Article published in Manchester Evening News 9 October 2015

MANCHESTER boasts a large number of top-notch chamber choirs. One that may not be familiar – unless you live in Bolton – is the Brixi Singers.

They’re performing, with orchestra, at Christ Church West Didsbury on October 17: the programme includes Mozart’s Requiem plus his Ave Verum Corpus and Regina Coeli, Monteverdi’s Beatus Vir, and the recently written O Salutaris Hostia by Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenwalds.

The Brixis began just over 20 years ago, and Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral assistant director of music and organist Richard Lea is their musical director.

So what’s with the funny name? The first piece they ever sang was by 17^th century Czech composer Brixi, and the name stuck. The choir puts on its own concerts each year, but has also toured in the UK, France, Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic.

“We’re restricted by our constitution to a maximum of 25 voices,” says choir secretary Patricia Zukowskyj, “and entry is by private audition. At present we are over-subscribed in the higher voices, but could take on three more men.

“Our concert-giving is restricted by school holidays, as several members are in teaching, but we’re quite an eclectic mix. We rehearse every Sunday in term time in Harwood.

“On of the reasons I first joined is that it’s very hard work. Richard Lea’s standards are high, and rehearsals last two hours without a break. I used to find it difficult to switch off from thinking about my job, but when you’re in rehearsal with Richard you can’t focus on anything else but the music.

“I used to sing in another choir, but that felt like having a Mini – and this feels like being in a Porsche!”

Richard Lea says he appreciates the individuality of voices in the choir: “And we’re drawing on our own members for the soloists in the Mozart Requiem – but they all pull together as well. They’re very alert and easy to mould.”

The orchestra for the Didsbury concert will be about 20-strong, drawn from Bolton’s best. The Ešenwalds piece is not only new to most listeners but new to the Brixi Singers, too.

Richard Lea says: “I first heard it about a year ago on YouTube, and I thought then I must have this for the choir.”

“It’s immensely beautiful,” says Patricia Zukowskyj. “There is a base of harmony over which two soprano voices float like angels. I think people will love it.”