Given the title ‘Choral Symphony’ by Rachmaninov, The Bells is a setting of a Russian translation of a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. Bell sounds held a lifelong intense spiritual and cultural significance for Rachmaninov, along with his other obsession, liturgical chanting – in particular, the Dies Irae. Here, the four movements follow the course of life from birth to death, the bells being associated with a sleigh ride, a wedding, alarm calls and a funeral.
From its premiere, Rachmaninov’s 2nd Symphony was, and remains, a triumphant and popular success. Full of glorious melodies and colourful orchestration, the mood ranges from savage and terrifying to romantic and sensual. Bells again feature in the jubilant ending.
Bath Bach Choir is a spirited group of some 90 musicians which gave its first performance in 1947 and continues to be a thriving and friendly group.
For some 33 years, the choir benefited from the inspirational and passionate style of Nigel Perrin, our much-loved Musical Director whose death in June 2024 we were very sad to announce. From January 2023 we welcomed Benedict Collins Rice who is proving to be outstanding in the role as he leads the choir into a new and exciting chapter of its history.
The Choir’s performances embrace a broad repertoire from Bach, Handel and Tchaikovsky to Macmillan, Todd and Pehkonen, the latter three all present to hear their works performed. Members frequently travel together to sing in foreign venues (including Bath’s twin cities), run an annual workshop and enjoy focused, fun rehearsals as well as social gatherings.
Musical Director Benedict Collins Rice
Accompanist Marcus Sealy
We are delighted to welcome our three soloists for this concert, soprano Siân Dicker, tenor Paul Curievici, and bass-baritone Paul Carey Jones.
‘Oozing characterful expression’ with ‘ample tones, gorgeously rich in the middle’ (Opera Today), soprano Siân Dicker is in demand for her rich, full-bodied voice and dramatic flair. A regular on the competition platform, Siân won first prize at the inaugural Hurn Court Opera singing competition. She went on to win the Singers Prize in the 2020 Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition as well as the Oxford International Song Festival Young Artist Platform. Siân is a City Music Foundation Artist, a 2021/22 Britten Pears Young Artist and was listed in BBC Music Magazine’s ‘Rising Stars’ feature in February 2023. She was delighted to be awarded the Simon Sandbach Award by Garsington Opera for her contribution to their 2023 season and was awarded the 2023 Emmy Destinn Czech Song Prize.
Siân’s recent roles include Liza Queen of Spades (Garsington Opera, cover), Mirandolina La Locandiera (Bampton Classical Opera), Miss Jessel The Turn of the Screw (Waterperry Opera Festival), First Lady The Magic Flute (English National Opera, Cover), Mařenka The Bartered Bride (Garsington Opera, OperaFirst), Flaminia Fool Moon (Bampton Classical Opera), Contessa Le nozze di Figaro (Opera Holland Park Young Artist Production), Amaranta La fedeltà premiata (Guildhall Opera), Venus Venus and Adonis (Guildhall Opera), Erste Dame Die Zauberflöte (Hurn Court Opera) and most recently Fatima Zemire & Azor (Bampton Classical Opera). Siân worked with the Royal Ballet and Opera on Lost and Found; a project of newly commissioned operas premiered in St Pancras Station in 2022 and subsequently joined RBO for a performance of new operas at the 2023 Wilderness Festival in Oxfordshire.
Siân enjoys regular song recitals with duo partner, Krystal Tunnicliffe. The duo are delighted to have been joined by Saki Kato (guitar) to release their debut disc; William Walton – Complete Song Collection with Delphian Records in October 2024. Recent recital engagements include the International Lied Festival Zeist, Life Victoria Barcelona, Aldeburgh Festival, Ryedale Festival, Oxford International Song Festival, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Ludlow English Song Weekend and BBC Radio 3’s In Tune. Siân is proud to be President for Wiltshire-based community music charity, Wiltshire Rural Music.
For further information, please visit www.siandicker.com
Welsh-Irish bass-baritone Paul Carey Jones has appeared as a principal guest artist for opera companies across the UK and Europe. He was winner of the 2013 Wagner Society Singing Competition, and was recently elected an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of his contribution to the classical music industry.
His operatic work includes appearances for the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opéra National de Paris, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Northern Ireland Opera, Teatro Comunale Bolzano, Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Gothenburg Opera, Opera Holland Park, and the Icelandic Opera. He has appeared extensively as Wotan in Wagner’s Ring cycle, most notably for Longborough Festival Opera, where Opera Now magazine recently described him as “one of the finest Wotans of our time”.
His extensive discography includes three solo song albums, Enaid – Songs of the Soul with Llyr Williams, Songs Now with Ian Ryan, and Song Lied Cân with Katharine Dain and Jocelyn Freeman, the title role in Arwel Hughes’ Dewi Sant and Grace Williams’ Missa Cambrensis, both with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, as well as the original cast recordings of Hedd Wyn 2117 (Stephen McNeff / Gruff Rhys) and Under Milk Wood (John Metcalf / Dylan Thomas).
A committed advocate of contemporary music, he has given premiere performances of operas, symphonies, songs and cycles by composers including Stuart MacRae, John Metcalf, Jonathan Dove, Stephen McNeff, Sadie Harrison, Brian Irvine, Gavin Higgins, Gareth Glyn and Emily Hall. His critically acclaimed first book Giving It Away – Classical Music in Lockdown and other fairytales was published in October 2020 and is on sale from online booksellers worldwide, alongside its sequel which launched in 2025, Things Left Unsung. He currently holds a position as a Doctoral Researcher at the University of Westminster, exploring the potential uses of Artifical Intelligence in vocal healthcare.
Future plans include appearances in Paris and Bilbao, as well as the world premiere of Stephen McNeff and Gruff Rhys’ Hedd Wyn: Eisteddfod Atomig for Welsh National Opera.
For further information, please visit www.paulcareyjones.net