Chester Music Society: Walton's Belshazzar's Feast

The Chester Music Society Choir are performing Walton's Belshazzar's Feast at Chester Cathedral on Saturday 21 November, starting at 7.30pm. It's a big choral work, and the cathedral is a fitting place to hear it.

Belshazzar's Feast is one of William Walton's most famous pieces, a dramatic retelling of the biblical story of the Babylonian king who sees the writing on the wall. It's a work that asks a lot from the voices involved, and the Chester Music Society Choir will be taking it on under the direction of Graham Jordan Ellis. The choir is joined by two soloists: tenor Daniel Joy and baritone Andrew Mayor, who'll handle the solo parts that cut through the choral sound.

If you're not familiar with the piece, it's a vivid, high-energy work that doesn't sit still. It's built around the biblical narrative of the feast, the writing on the wall, and the fall of Babylon, and it's as much about the sound of the choir as it is about the story it's telling. Hearing it in the cathedral, with the choir and the soloists working together, is a good way to experience it.

Tickets are between £15 and £30, and there's free entry for full-time students, under-18s, and essential companions assisting people with disabilities. The concert is on Saturday 21 November at 7.30pm at Chester Cathedral on St Werburgh Street.