Spring Concert 2018

Our Spring Concert was held on 12th May 2018 at 7.30pm.

And featured

Musical Director: Geoff Ellerby

Accompanist: David Shepherd, Organ

We performed the following at St. John’s Church:

Vivaldi: – Gloria (RV589)

Mozart: – Mass in C minor KV257: Gloria, Credo and Sanctus

Handel: – Coronation Anthems: (1) Zadok the Priest and (2) The King Shall Rejoice

Mozart: – Ave Verum Corpus

Byrd:  – Ave Verum Corpus

Tallis: – If ye love me

Ticket prices were £10 in advance and £12 on door.

Our thanks to Winston Brown of the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian for this excellent Music Review

The word “epic” has become a familiar adjective in popular vocabulary thanks to TV and radio advertisements for a certain price comparison website.

But its true meaning can be found in experiences like the one had at All Saints Church, Holbeach, where the South Holland Singers, accompanied by the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra, provided a night to remember with their interpretation of Joseph Haydn’s monstrous (sic) oratorio The Creation.

The history of the 18th century composition, an account of the Biblical story of how God created the universe in six days set to music, is that Haydn was inspired to write it during a visit to London where he heard Handel’s Messiah.

It isn’t too far-fetched to imagine that the South Holland Singers’ musical director Robin Carter, soprano Carrie-Ann Williams, tenor Leslie Crowson and bass Robert-John Edwards psyched themselves up by listening to Messiah as well.

But it was the singers themselves, supposedly amateur compared to their more professional counterparts, who really brought Haydn’s great work to life with their passion, conviction and vibrance.

With a fully fledged orchestra in support, Haydn’s Creation took on a whole new magnificence of its own.

During the interval, Robin said: “From a conductor’s point of view, Haydn’s Creation is one of the most complicated pieces I’ve ever had to perform. There are so many changes of tempo, stops and pauses in it, whereas with Handel’s Messiah you can get going and keep going. The choir and I had been rehearsing The Creation since the beginning of January and I spent considerable hours studying the hours. All Saints Church, Holbeach, was a lovely acoustic setting to be in, there was such a friendly atmosphere in the church and we felt very happy here.”

Carrie-Ann, originally from Cheshire before graduating in vocal and operatic studies from Birmingham Conservatoire in 2013, said: “I found The Creation much more challenging than other oratorios I’ve done, but it also gave me the opportunity to do a lot more individual arias, really pull it about and make it my own, whilst keeping to the context of it at the same time.

“The South Holland Singers were amazing and working with them and the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra has taken me on so much.”

Music Review by Winston Brown, Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian, 7th May 2014

Moving to St Mary and St Nicolas Church, Spalding Parish Church, the Choir presented three of Handel’s Coronation Anthems, along with a modern work “Fire from Heaven” by Ian Schofield. The Coronation Anthems were a straightforward sing for the Choir, whereas Fire from Heaven proved to be a more challenging piece. Baritone Soloist was Alasdair Baker, Musical Director of Peterborough Male Voice Choir. We were very privileged to have the Composer and his wife with us at the concert.

The Singers were conducted by Musical Director, Robin Carter, and we were accompanied by David Shepherd at the organ and the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra Brass Ensemble and Percussion.

On Thursday 11th October 2012 at St Mary and St Nicolas Church (The Parish Church) Spalding we held a concert “Together we sing”, a joint Concert with our friends from Spalding’s twin town Speyer, Germany.

Mozartchor Speyer joined with South Holland Singers as a tribute to the late Ron Ledbury, former musical director of SHS.

We sang together Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Elgar’s Songs from the Bavarian Highlands in recognition of HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Accompanists: David Shepherd and Dagmar Wolf-Hauß.

There were also separate contributions from each of the Choirs:

Mozartchor Speyer sang German Folk songs a capella. | Mozartchor Speyer Dirigent: Dieter Hauß | Website: www.mozartchor-speyer.de

South Holland Singers sang Popular songs, “Just the way you move tonight”, “The Heavenly Aeroplane” and English Folk songs

SHS Musical Director: Robin Carter | Accompanist: David Shepherd

Spring Concert 2012

On Saturday 28th April 2012 at All Saints Church, Holbeach. In the first segment we presented the Duruflé Requiem, Op. 9.

After the Interval, Fauré’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” and the well-loved Fauré Requiem, Op. 48 The Soloists were Daniel Stone (Treble), Molly Barrett (Soprano), David Jones (Baritone) and John Tilling (Bass Baritone) Organ Accompaniment by David Shepherd Musical Director: Robin Carter. The concert was held in memory of  late choir members David Roberts and Julie Tilling

During a week long visit from 27th April to 4th May 2010, to Spalding’s twin Town, Speyer, we joined the Mozartchor for their Grand Concert on Sunday 2nd May 2010 in the Weltraumhall in the Speyer Technical Museum.

