Brighton Festival Chorus: Bach, St John Passion

Posted on 19 March, 2015 by Admin

Friday 3 April 2015 Brighton Dome Concert Hall 3pm, tickets from £5

Brighton Festival Chorus is set to perform Bach’s St. John Passion in a semi-staged Prom-style performance at Brighton Dome on Good Friday, 3 April 2015. This special concert marks the choir’s 500^th performance since it was founded in 1968.

This unique ‘in the round’ Proms-style performance of JS Bach’s glorious St John Passion is a return of the highly acclaimed, semi-staged version last performed in 2008 and 2009 and takes the singers in and amongst the audience.

First performed in Leipzig on Good Friday 1724, Bach’s powerfully meditative interpretation of the Gospel of St John is a work of startling immediacy yet subtle nuance, recreating the psychological and emotional conflict of Christ’s final days before his public trial and crucifixion.

This performance will be conducted by James Morgan with soloists, Rob Murray – Evangelist, Paul Reeves – Christus, Andrew Rupp – Pilate, Katherine Manley – Soprano, Juliette Pochin – Mezzo-soprano, Mark Wilde – Tenor and Ashley Riches – Bass.

‘One of the top 5 choirs in the UK’ The Times

This special concert marks the 500^th performance of Brighton Festival Chorus. There have been many exceptional concerts alongside numerous associations with many of the major British orchestras and the most celebrated of conductors and soloists of recent times.

Brighton Festival Chorus was founded in 1968 and its debut performance was Belshazzar’s Feast, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer, William Walton. Ever since, it has established and maintained a reputation as an amateur choir working with top professional orchestras and artists, delivering consistently high quality performances. Brighton Festival Chorus is also known for its versatility, as it performs not only the standard choral repertoire but also new works and commissions, and collaborations with popular music artists. The chorus performs in the Brighton Festival every year and at major concert venues in London, the rest of Britain and in Europe. It supports Brighton Festival Youth Choir to promote and sustain interest in choral singing in young people, and it also arranges choral workshops to encourage participation in the local community.

11th Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition

Posted on 8 March, 2015 by Admin

White Rock Theatre, Hastings 7 March 2015

The culmination of a week of performances from pianists of many nations was witnessed by a large and enthusiastic crowd which filled the theatre. Each year this competition manages to build on its previous success. The standard of performance is very high and the reputation of the event continues to grow, thanks in large part to the enthusiasm and dedication of the Artistic Director, Frank Wibaut. Further publicity for the future should come about from the documentary being made of this year’s event and from plans to hold overseas auditions in the future.

This year’s competitors represented a total of 30 nations and were selected from an earlier audition process. A change in this year’s competition has added the requirement to play either a Mozart or Beethoven concerto at the second stage. For the third year running the finalists played together with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra under the baton of Brian Wright.

After introductions by Molly Townson, chair of Hastings Musical Festival (of which this competition is a part) and the Artistic Director, Frank Wibaut, the orchestra gave us a Mozart overture and then the competition got underway.

Garam Cho (South Korea) opened the proceedings with a spirited performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1. There was a surprising strength to this performance as well as some contrasted delicate playing.

Liszt’s Piano Concerto No 2 followed, performed by Scipione Sangiovanni (Italy). This was another committed performance of a very dramatic concerto. The dynamic range of this performer was very impressive.

The final performance, Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 3, was given by the youngest finalist, Alexander Panfilov (Russia). This was a well-rounded performance again showing contrast and expression throughout. As well as being judged the overall winner by the members of the jury, Alexander was also awarded the audience prize. Unusually the 2^nd prize was awarded jointly to the other two contestants – a fitting outcome in my opinion.

Although a competitive event this was also an evening of great music, performed by musicians of great calibre and dedication. It is a real thrill to be able to welcome such talented musicians to the town and to hear them perform with the orchestra. The size and reaction of the audience prove that there is a real enthusiasm for quality music such as this in the Borough.

