Read about past 'News & Reviews'...
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Friday 16th December 2011
Guardian's Angels Christmas Concert with Jon Snow The Guardian staff choir end their year with a Christmas concert in aid of New Horizons, a local charity providing support for vulnerable young people in the Kings Cross area. Celebrity Jon Snow, Chairman of the charity, also made an appearance in the concert, reading a comedy Christmas narration entitled the Chav Nativity. Heather Tomala was the choir's expert accompanist for the show. |
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Wednesday 14th December 2011
Aylesbury Festival Choir sing 'Carols for Everyone'
An annual event for the Aylesbury Festival Choir is the 'Carols for Everyone' concert each Christmas. This year the choir were joined by a Handbell ringing team from Bedgrove Junior School, who were not only a great addition to the spirit of the programme but also an excellent and polished ensemble.
The audience joined in with some of the well known carols, supported by the bright sounds of Caduceus Brass, an impressive local brass quintet.
Here's a report on the concert by Jean Tuer, the choir's Marketing Officer:
There was a real Christmas spirit for this concert much of which was caused by the Festive Faces photography session which was held before the concert.
This annual concert was again held at Aylesbury High School on Wednesday 14th December. Aylesbury Festival Choir, conducted by James Davey led the community singing and contributed three separate items to the programme. Our MC for the evening was Alan Hamilton, a member of AFC, and a very good job he did.
Bedgrove Junior School Choir under the leadership of Becky Sim gave us four very different carols and they delighted us with their enthusiastic singing. The school hand bell ringers led by headmaster Graham Norris, go from strength to strength and they provided an entertaining section of the programme. We were fortunate to have our rehearsal pianist, Thelma King, to accompany many of the carols. Caduceus Brass accom-panied the audience carols as well as performing an amusing solo item based on ‘The Nutcracker Suite’.
- Jean Tuer, Aylesbury Festival Choir
Aylesbury Festival Choir sing 'Carols for Everyone'
An annual event for the Aylesbury Festival Choir is the 'Carols for Everyone' concert each Christmas. This year the choir were joined by a Handbell ringing team from Bedgrove Junior School, who were not only a great addition to the spirit of the programme but also an excellent and polished ensemble.
The audience joined in with some of the well known carols, supported by the bright sounds of Caduceus Brass, an impressive local brass quintet.
Here's a report on the concert by Jean Tuer, the choir's Marketing Officer:
There was a real Christmas spirit for this concert much of which was caused by the Festive Faces photography session which was held before the concert.
This annual concert was again held at Aylesbury High School on Wednesday 14th December. Aylesbury Festival Choir, conducted by James Davey led the community singing and contributed three separate items to the programme. Our MC for the evening was Alan Hamilton, a member of AFC, and a very good job he did.
Bedgrove Junior School Choir under the leadership of Becky Sim gave us four very different carols and they delighted us with their enthusiastic singing. The school hand bell ringers led by headmaster Graham Norris, go from strength to strength and they provided an entertaining section of the programme. We were fortunate to have our rehearsal pianist, Thelma King, to accompany many of the carols. Caduceus Brass accom-panied the audience carols as well as performing an amusing solo item based on ‘The Nutcracker Suite’.
- Jean Tuer, Aylesbury Festival Choir
Monday 12th December 2011
4Tunes and Gleemantle at the MIO Christmas Concert
The two work place choirs from FremantleMedia and Channel 4 TV both performed sets at the Music In Offices Christmas Concert this year, at St Katherine Cree Church, Leadenhall, London. This was Gleemantle's debut public performance, and boosted their confidence enormously.
4Tunes and Gleemantle at the MIO Christmas Concert
The two work place choirs from FremantleMedia and Channel 4 TV both performed sets at the Music In Offices Christmas Concert this year, at St Katherine Cree Church, Leadenhall, London. This was Gleemantle's debut public performance, and boosted their confidence enormously.
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Friday 9th December 2011
Chantage Sing-a-long Christmas Carol Concert
Performing to a full house at St James's Piccadilly, Chantage presented their first self-promoted Carol Concert since creating their Hark! Chantage at Christmas CD in 2008. Below are a couple of Youtube clips from the concert.
Chantage Sing-a-long Christmas Carol Concert
Performing to a full house at St James's Piccadilly, Chantage presented their first self-promoted Carol Concert since creating their Hark! Chantage at Christmas CD in 2008. Below are a couple of Youtube clips from the concert.
