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PRESS RELEASES
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POYNTON SCHOOLS ON SONG
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St George's Singers is giving two carol concerts this year: the traditional 'Carols and Brass by Candlelight' at St George's Church in Stockport with VBS Poynton Brass Band, and a second very special concert at St George's in Poynton to celebrate the church's anniversary. And children from Poynton's primary schools will be playing a major role in both, as singers, musicians and artists!
The concerts are part of St George's 'Celebration of Youth'season, a year of concerts featuring young singers and musicians from local schools, as well as Chetham's School of Music and the Royal Northern College of Music. Leading up to the concerts, the Choir has been running singing sessions with one of the town's local schools.
Led by Anne Francis, Chair of St George's Singers and formerly Head of Brookside Primary School in High Lane, the sessions have taken place every Tuesday morning, and have been received enthusiastically by staff and children alike. "Although we draw our Choir members from a very wide catchment area, we wanted to get more involved with our local community and in particular with the schools, to encourage more youngsters to take up singing at an early age," says Anne. "I approached the Heads of the local schools, all of whom invited me - and our Choir mascot George (a furry elk who joined us a few years ago on a choir tour to Finland!) - along to an Assembly to explain what St George's Singers do, and show them how much fun singing can be."
Whilst most of the schools already have active music-making on the curriculum, Lostock Hall wanted to develop singing as an activity and asked Anne to go in once a week to run a singing session for the children. "Within two minutes, they all have grins on their faces, and are clearly enjoying themselves, as well as learning a great skill that will remain with them for life," says Anne.
Children from all five of Poynton's primary schools (Lostock Hall, Worth Primary, Lower Park, Vernon Primary and St Paul's Catholic Primary) will be taking part in St George's Singers' carol concerts, either as readers or as musicians.
In addition, the schools have also taken part in a competition to design posters for the Choir's Christmas carol concerts. Over 300 entries were submitted, from which two winners were selected: Holly Axon (age 7) from Worth Primary, and Suzanne Cantillion (age 10) from St Paul's Primary. Prizes included gift vouchers for the children and vouchers from music store Wright Greaves for the schools.
According to Anne Francis, the standard of entries was exceptionally high. "The imagination and technical ability displayed by the children was outstanding, and we had quite a job selecting just two out of so many excellent and often very striking drawings. The children had obviously thought very carefully about Christmas, and whilst we had a lot of very traditional images such as Father Christmas, stars and holly, many of them were of much more unusual subject matter. It’s just a shame we’re only giving two carol concerts!"
A selection of the short-listed entries will be on display in the church venues on the day of the carol concerts, and can be viewed in the afternoon from 2 pm to 6 pm, as well as during the concerts.
The importance of singing in schools was emphasised a couple of years ago when the Government established the Music Manifesto National Singing programme - or Sing-Up campaign - under the guidance of composer Howard Goodall as the nation's Singing Ambassador. St George's Singers are members of Sing-Up, and Anne Francis hopes that the collaboration they have started this year with local schools may be the start of a more ambitious plan - perhaps even to establish a youth choir for St George's Singers.
The carol concerts take place at St George's Church, Stockport, on Saturday 6 December at 7.30 pm, and at St George's Church, Poynton, on Saturday 20 December at 7.00pm. |
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QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOUR FOR CHOIR PRESIDENT
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The President of Poynton's St George's Singers, Joan Bakewell, has been appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours for her services to journalism and the arts.
Joan Bakewell was born in Stockport, Cheshire in 1933, and educated at Stockport High School for Girls before reading History and Economics at Newnham College Cambridge.
For over four decades Joan has had a most distinguished career as broadcaster, journalist and writer. Her career has focused primarily in the areas of ethics and the arts, and she has devised, written and presented numerous programmes, including Late Night Line-up. As a journalist, she has written columns for the Manchester Evening News, Punch and the leading broadsheets. She has published books about travel, epitaphs and broadcasting. Her autobiography, The Centre of the Bed, was published in October 2003 and Belief in 2005. In 2006 she published The View from Here: Life after Seventy, a thought-provoking take on the physical, social and psychological consequences of ageing. Joan has had four plays broadcast on Radio 4, and is currently writing her first novel.
Dame Joan has lent her valuable support to many worthwhile causes nationally and particularly in the North West, including St George's Singers and the Gorton Monastery Trust. As Choir President, she not only lends support and guidance, but regularly comes to performances when her busy schedule allows and has even taken an active role in concerts, and. She recently appeared with St George's Singers at Gorton Monastery in a performance of Rachmaninov's Vespers, delivering readings of prose and poetry to complement the music.
