News Archive

We’re very pleased that we’ve been able to put on concerts this year. The pandemic took hold just before our first concert in 2020 and that meant that we had no public performances at all for 18 months. We managed to get together to produce some video recordings for Christmas 2020 but it was very different to what we’re used to.

With that in mind, performing three times in the latter half of this year has been a joy. The two most recent performances were in the Cardiff Oratory Church and the earlier was at St. Martin’s, Roath during the summer. The total raised at these three concerts was £4,020 and that’s thanks to you, our fantastic supporters!

Our grand total since the choir’s first concert in March 2013 now stands at £52,440 from 43 events. Most importantly, this money has been given to 58 different charities and good causes.

We wish you and your loved ones a very merry Christmas and we hope to see you at one of our concerts in the New Year - the first of which is planned for the 5th March in Llandaff Cathedral, save the date! Here’s ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’, recorded at our recent concert in the Cardiff Oratory Church - 15/12/21

Thank you to all who came to our concert at the Cardiff Oratory on Saturday 23rd October. Together with our special guests, The Daffodil Ensemble, we went on a musical tour of Europe. It was a very special occasion and £1200 was raised for two charities - which brings our fundrasing total over 8 years to the £50,000 mark. In 42 concerts 58 charities have received funding from Caritas - congratulations and thanks to everyone involved! 

While overseas travel may be difficult these days, for one afternoon you can join Caritas on a journey around Europe through a collection of beautiful choral music. Together we shall go to Estonia with Arvo Pärt, Germany with the great George Frederic Handel, Spain with Alonso Lobo, and further. For this special expedition we will be bringing along our extra special guests, The Daffodil String Ensemble, with whom we are thrilled to be in collaboration in the impressive Credo by the Italian composer Antonio Lotti and the stunning Let the bright seraphim by Handel. All money raised will support some excellent charities - more information on this will follow soon.

As a taster for the concert, here is the final section of Arvo Pärt’s beautiful work ’The Deer’s Cry’ which we are looking forward to performing in full; we recorded this extract at the final rehearsal just before our March 2020 concert in St Martin’s Roath which had to be cancelled at short notice due to the first lockdown.

We very much hope to see you on 23rd October!

Saturday 23 October 2021, 2.30 p.m. 
Tickets: £12 or £15 with a raffle ticket
The Cardiff Oratory - St Alban on the Moors, Swinton Street, Cardiff, CF24 2NT

Thank you SO much to those who attended our concert on 30 June. For our first concert since December 2019, it was wonderful to be back singing again to a full audience. It was a very special occasion, without doubt, and we were delighted to raise £1,300 for the charity Llamau (www.llamau.org.uk) which helps vulnerable people across Wales to gain the skills to live independent and purposeful lives in their communities. 

We’re very grateful to so many people for their help with this concert, including Father Irving, Tim Hill and Andrew Williams of St Martin’s; Natasha and Elinor from Llamau and, of course, every single choir member, as well as David our organist. 

For those who were unable to join us, please enjoy this recording of Byrd's 'Ne irascaris Domine' which we recorded during one of our rehearsals for the concert in St Martin's Church. To hear about our upcoming concerts, sign up for our email list on our Contact page.

We are so pleased to be holding our first concert since December 2019 in the superb setting and acoustic of St Martin Roath. It will include some fabulous works by William Byrd, Sir Edward Elgar and Arvo Pärt as well as many others. We are aiming to raise £1,000 to support the charity Llamau (www.llamau.org.uk) which helps vulnerable people across Wales to gain the skills to live independent and purposeful lives in their communities.

As usual, we will be holding a raffle during the concert for which you can buy tickets in advance, together with your concert tickets. To uphold covid-19 regulations, we won't be selling raffle tickets on the night. The concert will last approximately 75 minutes without an interval. 

Wednesday 30 June 2021
7.45 p.m. - 9.00 p.m.
Tickets: £12 or £15 with a raffle ticket
St Martin's Church, Roath, Cardiff, CF24 3RP

It is a pleasure to bring to you this performance of Schubert’s wonderful song ‘An die Musik’ (‘To music’) performed by Caritasian Peter Wagstaff (tenor) and Christopher Jones (piano). 