A massive performance of Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”. It was described by our German friends on their website http://www.mozartchor-speyer.de/ “Ein imposantes Erlebnis” -An impressive experience!

It was a memorable experience for those who went. Robin Carter writes: “Sixteen Choir members and friends went on the trip to Speyer. They were each given a welcome by their hosts, and at the Concert in the Technical Hall singers from South Holland Singers and I received a rapturous ovation from the nearly 900 in the audience! It was tinged with sadness as it was the last Mozartchor concert conducted by our friend Udo-Rainer Follert, who is retiring to the Black Forest region in Southern Germany.” A full press cutting can be read here (in German).

On Saturday, 16th April 2011, at the Parish Church of St. Mary and St. Nicolas, The Vista, Spalding. we presented Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D minor (K. 626) and Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de confessore (K. 339).

Featuring the South Holland Singers with the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra, (Director Malcolm Goodman), and Soloists Soprano – Glenys Page, Mezzo-Soprano – Cathy Bell, Tenor – Ian Priestley and Baritone – Robert-John Edwards. Two grand works which made for another memorable Concert. We were also treated to a stunning solo performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano piece, given by our former Accompanist, Megan King and a rousing perfomance of Telemann’s Trumpet work, with the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra’s principal Trumpeter. Played on the piccolo Trumpet, the work was enjoyed by a discerning audience at the Parish Church.

This was held on Thursday, 16th April at Spalding Parish Church. 2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Haydn’s death, so it is particularly appropriate that South Holland Singers chose to perform ‘The Seasons’. Soloists were Glenys Page (soprano), Alastair Baker (baritone) and Adam Martin (tenor), accompanied by David Shepherd on organ, Carolyn Sumner on Piano and Roy Philips on the Harpsichord.

The South Holland Singers, conducted and directed by Robin Carter, were joined by the Mozartchor from Speyer, our German twin town, who made a welcome return to Spalding for this event. ‘The Seasons’ was in fact Haydn’s last major composition and first performed in German, but for this performance it was sung from an English edition. Mozartchor’s Musical Director, Udo-Rainer Follert, accompanied the Choir from Germany.

On Good Friday 2008, at St John’s Church, which must have been one of the coldest and wintriest Easter evenings for years, the Choir sang JH Maunder’s Olivet to Calvary. This early 20th century work was well received by a small but dedicated audience, who turned out for this devotional concert. We were privileged to invite Bass David Jones from Spalding and Tenor Leslie Crowson from Peterborough as our soloists.

As usual, the Conductor was our resident Musical Director, Robin Carter, and we were accompanied by David Shepherd on the Church organ.

At the early summer concert on Saturday 22nd May 2010, South Holland Singers presented Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” at The Parish Church of St Mary and St Nicolas, Spalding. Featuring the combined choirs of South Holland Singers (MD – Robin Carter) and Cantemus (MD – EW) with the George Farmer Technology and Language College Junior Choir, led by their music teacher, Miss Sam Graper. Soloists for Carmina Burana were Soprano – Glenys Page, Tenor – Leslie Crowson and Baritone – Robert-John Edwards.

The Choir were accompanied by Carolyn Sumner and Roy Philips on two grand pianos, and with percussion accompaniment from the Lincolnshire Chamber Orchestra Percussion Ensemble. The first half of the concert included included two pieces from the percussion ensemble, An African Song and two Elgar songs by the choir and a piano duet from Carolyn and Roy.

On Saturday, 3rd December 2011. At the Parish Church of St. Mary and St. Nicolas, The Vista, Spalding

We presented: High Tide by Colin Hand. Written by Lincolnshire Composer Colin Hand in 1979, using the text of the poem “High Tide on The Coast of Lincolnshire” by Jean Ingelow, a Boston born Victorian poet. It was originally commissioned by the Boston Choral Society.

Totus Tuus by Henryk Górecki. Written by Polish composer Górecki for unaccompanied mixed choir in 1987, he composed the piece to celebrate Pope John Paul II’s third pilgrimage to his native Poland that summer, and the work remains his best-known a cappella choral piece of the 1980s.

Also

“Sing” a song based on Widor’s Toccata by David Willcocks, a version of Psalm 150 by Cesar Franck; “Celebration”, a specially composed Organ work “Celebration” by Oliver Ledbury.

It featured the South Holland Singers with organ accompaniment by Marc Murray of St. Botolph’s, Boston (The Stump).

Unfortunately, the expected items from Boston-based close harmony group “SingEasy”, led by Robin Carter, were unable to be performed due to one of their singers being indisposed.