THE English Symphony Orchestra and Academia Musica, the Scholars’ Choir of Hereford Sixth Form College will be performing the Mozart Requiem in Hereford Cathedral on Friday, February 27 and again in St. John’s Smith Square London on Friday, April 24. This builds on previous collaborative work with the ESO which resulted in a joint concert with college musicians to launch the Herefordshire Music Fund in which the choir performed a world premiere of Song of the Millennials by Helena Cavan, and the distinguished violinist Michael Bochmann played The Lark Ascending with a combined orchestra of college students and professionals.

Sixth Form College principal Jonathan Godfrey said, “This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to perform with a top professional orchestra and the distinguished conductor, Kenneth Woods, who has worked with many orchestras of international renown including the Royal Philharmonic.”

Kenneth Woods said “I had heard of the fantastic standards achieved by Academia Musica under their director Aryan Arji from Michael Bochmann, leader of the ESO, and was very impressed by their CDs. I am delighted to be working with such an outstanding chorus”.

The choral programme at Hereford Sixth Form College is based on the models adopted at Oxford and Cambridge colleges, providing rigorous choral instruction to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

Aryan Arji, Director of Music of Academia Musica added: “Kenneth Woods was described by the Washington Post as a ‘true star’ of the podium. It is a privilege for our students to be able to work with him”.

Tickets for the Hereford Cathedral Concert are available from the box office at The Courtyard on 01432 340555. Tickets for the London concert are available from (0) 20 7222 1061 or email boxoffice@sjss.org.uk