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To get everyone warmed up and into the Christmas Spirit, Chantage released this preview from one of their rehearsals in the run up to the concert at St James's Piccadilly. The choir had made the most of having a cameraman at their rehearsal earlier that evening.
The choir had been filming and audio-recording a short sample of music for an interactive musical-visual instalation at the XL Centre. Various musical ensembles, solo artists and other performers were recorded playing or singing a 16 bar section of music. Each recording followed the same key structure and speed, so that any chosen recordings could be matched up and played simultaneously to create a layered piece of music. Ticketed visitors to the XL centre were given unique headphones and were able to programme the component parts to create their own piece of music, and be able to watch the performers they had chosen. |
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Wednesday 7th December 2011
Gleemantle take their debut
Gleemantle take their debut
The new choir at FreementleMedia gave it's first ever performance, singing Christmas songs to an audience of colleagues at their Tottenham Court Road offices.
The performance was given during an internal event, a Christmas Market, to which hundreds of employees came and supported their new choir with cheers and applauds!
The pianist for the event was Music In Office's Director, Tessa Marchington.
The performance was given during an internal event, a Christmas Market, to which hundreds of employees came and supported their new choir with cheers and applauds!
The pianist for the event was Music In Office's Director, Tessa Marchington.
Tuesday 6th December 2011
Chandos Chamber Choir pull in a Christmas crowd!
Performing to a very large mid-week audience, Chandos Chamber Choir entertained everyone with beautiful Christmas anthems from Byrd to Britten (although there wasn't actually any music by Byrd in the concert!). The choir traditionally each bring a box of mince pies to serve to the hungry audience and, with the sale of wine and tickets, the choir made a tidy profit from the concert - for the first time in memory.
Chandos Chamber Choir pull in a Christmas crowd!
Performing to a very large mid-week audience, Chandos Chamber Choir entertained everyone with beautiful Christmas anthems from Byrd to Britten (although there wasn't actually any music by Byrd in the concert!). The choir traditionally each bring a box of mince pies to serve to the hungry audience and, with the sale of wine and tickets, the choir made a tidy profit from the concert - for the first time in memory.
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Saturday 19th November 2011
Mostly Mozart from the Aylesbury Festival Choir
Aylesbury Festival Choir gave a performance of Mozarts's Requiem and Solemn Vespers, with some very talented soloists, including Sara Brimer of the Swingle Singers taking the soprano line for the beautiful Laudate Dominum from the Vespers. Joss O'Kelly wrote this review of the concert for the Bucks Herald:
Mostly Mozart from the Aylesbury Festival Choir
Aylesbury Festival Choir gave a performance of Mozarts's Requiem and Solemn Vespers, with some very talented soloists, including Sara Brimer of the Swingle Singers taking the soprano line for the beautiful Laudate Dominum from the Vespers. Joss O'Kelly wrote this review of the concert for the Bucks Herald:
Aylesbury Festival Choir’s concert on Saturday November 19 at the Methodist Church was an all Mozart affair. The choir, along with accompanist Lestyn Evans, an organist with a flourishing international career, began the evening with the short yet exquisite motet Ave Verum Corpus, followed by the Solemn Vespers, which is actually more joyous and exuberant than solemn.
For this the choir was joined by the Aylesbury Festival Ensemble, comprising a group of London-based brass and woodwind players whose playing certainly enhanced the performance.
The soloists also made their first appearance here: soprano Sara Brimer, mezzo Hanna Hipp, tenor Stephen Jeffes and bass Jimmy Holliday, who last performed with the choir in 2009 in the final performance of Messiah in the Civic Centre. All four are extremely talented performers and I hope we will have the opportunity to hear them again.
Most of the solos were in ensemble style, with the fireworks left to the choir, apart from the glorious and beautifully sung soprano aria Laudate Dominum.
The final work of the evening was the Requiem, which evoked another great performance both from Aylesbury Festival Choir and all four soloists - the former did a particularly fine job in the Lacrimosa, while the latter shone in the Benedictus. It was a little strange at first hearing this work in particular without a full orchestra, but this otherwise excellent venue cannot accommodate one.
Conductor James Davey as ever kept the whole show on track and the capacity audience responded with enthusiasm.
- Joss O'Kelly, Bucks Herald
For this the choir was joined by the Aylesbury Festival Ensemble, comprising a group of London-based brass and woodwind players whose playing certainly enhanced the performance.