Peter has been an integral and invaluable member of the tenor section of Caritas since our inaugural concert in March 2013; in this video he reflects on his time in the choir, and also brings us up to date in respect of his life and work in Bristol where he has been based for the last few years. 

We’re delighted to bring you our first Caritas video recording of 2021, the great hymn ‘How shall I sing that majesty’ set to the wonderful tune ‘Coe Fen’.

The author of the text is John Mason a 17th century author, and the tune was composed by Ken Naylor. Naylor was Director of Music at The Leys School in Cambridge which is situated very close to Coe Fen, a small fen on the outskirts of Cambridge. In addition to writing the tune, Naylor also composed the superb descant which is featured here in verse 3. Paul Rothwell, one of our regular tenors in Caritas - and our ‘recording engineer’ for these videos - chose this hymn for his wedding two years ago when some Caritasians sang in the choir for the occasion.

This recording comes from St Martin’s Church in Roath where Caritas is currently rehearsing and recording; as you will hear, there is a superb acoustic and fine organ. For our first session back, we involved 10 singers (a slightly smaller group than our usual 15 or so) plus David Butler who plays the organ in this recording. We hope that you enjoy this recording and look forward to sending out more as the term progresses!

Stephen Power’s first performance with Caritas was at our five year anniversary concert in Saint German’s, Cardiff in April 2018. Since then he has been a regular countertenor at our concerts. Join Paul as he learns about how Stephen’s musical career began and his current work at Brecon Cathedral.

To see more interviews with members of the choir, head over to the "Our Story" page. 

A very happy Easter to all Friends of Caritas!

Our final offering in this four-day period is the hymn ‘Jesu, lover of my soul’, set to the wonderful tune ‘Aberystwyth’, written by the Welsh composer, Joseph Parry.  

Although this is not an Easter hymn as such, the optimism of the final verse which follows the haunting, Lenten darkness of the first two verses seems to make it a very appropriate offering; I hope that you will agree on hearing it!  The full text of the three verses is below.

Jesus, lover of my soul,
Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the nearer waters roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
Oh, receive my soul at last.

Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on Thee is stayed,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenseless head
With the shadow of Thy wing.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cover all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart;
Rise to all eternity.

The final verse includes a descant which I wrote for the Caritas concert in St Augustine’s church, Penarth, in 2014, the place where Joseph Parry is buried and the venue for the CD recordings from which this performance comes. If you haven’t yet bought our CD ‘A Choral Celebration’ and would like a copy, please go to 'Our CD' page and use the form to order it from us. The cost is £12 including packaging and postage; all proceeds go to one of the charities which we support. 

Click here to listen on Spotify.

Over the next few days leading up to Easter Sunday we are offering to you a Caritas recording on each day. For Easter Saturday we have chosen an attractive arrangement by David Blackwell of the spiritual Steal Away. This arrangement, for SSAATBB, includes a prominent solo for soprano, sung here by Susan Welch; you will also hear David Butler (baritone) in a couple of dramatic phrases during the central section. 

The setting begins and ends in a very gentle style using upper voices only. You may like to note the particularly effective setting of the  text ’the trumpet sounds within-a my soul’ which takes the sopranos to a high B.

Click here to listen on Spotify.

Over the next few days leading up to Easter Sunday we are offering to you a Caritas recording on each day. For Good Friday we are bringing to you a beautiful motet entitled Caligaverunt oculi mei by the outstanding Spanish 16th century composer, Tomás Luis de Victoria. This motet features on our CD and includes an exquisite piece of writing for a quartet of voices sung here by Helen Pugsley (soprano), Alice Burrows (alto), Paul Rothwell (tenor) and David Butler (baritone). 

Here is an English translation of the Latin text: 
My eyes are darkened by my tears:
For he is far from me that comforted me:
See, O all ye people,
if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.
O all ye that pass by, behold and see
if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow.

Click here to listen on Soundcloud.
Click here to listen on Spotify.