I look forward to next year’s competition. SP

Brighton Festival Chorus to perform Bach’s St John Passion in a semi-staged Prom-style performance at Brighton Dome

Posted on 20 February, 2015 by Admin

On Good Friday 3 April 2015, Brighton Festival Chorus returns to Brighton Dome for their 500th performance since their founding in 1968. This special “in the round” Proms-style performance of JS Bach’s glorious St John Passion is a return of the highly acclaimed, semi-staged version last performed in 2008 and 2009 and takes the singers in and amongst the audience. First performed in Leipzig on Good Friday 1724, Bach’s powerfully meditative interpretation of the Gospel of St John is a work of startling immediacy yet subtle nuance, recreating the psychological and emotional conflict of Christ’s final days before His public trial and crucifixion.

Brighton Festival Chorus
Bach, St John Passion
Brighton Dome
Good Friday 3 April 2015 at 3.00pm

£15, £19.50, £25, £5 (standing) *

James Morgan conductor
Chamber Domaine

Tickets are available from:
Brighton Dome Box Office, New Road, Brighton BN1 1UG
01273 709709
www.brightonticketshop.com

1066 Choir & Organ: Visit to Musical Museum

Posted on 15 February, 2015 by Admin

Day trip to include the

Musical Museum, Kew

Saturday 14 March 2015

Pick up Falaise Road Hastings 08.30; Pick up Little Common Roundabout 09.00

Return app 18.00

£25.00

The visit to the Musical Museum takes about two hours and is guided. There is a restaurant at the site but you will have time to explore the river side assuming the weather is kind to us.

Close at hand are the London Museum of Water and Steam and the Waterman’s Arts Centre which has a fine riverside restaurant.

St Paul’s Church is nearby and has a recent (1992) pipe organ. We will visit at 3.00pm and leave for home from St Paul’s at 4.00pm. Volunteers to play welcome!

For more details or to book please contact bhick1066@gmail.com or write to Rob Searcy, 47/49 Mount Pleasant Road, Hastings, together with payment cheques made out to B D O C A

Hastings Philharmonic Choir

Posted on 15 February, 2015 by Admin

Seaview Carol Concert

Posted on 24 November, 2014 by Admin

Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice and Brighton Dome announce the Big Heart charity art auction

Posted on 14 November, 2014 by Admin

Sussex’s arts calendar will be bolstered by a brand new event next year as Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice and Brighton Dome join forces to host the Big Heart charity art auction in March 2015.

The very first Big Heart auction will include over 200 donated artworks from local, national and celebrity artists, illustrators and photographers including artworks from Raymond Briggs – illustrator of the much-loved The Snowman and Patron of Chestnut Tree House – Dan Baldwin, Jake Wood-Evans, Dion Salvador Lloyd, Pippa Blake, Gary Goodman, Natalie Papmichael and Phillipa Cannan.

Each piece of art will be available for purchase, with all proceeds going towards supporting both Chestnut Tree House – which cares for over 300 terminally ill children in Sussex and South East Hampshire – and Brighton Dome; itself a registered charity committed to providing a groundbreaking arts programme that touches and enriches thousands of lives.

An online gallery – showcasing all participating Big Heart artists and artworks – will be available to view from January 2015. The auction will then go live on eBay for Charity from Thursday 26 February to Sunday 8 March. Alongside the online gallery, Brighton Dome will play host to a public Big Heart exhibition from Tuesday 3 to Friday 6 March. The exhibition is free to enter and will be an opportunity to see first hand artworks from a wide range of artists.

The partnership builds on the collaborative work already begun between the organisations through the Umbrella Club, Brighton Dome’s membership club for children and young people with life-limiting conditions and their siblings and carers.

Over the next few months, artistes and celebrities performing at Brighton Dome will be given a special artists’pack, kindly devised and donated by Lawrence Art Supplies based in Hove, and asked to create their very own masterpiece for inclusion in the Big Heart auction.

Chestnut Tree House and Brighton Dome would love to hear from any professional artists who would like to take part in this exciting new fundraising campaign. Please get in touch with the Big Heart auction team on 01903 871838, email bigheart@chestnut-tree-house.org.uk or visit www.chestnut-tree-house.org.uk/bigheart