Welcome to our TV Channel
About Hertfordshire Chorus TV
We asked ourselves what we could do in lockdown for our audiences at a time when we cannot rehearse and perform. There are many excellent virtual choirs and virtual performances but rather than add to these we thought we would do something a little different.
Hertfordshire Chorus (Lockdown) TV is a series of short conversations with performers and composers who have fascinating stories to tell. Interwoven with clips from past recordings and photos, we are sure you will find something to enjoy here.
Episode 1: David Temple in conversation with Robin Seaman
In the first of this series of lockdown films, David Temple, Musical Director of Hertfordshire Chorus, talks with Robin Seaman. This is a poignant journey into Robin’s time with Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears, Janet Baker and others. Robin started choral life as a boy treble with London Boys Singers and Finchley Children’s Music Group in the early 1960s, and in this interview talks about touring the USSR as Miles in Turn of the Screw, singing in the London premiere of War Requiem and spending several summers in Aldeburgh.
Episode 2: David Temple in conversation with Ashley Riches
In the second of this series of films, David Temple, Musical Director of Hertfordshire Chorus, is in conversation with Ashley Riches who is one of Britain’s finest young bass-baritones. Hertfordshire Chorus was fortunate to work with Ashley from the start of his professional life and he has sung with us on many occasions since. He talks about the development of his singing career from a ten year old boy chorister to becoming an internationally renowned opera performer and recitalist. The conversation takes us through his early musical influences, including singing with Stephen Cleobury at Kings College. He also talks about his more recent experiences and exciting plans for the future.
Episode 3: David Temple in conversation with Shruthi Rajasekar
Shruthi Rajasekar is a young, talented Indian-American performer and composer whose family originates from South India. A disciple of her mother, internationally renowned Carnatic musician Nirmala Rajasekar, Shruthi comes from a background steeped in Carnatic music as well as having studied Western music from an early age. In this episode she talks to David Temple about her musical background and influences, and explores the intersections between Indian and Western classical music. Hertfordshire Chorus has commissioned her to create a new work Sarojini about activist, politician and poet Sarojini Naidu to be performed in 2022, the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. Read more about Sarojini
Episode 4: David Temple in conversation with Wayne Marshall
In this absorbing conversation, organist, pianist and conductor Wayne Marshall talks to David Temple about his roots in Oldham, his musical family and his career, from the early days at church and music college to becoming the acclaimed conductor, organist and pianist he is today.
Wayne conducted Hertfordshire Chorus in Porgy and Bess in Wroclaw, Poland in 2019 and he recently accepted our invitation to become our first Honorary Music Patron.