Birmingham Bach Choir conductor celebrates anniversary in style

One of the largest chamber choirs in the country is warming up to celebrate its leader's 25th anniversary at the helm in style.

Musical director Paul Spicer has been at the helm for 25 years

Internationally renowned conductor Paul Spicer celebrates a quarter of a century leading Birmingham Bach Choir with a special anniversary concert on November 30 at Birmingham Town Hall.

Fittingly, for a choir named in honour of Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach, Paul has chosen Bach's masterful Mass In B Minor for the performance.

"Bach's B minor Mass is quite simply one of the greatest creations of the human mind," he said ahead of the concert. "It has been central to my musical career ever since Birmingham Bach Choir's previous musical director, Richard Butt, brought back a full score of the work from Leipzig as a gift for me back in 1988.

“Since then I have conducted the work many times, a lot of those with Birmingham Bach Choir. There is a whole world of experience and emotion in this Mass.

"As I have said before, I feel that Bach is the only universal composer."

Completed in 1749, a year before JS Bach's death, Mass In B minor (BWV 232) revisits previously composed passages and was only performed publicly, in full, a century later.

Since becoming Birmingham Bach Choir's musical director in 1992, Paul has extended their repertoire to cover both contemporary and centuries old, lesser-known works alongside more popular, well-known choral pieces.

Highlights include The Deciduous Cross, a work based on five poems by RS Thomas commissioned for Paul's 10th anniversary as conductor; the much acclaimed recording of Easter Oratorio; and the world premiere of Unfinished Remembering, a major choral symphony commemorating the centenary of the first World War. It was performed at the second city's Symphony Hall in 2014.

For the 25th anniversary concert, Birmingham Bach Choir are joined by the London Baroque Sinfonia, with Sarah Fox (soprano), James Laing (countertenor), Robert Murray (tenor) and Ashley Riches (bass) lending their voices to the ensemble.

Tickets for the choral spectacular start from £12.50 and range up to £25. The concert will begin at 7.30pm. Tickets can be purchased via www.birmingham.bachchoir.com