The soloists also made their first appearance here: soprano Sara Brimer, mezzo Hanna Hipp, tenor Stephen Jeffes and bass Jimmy Holliday, who last performed with the choir in 2009 in the final performance of Messiah in the Civic Centre. All four are extremely talented performers and I hope we will have the opportunity to hear them again.
Most of the solos were in ensemble style, with the fireworks left to the choir, apart from the glorious and beautifully sung soprano aria Laudate Dominum.
The final work of the evening was the Requiem, which evoked another great performance both from Aylesbury Festival Choir and all four soloists - the former did a particularly fine job in the Lacrimosa, while the latter shone in the Benedictus. It was a little strange at first hearing this work in particular without a full orchestra, but this otherwise excellent venue cannot accommodate one.
Conductor James Davey as ever kept the whole show on track and the capacity audience responded with enthusiasm.
- Joss O'Kelly, Bucks Herald
Wednesday 9th November 2011
A Night to Remember
Chantage performed at this event in aid of the Afghanistan Trust, organised by Hannah Sisk, a Soprano in the choir. The Afghanistan Trust is a charity in support of injured soldiers returning from conflict. The Trust wrote the following report on the event:
A Night to Remember
Chantage performed at this event in aid of the Afghanistan Trust, organised by Hannah Sisk, a Soprano in the choir. The Afghanistan Trust is a charity in support of injured soldiers returning from conflict. The Trust wrote the following report on the event:
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER WORDS AND MUSIC FOR REMEMBRANCE
This was a most spectacular night held at St Dunstan – in – the West on the 9th November 2011. Our thanks go out to many people for their help making this event such a success. This was held to support both the Parachute Regiment Afghanistan Trust and St Dunstan’s Charity for the Blind. We would like to thank Hannah Sisk who was the mainstay in organising and running the night with help from many including The Reverend William Guillford of St Dunstan’s. Special thanks goes to Lt Col John Boyd The Commanding Officer of the 4th Battalion Parachute Regiment for providing their Colour Party and Officer’s and Soldiers whose help was vital to enhance and make the night. The Afghanistan trust has collected a sum in the region of magnificent £3000 through Gift Aid/ Wristband/Tee Shirt sales and donations. The final total will change slightly as we are still we are still waiting for some payments to come. Our thanks go to everybody who attended and supported this outstanding event. |
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Saturday 15th October 2011
Lincoln Cathedral visit
Lincoln Cathedral visit
Chandos Chamber Choir were the resident singers for services at Lincoln Cathedral over the weekend, beginning with Evensong on the Saturday followed by two services during Sunday. The Sunday morning service was attended by the High Sheriff and Her Majesty's Judges, involving a very austere procession of gowns and wigs of varying shapes and colours, and a musical theme of 'judgement'.
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Sunday 31st July - Sunday 7th August 2011
Sherborne Summer School of Music James returned to Sherborne to lead the Cappella Chamber Choir course once again this year, with another mixed programme of interesting repertoire. A highlight of the programme was The Coolin, a movement from Samuel Barber's set of 3 Reincarnations. The piece describes a specific instance of a moment in courtship, at which a couple have stopped their conversation, sought out each others hand and then finally kiss. The course was accompanied by Alexander Wells, who is also accompanist to Highgate Choral Society under Ronald Corp. |
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Friday 15th July 2011
Chandos Chamber Choir perform Crowd-pleasing 'Cowpat' music
Elizabeth Lutyens called it 'Cowpat' music, but the wealth of English Pastoral repertoire holds some beautiful gems, and this concert was aimed at performing some of the best crafted and enigmatic pastoral works, with Ralph Vaughan-Williams' Serenade to Music as the main accompanied work in the programme.
Chandos Chamber Choir perform Crowd-pleasing 'Cowpat' music
Elizabeth Lutyens called it 'Cowpat' music, but the wealth of English Pastoral repertoire holds some beautiful gems, and this concert was aimed at performing some of the best crafted and enigmatic pastoral works, with Ralph Vaughan-Williams' Serenade to Music as the main accompanied work in the programme.
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Saturday 14th May 2011
West London Sangerstevne
Since performing at the first East London Sangerstevne, this annual weekend choral festival has grown to attract international choirs as well as those based in London. Norman Morris, who runs the festival, based the idea on a Swedish style festival. A Sangerstevne is a Swedish word describing a singing event where local choirs would come together and take turns to sing to each other.
This year the Central Harmony Community Choir from Hounslow opened Concert 3 (out of 4) and the Fleet Singers took part in Concert 2.
