Exeter Philharmonic Choir: Carmina Burana

Exeter Philharmonic Choir open their 180th season at the University of Exeter Great Hall on Saturday 21 November, with Carl Orff's Carmina Burana as the main event. It's a big night for the choir, marking nearly two centuries of choral music in the city, and they're celebrating by bringing in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra to provide the orchestral weight Carmina Burana needs.

That's not the only thing on the bill. The evening opens with Aaron Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man, followed by Patrick Hawes' Quanta Qualia, and Sir Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. Carmina Burana takes the final slot, and it's the one most people will recognise — the opening chorus, 'O Fortuna', is one of the most famous pieces of choral music from the twentieth century.

What makes this one a bit different from a standard concert is who's on stage. Alongside the choir and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, there are young instrumentalists from across Devon, the Devon County Junior Choir, and children from Bovey Tracey Academy. It's a multi-generational line-up, with the professional orchestra and the main choir sharing the stage with local young musicians.

On the singing front, the choir is joined by soprano Rebecca Hardwick, tenor Andrew Henley, and baritone James Geidt, with Howard Ionascu conducting. The whole thing kicks off at 18:30 at the Great Hall on Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4PY. Tickets are £30 and £20, and children, students, and those on Income Support or Universal Credit get half price.