St George's Singers next concert is in the Bridgewater Hall on Sunday 22 June, when they perform Bach's Mass in B minor with the Manchester Camerata orchestra, and a line-up of internationally renowned soloists. |
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RETURN TO BRIDGEWATER HALL FOR CANADIAN STAR
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The renowned Canadian soprano, Nancy Argenta, returns to the Bridgewater Hall for the first time in over seven years when she performs Bach's Mass in B minor on Sunday 22 June. Joining her on the stage will be fabulous line-up of soloists, including countertenor Robin Blaze, soprano Rebecca Outram, plus the Manchester Camerata and St George's Singers.
Nancy Argenta has distinguished herself internationally as one of the foremost singers of her generation, widely regarded as the supreme Handel soprano of our age, as well as a renowned interpreter of Bach, Mozart, Purcell and even Schoenberg. Although Canadian by birth, Nancy lived for many years in England, and has only recently returned to live in her native country. She has made over 50 CD recordings, many of them award winning, and collaborated with most of the world's leading conductors and orchestras. Nancy Argenta's last appearance in Manchester was in 2001, when she sang with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Anne Francis, the Chair of St George's Singers commented, "We are thrilled to have enticed her back to Manchester to sing with us in this most glorious of Bach's works. This will be a very special evening for us all."
The soloists appearing with her are equally distinguished. Countertenor Robin Blaze is established in the front rank of interpreters of Purcell, Bach and Handel, and has worked with most of the distinguished conductors in the early music field. Soprano Rebecca Outram, a renowned baroque singer, has a voice described by one critic as 'truly phenomenal - it was as if we were in heaven on an unrepeatable journey to the transcendental'. Both Rebecca Outram and Robin Blaze are currently appearing in the BBC Four series, Early Music, on Friday evenings.
The line-up of soloists is completed by tenor Mark Wilde who makes regular appearances on the concert platform and the operatic stage both in the UK and abroad, and has many CD recordings to his credit; and Michael George, firmly established as one of Britain's most versatile bass-baritones, has appeared with all the leading UK orchestras and ensembles, and has sung throughout Britain and extensively abroad.
Described as "the greatest musical work of art of all times and of all nations", the Mass in B Minor is widely regarded as a summation of Bach's genius and art, as well as an expression of his deep religious faith. Bach himself never heard the work performed in its entirety, and it was not until 1859, more than a century after his death, that the work was performed as a whole.
The concert also marks the Bridgewater Hall debut for the Choir's Musical Director, Neil Taylor. Although a vastly experienced choral conductor, this is Neil's first time in front of the Bridgewater Hall's 2,200-strong audience, however, and he is relishing the challenge. "I have been looking forward to this concert for a long time. To have the opportunity to direct one of the finest choral works in the repertoire in one of the finest concert halls in Europe is an immense privilege." |
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A MIGHTY ELIJAH
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St George's Singers will be performing as part of a mighty chorus for a special concert of Mendelssohn’s master work Elijah at Manchester Cathedral with talented young students from the renowned Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. St George's Singers was invited to take part in the concert following their critically-acclaimed performance of Elijah in 2004 with Sir Willard White in the Bridgewater Hall.
Paul McCreesh, the Artistic Director of the award-winning international Gabrieli Consort, is the guest conductor for a powerful concert given by singers from St George's Singers and Chester Bach Singers, alongside Chetham's Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, and four outstanding soloists: Stephan Loges in the title role of Elijah, soprano Gillian Webster, mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupic, and tenor Jeremy Budd.
First performed in 1846, Elijah was an unprecedented success that was the crowning glory of Mendelssohn's spectacularly successful career. Telling a story of a segregated society, one prophet, Elijah is summoned to help unite a society whose faith is divided.
Three performances will be given: Chester Cathedral on Thursday 14 February and Manchester Cathedral on Friday 15 February. A retiring collection in aid of St Ann’s Hospice will be made at both concerts. The final performance will be in St George’s Chapel, Windsor on Saturday 8 March. Performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £14 and £12. Children £2. To book tickets call 0161 838 7244 or email boxoffice@chethams.com.
Paul McCreesh will also be holding a special 'Your Elijah' day on Sunday 10 February, from 2.00pm to 5.30pm, when instrumentalists and singers will have the opportunity to work with him on extracts from Elijah. The workshop is open to all and free of charge, but booking is essential. For information, call 0161 839 6548 or email rachelgee@chethams.com |
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