KEITH ORRELL
CONDUCTOR

Choral performance has been at the centre of Keith’s musical work for well over forty years. His repertoire and experience in many genres are extensive. Here is a general overview:

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Conductor of pieces for choir and historical instruments, including Bach’s B minor Mass, Magnificat, St Matthew & St John Passions, & works by Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel, Vivaldi, up to and including classical works by Mozart and Haydn in this specialist field.

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Conductor of major choral works for choir and professional orchestras, including symphony orchestras, such as Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Verdi Requiem and Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony and Dona Nobis Pacem.

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Chorus Master for a wide variety of works for large choir, such as Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms, Messiaen’s François d’Assise, Tippett’s Mask of Time, every note of Mahler’s choral output, as well of other ‘standards’ in this field such as Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast and Beethoven’s Choral Symphony.

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Conductor of hundreds of unaccompanied and accompanied chamber choir works from Byrd to Britten, from Lassus to Lauridsen, or from Tallis to Todd. Projects in recent years include a Byrd and Weelkes 400-year centenary concert with the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble, performances of Todd’s Mass in Blue with three very different types of choir, and a recording of Welsh hymns with the Liverpool Welsh Choral.

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Keith, through his music education background, is also tuned in to training and leading a wide variety of choral music for young people, from music for junior choirs and youth choirs, to pop and rock arrangements for wider outreach.

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In the field of church music for use in worship, Keith directs a wide variety of anthems & mass settings in various styles.