The Royal Free Singers choir in Windsor, conducted by Benedict Gunner

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Reviews taken from the Windsor, Slough and Eton Observer and the Windsor Express:

Mozart Grand Mass in C Minor, Eton College Hall"The concert's main choral presentation...... is such a beautiful composition and, as it appeared, so well suited to the fine attributes of this most happy choir....If anything, it was worthwhile supporting this concert just to appreciate this magnificent choral work alone. Such was the quality of the choir's contribution and that of their four guest soloists."
Mozart's Grand Mass in C Minor
Eton College School Hall - Saturday 2 April 2005


"Spine Tingling, harrowing and radiant!

Every performance is different, as Windsor's Royal Free Singers possibly found out during their recent 10-day tour of Portugal when they sang this Requiem on four occasions, all to great acclaim..... With a spine-tingling Sanctus, its whispered In Paradisum and so many more sensitive highlights, in parts it was an extremely moving presentation.

Rare indeed are the occasions when we have an opportunity to appreciate a contemporary choral work, especially when it is conducted by its composer creator.

A well composed prayer and blessing for peace it may well be, but one with a considerable impact especially with the terrifying ferocity generated during its second movement An Army Marches Into War, set to words of the composer. The church was just not large enough to contain this harrowing experience, and the movement which followed, Light Look Down, was so unbearably emotional - a moment of full of poppy throws and quiet tears showering like confetti from the sky ........just a few of its many sublime highlights."
Faure's Requiem and Jonathan Willcocks's Lux Perpetua
Windsor Parish Church - Saturday 12 June 2004

Carmina Burana, Eton College Hall"Courageous Commitment

Robert Roscoe and Benedict Gunner, the conductors of the Windsor and Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Free Singers of Windsor, have one huge attribute in common - courageous commitment when selecting their programmes.

This radiates from every one of their concerts, no matter what they are performing, and is what makes their presentations so enjoyable.

During their individual seasons we are always guaranteed a high quality musical evening. But last Saturday, in Eton College School Hall, we were well and truly spoilt when this orchestra and choir came together to give a joint performance, under the direction of Benedict Gunner, of one of the most popular 20th century masterpieces like no other, Carl Orff's unique Medieval flavoured theatrical showpiece Carmina Burana.

And what a full-bloodied performance it was given by this choir and orchestra, radiantly enhanced by the contribution of a 40 strong choir from Trevelyan School, Windsor, together with their conductor Simon King.

Also three soloists, soprano Anya Szreter, counter-tenor Stephen Wallace and baritone William Berger, could not have been better chosen to participate in this choral extravaganza. Everyone was absolutely superb.

It was certainly no surprise that the school hall was packed to its limit. As I have said before, there should never be an empty seat whenever this most excellent choir and orchestra are performing."
Carmina Burana
Eton College School Hall - Saturday 13 March 2004


"The Royal Free Singers continued to celebrate their 30th anniversary with another major concert in Windsor Parish Church last Saturday.

Accompanied by the London College's Orchestra, ..... the singers programme included a passionately vibrant piece by the young Handel, his Dixit Dominus, composed in Italy when he was just 22.

With five very talented soloists adding to an exuberant performance, the work was sung with pace and passion along with Vivaldi's much loved Gloria"
Vivaldi Gloria and Handel Dixit Dominus
Windsor Parish Church - Saturday 29 November 2003

30th Anniversary Concert with the Black Dyke Band"For this extremely popular local choir, last Saturday was one of those memorable golden occasions full to the brim with wonderful music, superb virtuosity, hilarity and surprises galore.

This most happy concert overflowed with enjoyment.

Those choir members sitting closest to the band must have thought they were sitting on the wings of a jumbo jet taking off on full throttle! Now that is what I call excitement.

But the choir, too, totally overwhelmed their audience with no-holds barred performances of Handel's "Zadok the Priest", the "Hallelujah Chorus" and so many more popular choral gems.

And everyone was spoilt even more with soprano Susan Piggott's accomplished performance of Handel's "Let the Bright Seraphim", accompanied by Roger Webster on trumpet and John Padley on organ."
30th Anniversary Concert with Black Dyke Band
Windsor Parsh Church - 14 June 2003


"Singers' Crowning Glory
......oratorio challenges rarely come any bigger than this one.

But while its demands are enormous I have never known this choir to fight shy of a challenge, no matter how difficult, although I feel this one tested their abilities at times.

I would certainly have come as a surprise if any member, apart from being exhausted, actually had any voice left after fully rehearsing and performing this powerful work on the same day.

But courage, conviction and commitment this choir has in abundance, and with flying colours delivered a spectacular performance in every respect."
Elgar's The Kingdom
Eton College School Hall - Saturday 29 March 2003


"Whenever the Royal Free Singers of Windsor perform a major choral work of JS Bach you are always guaranteed an evening of rich and heartfelt singing and, as on so many occasions since their formation, a presentation just breathtakingly beautiful. Could the music of this magnificent 'Grand Master' be anything other than totally glorious - just as it was in every way last Saturday in Windsor Parish Church. It came as no surprise that this most welcome local performance attract a capacity audience which packed the parish church to its limit. ....a performance also highlighted by a jubilant contribution of this choir throughout its many choruses full of strings, woodwind, horns, trumpets, organ and drums. Each one was a joy to the ear. But even more impressive were its important nine radiant chorales performed so well by this choir singing at is very best. The finest of Christmas musical gifts certainly arrived early this year."
Christmas Oratorio - J S Bach
Windsor Parish Church - Saturday 23 November 2002


"I was delighted to find that one of the substantial items performed was John Rutter's "Requiem".....and his equally radiant and hugely jubilant "Gloria".

Their enthusiastic high quality presentation could not have been more enjoyable, as was their equally ambitious performance of Jonathan Willcocks' quite stunning "Magnificat".
Summer Concert with Brass and Organ
Windsor Parish Church - Saturday 22 June 2002


"For any choir these vespers are a major challenge of the most colossal difficulty in every way. They may well have been performed a countless number of times during the last 400 years but, in the hands of the unwary, this Monteverdi masterpiece can so easily, at times, appear interminable. But, as the large audience came to appreciate, this local amateur choir has grown to such a fine quality, few indeed are the choral works beyond their capabilities. On this memorable evening its many Psalms and Motets highlighted the care and attention taken by all concerned in their presentation."
Monteverd's Vespro della Beata Vergine, Windsor Parish Church, November 2001

The Royal Free Singers"... under their superb Conductor Benedict Gunner, [The Royal Free Singers] surely occupy a pride of place in the Borough and are worthy of every possible support"
Windsor Parish Church, December 1998

"[The Royal Free Singers] celebrated their 25th anniversary in the finest possible way with a magnificent presentation of Verdi's Requiem - this was a performance to treasure."
Windsor Festival, St. George's Chapel, September 1998

"The Durufle Requiem was beautiful. It is a difficult piece and is sometimes suing lifelessly, but this performance was full-blooded, immediate and full of life ... the tenors and basses made a glorious sound in Hosanna in Excelsis, the occasional unison singing was electric and the Dias Irae was terrifying."
Windsor Parish Church, May 1998

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