West London Sangerstevne
Since performing at the first East London Sangerstevne, this annual weekend choral festival has grown to attract international choirs as well as those based in London. Norman Morris, who runs the festival, based the idea on a Swedish style festival. A Sangerstevne is a Swedish word describing a singing event where local choirs would come together and take turns to sing to each other.
This year the Central Harmony Community Choir from Hounslow opened Concert 3 (out of 4) and the Fleet Singers took part in Concert 2.
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Saturday 14th May 2011
Centaur give their debut performance at the Southbank Centre Centaur are the staff choir at Centaur publishing in Poland Street, London. They performed a number of workshop songs, some involving participation from the audience, and pop classics to spectators at the Chorus festival produced by the Southbank Centre over the May weekend. Here is a video clip of their performance, which was their first performance since they were formed just a few months earlier. |
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Saturday 14th May 2011
Open Workshop with the Aylesbury Festival Choir
James lead his 'Changing Choral Colour' workshop for members of the Aylesbury Festival Choir and general public, following their very successful 'Stars and Stripes' performance the previous month. You can find more information about this workshop on the Workshops page.
Open Workshop with the Aylesbury Festival Choir
James lead his 'Changing Choral Colour' workshop for members of the Aylesbury Festival Choir and general public, following their very successful 'Stars and Stripes' performance the previous month. You can find more information about this workshop on the Workshops page.
Saturday 2nd April 2011
Aylesbury Festival Choir present 'Stars and Stripes'
The choir performed a mixed programme of pieces written by American composers (with the exception of 2 American Folksongs by the British composer, John Rutter) under the banner of the American flag, kindly loaned to the choir for their concert.
Reic Whitacre's 5 Hebrew Love Songs were the main work of the first half, accompanied brilliantly by the strings of the Blackheath Quartet. The second half of the programme included some lighter arrangements of show songs and jazz standards, with a beautiful contribution from solo singer and songwriter, Louise Clare Marshall.
Joss O'Kelly wrote the below review for the Bucks Herald:
Aylesbury Festival Choir present 'Stars and Stripes'
The choir performed a mixed programme of pieces written by American composers (with the exception of 2 American Folksongs by the British composer, John Rutter) under the banner of the American flag, kindly loaned to the choir for their concert.
Reic Whitacre's 5 Hebrew Love Songs were the main work of the first half, accompanied brilliantly by the strings of the Blackheath Quartet. The second half of the programme included some lighter arrangements of show songs and jazz standards, with a beautiful contribution from solo singer and songwriter, Louise Clare Marshall.
Joss O'Kelly wrote the below review for the Bucks Herald:
STARS AND STRIPES was the appropriately titled all-American programme performed for an enthusiastic audience by Aylesbury Festival Choir at the Methodist Church on Saturday 2 April .
On this occasion, the choir was joined by their regular pianist Thelma King, a relatively new but fantastically good string quartet, the Blackheath Quartet, and a wonderful singer, Louise Clare Marshall, a regular member of Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
There was an informal feel to the whole proceedings with performances by different combinations of all the above, and introductions to various pieces not only from conductor James Davey, but also from Louise Marshall, and Kit Massey, first violin with the quartet.
The programme was an eclectic mix, including well known pieces alongside those that most of the audience were probably hearing for the first time.
From the Blackheath Quartet we heard a hypnotic work by minimalist composer Philip Glass, a Lullaby by Gershwin and a lovely arrangement of Jay Ungar’s Ashokan Farewell.
Louise Clare Marshall excelled in two Gershwin Songs, Our Love is Here to Stay and Summertime, but the real showstopper was a brilliant unaccompanied rendition of the spiritual Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
On this occasion, the choir was joined by their regular pianist Thelma King, a relatively new but fantastically good string quartet, the Blackheath Quartet, and a wonderful singer, Louise Clare Marshall, a regular member of Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.
There was an informal feel to the whole proceedings with performances by different combinations of all the above, and introductions to various pieces not only from conductor James Davey, but also from Louise Marshall, and Kit Massey, first violin with the quartet.
The programme was an eclectic mix, including well known pieces alongside those that most of the audience were probably hearing for the first time.
From the Blackheath Quartet we heard a hypnotic work by minimalist composer Philip Glass, a Lullaby by Gershwin and a lovely arrangement of Jay Ungar’s Ashokan Farewell.
Louise Clare Marshall excelled in two Gershwin Songs, Our Love is Here to Stay and Summertime, but the real showstopper was a brilliant unaccompanied rendition of the spiritual Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?
