Saturday 19th November 2016
“Mozart Requiem”
We started our season under our new conductor Stephen Brown at our usual venue, St Mark’s Church, Westmoreland Road, Bromley BR2 0TB with a concert featuring a performance of Mozart’s ever-popular Requiem with professional soloists and instrumental accompaniment, and including three pieces by Timothy Hamilton which are well worth getting to know, together with Vaughan Williams’ delightful Serenade to Music and a Mozart Divertimento performed by the players.
Programme
Vaughan Williams: Serenade to Music
Accompanied by James Orford, piano, and members of the Rosenau Sinfonia
Timothy Hamilton: Three sacred pieces
- Angele Dei
- Salvator Mundi
- The Evening Hymn*
*These works were performed in the presence of the composer, who has placed a video recording of The Evening Hymn (Te lucis ante omnium) on YouTube.
Mozart: Divertimento in D K251
Played by members of the Rosenau Sinfonia
Mozart: Requiem
The Allegri Singers are dedicating this performance to the memory of Michael Sherwin. See below.
Soloists: Zita Syme (soprano), Kate Warshaw (mezzo), Greg Tassell (tenor), James Oldfield (bass-baritone)
Accompanied by James Orford, organ, and the Rosenau Sinfonia
In Memoriam – Michael Sherwin
It is with the greatest sadness that the Allegri Singers have received the news that Michael Sherwin, long-time bass singer in the choir and serving us for the past seven years as our Treasurer, has passed away following a long struggle with throat cancer, a particularly cruel form of cancer for a singer. Michael was a fine musician, highly knowledgeable of a vast range of music, a true stalwart of the bass department, but also able to take the baton for rehearsals in the event of emergencies such as last-minute travel problems for our regular conductor, and it would be hard to find a more alert and sensitive conductor, always able to give an encouraging nod in the right direction at the right moment. He was also well-known in the Bromley area for organising high-quality choral performances at St Mary’s Church, College Road, where again his talents at getting the best out of his choir were always apparent. A kind, patient but firm leader, Michael was one of the loveliest people you could meet. He will be sorely missed. Our deepest condolences go to his wife Sarah and his children.
Saturday 10th December 2016
“Christmas Carol Concert”
The Allegri Singers and the Highfield Junior Voices gave a candle-lit concert in Bromley Parish Church on December 10th.
The choir performed carol arrangements, interspersed with items sung by the children. There were also some favourite carols for the audience too, and strong participation from the audience!
Saturday 25th February 2017
“Holst Rig Veda and Brahms’ Liebeslieder”
A delightful evening at our home venue, St. Mark’s, Westmoreland Road, Bromley BR2 0TB where we performed a concert centred around Holst’s Rig Veda, with harp accompaniment, and those lilting Liebeslieder-Walzer (‘Love song waltzes’) by Johannes Brahms, with piano four hand accompaniment. The Holst item was for upper voices only, so the men took their turn with Britten’s Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard, while the full choir performed Britten’s Choral Dances from Gloriana.
Programme
Holst: Hymns from the ‘Rig Veda’
Performed by the ladies of the choir, accompanied by Bethan Semmens, harp
Britten: The Ballad of Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard
Performed by the gentlemen of the choir, accompanied by Paul Jeanes, piano
Britten (arr.): Two Welsh Folksongs
- Bugeilio’r Gwenith Gwyn
- David of the White Rock
Performed by Greg Tassell, tenor, accompanied by Bethan Semmens, harp
Britten: Choral Dances from Gloriana
With Greg Tassell, tenor, and accompanied by Bethan Semmens, harp
Brahms: Liebeslieder Waltzes Op 52
With Zita Syme, Greg Tassell and accompanied by Paul Jeanes and Louisa Green, piano
Saturday 13th May 2017
“French and American Choral Songs”
This short concert consisted of around one hour of music, including Barber’s well-known Adagio, Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine, a selection of Copland’s Old American Songs, together with part-songs by Barber, Whitacre, Debussy, Poulenc and Saint-Saëns.
Publicity image credit:
thanks to Aaron Fellmeth
Programme
Debussy: Trois Chanson de Charles d’Orléans
- Dieu! qu’il la fait bon regarder!
- Quand j’ai ouy le tambourin
Soloist: Hannah Urbanczyk - Yver, vous n’estes qu’un villain
Soloists: Julie Evans, Kathryn Strachan, Ian Jones, Robert Wicke
Barber: Three Songs
- Sure on this Shining Night
- To be Sung on the Water
- Under the Willow Tree
Soloist: Will Kendal
Barber: Agnus Dei
Interval
Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine
Saint-Saëns:Deux Chansons
- Calme des nuits
- Les fleurs et les arbres
Whitacre: Sleep
Poulenc: Two pieces from Sept Chansons
- La blanche neige
- À peine défigurée
Copland: Pieces from Old American Songs
- The boatmen’s dance
Soloists: Robert Henderson, Will Kendal - I bought me a cat
Organ/Piano: James Orford
Saturday 8th July 2017
“Summertime”
Our summer concert was held at the delightful St Barnabas Church, Beckenham BR3 6PP, and featured a light programme including, of course, George Gershwin’s Summertime, John Rutter’s Birthday Madrigals, works by Eric Whitacre, and choral arrangements of some popular songs.
Bennett: All Creatures Now are Merry-minded
Gibbons: The Silver Swan
Tomkins: Music Divine
Morley: Now is the Month of Maying
Ramsey: Sleep, Fleshly Birth
Rutter: Birthday Madrigals
— Interval —
Whitacre: Cloudburst
Gershwin: Summertime (arr. Keith Roberts)
Porter: Night and Day (arr. Keith Roberts)
Sherwin: A Nightingale Sang (arr. Tom Bullard)
Porter: Let’s do it (arr. Stephen Anthony Brown)
Arlen: Somewhere Over the Rainbow (arr. Stephen Anthony Brown)
Burke: Tiptoe through the Tulips (arr. Stephen Anthony Brown)
Anon: Sumer is icumen in (arr. Tom Bullard)