Saturday!

Thanks all for such a great rehearsal.We are very excited about Saturday. The practical details will follow, but in the meantime here's the information I promised to help us all sell this gig. Pick and choose!

The Sage Gateshead Chamber Choir is singing on Saturday 23 July at Trinity Church, Gosforth, with the local young soprano Rachel Dyson.

Rachel Dyson (29) is from Morpeth and is studying with the wonderful Geordie English National Opera Bass soloist Graeme Danby. As well as developing her singing career, Rachel works as Project Leader for The Sage Gateshead CoMusica programme. Rachel has performed in many exciting venues including Wembley Stadium, York Minster and St. Mark’s in Venice but is always delighted to be asked to sing in the North East. Recent performances have included the 21^st George Walker Last Night of the Proms in Newcastle, Colombina in Lusvardi’s Colombo Tutto Tondo in Galway, the title role in Sullivan’s Patience at the Buxton Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, her first Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata in Leeds, touring with Heritage Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus and the soprano soloist for Handel’s Messiah for Guisborough Choral Society. Rachel is a young talent on the up and has to be heard to be truly appreciated.

Here’s Rachel in the Journal: http://tinyurl.com/3jsubb3

The Sage Gateshead Chamber Choir (http://tsgcc.blogspot.com/) is part of the organisation’s brimming Adult Programme and is made up of 40 enthusiastic singers from across the region. We sing a whole range of music from very ancient (including a French peasant madrigal about men being cuckolded) to right up to date (including a fabulous 7 part Ave Maria for male voices by Biebl), and aim for singing to really high standard whilst having a good time. In the concert the choir will be performing in any number of parts, accompanied by Jenny Martins (who plays for lots of local choirs, including The Sage Gateshead’s own Quay Voices and Philharmonic Voices). 

The choir is directed by Ed Milner. Ed is from the north east and is Head of Young Musicians Programme at The Sage Gateshead. He has worked with many choirs, and believes passionately that everyone has a voice to sing with. Ed studied at Sheffield and Newcastle and has played classical violin, fiddle and French horn in his time. Singing however is his first love. Ed is an experienced choral conductor; he has prepared choirs for performances of the Little Match Girl Passion (Lang) and for the BBC Free Thinking Festival. Ed is Head of Young Musician’s Programme at The Sage Gateshead. Ed loves working with the Chamber Choir; the first rehearsal 6 years ago consisted of Ed, 2 altos and a bass and he is very proud of the 40 singers who now regularly attend and sing together so passionately.

Jenny Martins is originally from Keighley, West Yorkshire and came to Newcastle to study Music in 2004. Since graduating she has worked all over the North East as a freelance musician. Jenny currently teaches the piano as well as working with several local choirs including Quay Voices, Streetwise choir, Philharmonic Voices, Northern Praeclassica and the newly established Femme Chorale. Jenny also accompanies regularly for soloists at all the local universities and performs with the chamber ensembles Sirocco Sextet and Newcastle Sinfonietta.

We are hoping for a really lovely summer concert wt a great crowd, and there is fizzy wine and strawberries in the interval. 

7pm, Saturday 23 July, Trinity Church Gosforth High Street, £8/£4