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The choir sang three pairings of songs, in each case the first lively and humorous and the second more reflective. They also made an impressive job of Eric Whitacre’s romantic Five Hebrew Love Songs, and finished the concert in fine style with a West Side Story medley.
The unusual programme was a brave choice and perfectly tailored to fit the talents of choir, instrumentalists, and soloist as well as the intimate nature of the venue and it certainly ticked all the boxes! Chairman Pat Aylett commented “ We wanted to show the versatility of the choir and our ability to perform music from various genres and styles, and are very pleased with the way the concert went”. - Joss O’Kelly, Bucks Herald |
Friday 1st April 2011
Massed Choirs sing Handel's Messiah
In a project designed for community choirs to perform almost the whole of the Messiah, where otherwise they could not manage the performance on their own, James Davey and Rachel Staunton teamed up to combine a number of their respective choirs into one concert.
7 choirs took part in the concert, with each choir contributing a few movements of the work, and coming together in massed choirs of nearly 200 singers for the popular movements, such as the famous Hallelujah Chorus.
Massed Choirs sing Handel's Messiah
In a project designed for community choirs to perform almost the whole of the Messiah, where otherwise they could not manage the performance on their own, James Davey and Rachel Staunton teamed up to combine a number of their respective choirs into one concert.
7 choirs took part in the concert, with each choir contributing a few movements of the work, and coming together in massed choirs of nearly 200 singers for the popular movements, such as the famous Hallelujah Chorus.
Friday 18th March 2011
Chantage perform world premiere with the Swingle Singers
Chantage joined with the Swingle Singers and the Urban Big Band for a concert performance of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, the Swingle Singers as the soloists and narrators. A new interpretation of the tap dance sequence was for two of the Swingle Singers to have a Beatboxing drum solo, in which the two vocal percussionists bounced rhythmic ideas off each other, gradually building to a climax before the band come back in.
The concert also saw the premiere of a new set of Interludes written by Ken Burton, designed to link together the choral version sections of Michael Tippett's 5 Negro Spirituals. Chantage have always enjoyed singing the set, but James Davey had found that it did not flow well from section to section (out of the context of the Oratorio, A Child of Our Time, from which it originates) and so the brief was to link them together. Ken Burton's Spiritual styled Interludes were premiered by the Swingle Singers and later broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on The Choir, presented by Aled Jones.
Chantage perform world premiere with the Swingle Singers
Chantage joined with the Swingle Singers and the Urban Big Band for a concert performance of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, the Swingle Singers as the soloists and narrators. A new interpretation of the tap dance sequence was for two of the Swingle Singers to have a Beatboxing drum solo, in which the two vocal percussionists bounced rhythmic ideas off each other, gradually building to a climax before the band come back in.
The concert also saw the premiere of a new set of Interludes written by Ken Burton, designed to link together the choral version sections of Michael Tippett's 5 Negro Spirituals. Chantage have always enjoyed singing the set, but James Davey had found that it did not flow well from section to section (out of the context of the Oratorio, A Child of Our Time, from which it originates) and so the brief was to link them together. Ken Burton's Spiritual styled Interludes were premiered by the Swingle Singers and later broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on The Choir, presented by Aled Jones.
Ken Burton also made a guest appearance on the stage after the new Interludes had been performed, and he accompanied the choir at the piano for a performance of Total Praise by Richard Smallwood, a song he had taught to Chantage a few months earlier in a Gospel singing workshop day.
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The gizzle Review published the following review of the concert:
Rocking up to the Union Chapel, I didn't really know what to expect from this concert. But what a joy it turned out to be.
Despite the scaffolding on the exterior, the Union Chapel proved to be an impressive venue, beautifully candlelit and with great acoustics. The first piece sung by Chantage, The Old Church (Stephen Paulus, 2001) was a fitting start to the evening.
Formed in 1999, Chantage are a leading amateur choir already with accolades to their name - including the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year 2006. Combined with the stunning vocals of the Swingle Singers, the room was brimming with vocal talent. The second piece, Tippett's Five Negro Spirituals, showed this off to the full. The songs were accompanied by new Spiritual Interludes composed by Ken Burton, conductor of the London Adventist Chorale and Croydon SDA Gospel Choir. These interludes undoubtedly contained some juicy jazz chords, but overall lacked variety and distracted from Tippett's music.
