme includes Ola Gjeilo’s Dark Night of the Soul.

Joseph stressed that while church music underpins the festival, the musical appeal is much wider than that, extending from Renaissance music through to modern times.

Joseph added: “My connection to the festival started as a singer. I was attracted to it by the variety of the music, it doesn’t stick to one genre. Similarly, some members of the choir have been singing with the group for decades, whereas others are young professionals beginning their career in the classical music world – it’s a wonderful mix!”

He said the support of the community of Tavistock is crucial to the festival’s success.

“This is important to mention, because we are grateful for their support and it is also what makes the festival for the choir as well. They travel from around the country and are treated to such a welcome as well as bed and breakfast and indeed many of the hosts come to the concerts as well, so there is a real community feel to the week and we are so grateful to all the hosts.”

Joseph and accompanist Neil Taylor work together on the musical direction of the choir.

“Neil is a conductor and organist and a superb musician. He will be playing his own organ recital as well as accompanying us on organ and piano. We’ve known each for more than a decade.”

The programme strives to provide both meltingly beautiful choral tradition and more modern musical surprises.

“I hope it is of interest to people,” said Joseph. “I feel that the audience will experience something they weren’t expecting and will really enjoy it.”

The festival is always looking for business sponsors in the Tavistock area. You can find out more by emailing Exon Singers secretary Graham Wood at [email protected].

See the full programme at www.exonsingers.org.uk/festival