Next, three a capella pieces by the Swingle Singers - Gershwin's Fascinatin' Rhythm, a cover of Eleanor Rigby and It's Sand, Man. For me, these stole the show - eight individually incredible voices blending together with stunning effect, self-accompanied with beatboxing. Their latest album 'Ferris Wheels' is available now and definitely worth checking out. Total Praise, a gospel classic by Richard Smallwood, rounded out the first half, showing the versatility of Chantage.
The second half consisted solely of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert. Originally premiered in 1965, it fuses Christian liturgy with jazz - a unique combination. This manifested as the Chantage classical choir accompanied by the Urban Big Band with solos by the Swingle Singers - all well controlled by conductor James Davey. With such an odd fusion, it's easy to see why the piece first received mixed reviews, but here it suited well the ambience of the evening and matched the rest of the programme. The only disappointment was a lack of encore at the end.
Overall a highly enjoyable evening, filled with inspirational singing.
- Ed Nightingale, The Gizzle
Rocking up to the Union Chapel, I didn't really know what to expect from this concert. But what a joy it turned out to be.
Despite the scaffolding on the exterior, the Union Chapel proved to be an impressive venue, beautifully candlelit and with great acoustics. The first piece sung by Chantage, The Old Church (Stephen Paulus, 2001) was a fitting start to the evening.
Formed in 1999, Chantage are a leading amateur choir already with accolades to their name - including the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year 2006. Combined with the stunning vocals of the Swingle Singers, the room was brimming with vocal talent. The second piece, Tippett's Five Negro Spirituals, showed this off to the full. The songs were accompanied by new Spiritual Interludes composed by Ken Burton, conductor of the London Adventist Chorale and Croydon SDA Gospel Choir. These interludes undoubtedly contained some juicy jazz chords, but overall lacked variety and distracted from Tippett's music.
Next, three a capella pieces by the Swingle Singers - Gershwin's Fascinatin' Rhythm, a cover of Eleanor Rigby and It's Sand, Man. For me, these stole the show - eight individually incredible voices blending together with stunning effect, self-accompanied with beatboxing. Their latest album 'Ferris Wheels' is available now and definitely worth checking out. Total Praise, a gospel classic by Richard Smallwood, rounded out the first half, showing the versatility of Chantage.
The second half consisted solely of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert. Originally premiered in 1965, it fuses Christian liturgy with jazz - a unique combination. This manifested as the Chantage classical choir accompanied by the Urban Big Band with solos by the Swingle Singers - all well controlled by conductor James Davey. With such an odd fusion, it's easy to see why the piece first received mixed reviews, but here it suited well the ambience of the evening and matched the rest of the programme. The only disappointment was a lack of encore at the end.
Overall a highly enjoyable evening, filled with inspirational singing.
- Ed Nightingale, The Gizzle
Thursday 17th February 2011
Herts & Essex School Music Competition
James visited Herts & Essex High School to be the Adjudicator for their Music Festival Finale. The School motto is " Excellence for all" and the high level of performance was staggering, making the judging decision very difficult!
The School choirs also performed at the event, under the Directorship of Head of Music, Josie Cowley.
Herts & Essex School Music Competition
James visited Herts & Essex High School to be the Adjudicator for their Music Festival Finale. The School motto is " Excellence for all" and the high level of performance was staggering, making the judging decision very difficult!
The School choirs also performed at the event, under the Directorship of Head of Music, Josie Cowley.
Saturday 15th January 2011
Chantage at LACF Composers Forum
The London A Capella Festival, hosted by the amazing Swingle Singers, has drawn large crowds of A Capella fans from around the world. Amongst the many concerts during the Festival weekend are a series of workshops, foyer performances and panel discussions. Chantage and the Swingle Singers took part in a panel discussion, hosted by Ben Parry, himself a former Swingle Singer. The discussion was about the differences between pieces composed for choral singing and those written for A Capella singing, and the implications for composers to explore the area between.
Chantage at LACF Composers Forum
The London A Capella Festival, hosted by the amazing Swingle Singers, has drawn large crowds of A Capella fans from around the world. Amongst the many concerts during the Festival weekend are a series of workshops, foyer performances and panel discussions. Chantage and the Swingle Singers took part in a panel discussion, hosted by Ben Parry, himself a former Swingle Singer. The discussion was about the differences between pieces composed for choral singing and those written for A Capella singing, and the implications for composers to explore the area between.
Chantage performed two pieces during the discussion, they were; My Prayer by Bob Chilcott and I am the Great Sun by Jussi Chydenius, who was present at the Festival and able to give the choir some tips during their rehearsal.
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