** Those on Broadband can also hear us singing several other items!
John Dunford, our Director of Music.
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Our recruiting drive has been too successful !
Please see our 'Membership - come and join us' page.
ABOUT THE SOCIETY
We were founded in 1975 and have more than 100 members, of whom over 90 are regular singers - 96 were present at a recent rehearsal. The atmosphere at our weekly rehearsals is entirely friendly and informal.
We are a registered charity (Charity No. 510264) which, under its constitution, is to 'prepare music for performance and . . . to educate . . . through the presentation of a series of concerts throughout the season'.
But that's putting it rather formally - we all have a common love of choral singing and our objective is simple - to sing and enjoy singing!
The ability to sight-read is useful but not essential. No sight reading test or audition is required.
We are often asked to provide a choir for special occasions, such as weddings, and are naturally delighted to do so.
What do we sing?
Under the enthusiastic direction of John Dunford, we have covered an enormous range of choral work over the last few years. These have included the Requiems by Mozart, Brahms, Fauré, Rutter and Duruflé, Haydn's Harmonie Messe, Maria Theresa Mass and The Creation, Stainer's Crucifiction,
Mendelssohn's Elijah and Hymn of Praise, Vivaldi's Gloria, a Bach Cantata, his St John Passion and half of his Mass in B Minor, part of his Christmas Oratorio, Rossini's Petite Messe Solenelle and, of course, Handel's Messiah which has become a regular feature before Christmas.
Many think our Judas Maccabaeus (Handel) in April 2008 was probably our best concert yet. ("a memorable performance which must rank as one of the best concerts this very fine choir has sung." - from a review in the Wetherby News)
and we sang Mozart's Solemn Vespers and "Great Mass" in November 2008.
You can listen to extracts from some of these if you go to our " HEAR US IN ACTION " page.
As 'specials' we sang Mozaert's Requiem at the Boston Spa Parish Church in April 2006 and J.H.Maunder's 'Olivet to Calvary' on Good Friday, 2008 at Boston Spa Methodist Church.
On 11 November 2006 a remark was over-heard at the conclusion of a rather special
rendition of Karl Jenkins's The Armed Man - A Mass for Peace and Jonathan Wilcocks's Lux Perpetua;
"Aren't we lucky to have such a wonderful choir in Wetherby?"
We aim to put on four major concerts a year.
Our normal "home" is St James's Church, Wetherby (by kind permission of the vicar
and church wardens) but in March 2004 we joined with the Ashville College Choral Society in the Leeds Town Hall to sing Carl Orff's Carmina Burana and Finzi's
Intimations of Immortality.
Two years previously we sang Verdi's Requiem with them there, and in 2007 we again joined the school in the Town Hall to sing Puccini's 'Messa di Gloria' and a rousing 'Feel the Spirit' by John Rutter.
We finished the 2006 - 07 season on 16 June with a Gala Concert at Wetherby, singing a mixture of different music and ending up with many of the Rutter pieces sung in March. Again another nice plaudit overheard leaving the church,
"The best thing I've ever heard them do".
Finally, the profesional's point of view. Writing in the Yorkshire Post, John Denton said of our Puccini's Messa di Gloria;
"Of course I have heard more technical, perfect performances from big time city choirs, but this one I found an absolute delight, the choir's enjoyment of the music so potent it would have been a stony heart that could have remained unmoved."
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DIRECTOR OF MUSIC: John Dunford
ACCOMPANIST: Marjorie Hodlin
CHAIRMAN: Hilary Rowland
SECRETARY: Suzanne Breakwell - Tel: 0113 289 2546.
TREASURER: John Davies - Tel: 01937 583 126
ENQUIRIES: Tel: 01937 843 887
John Dunford
John began his musical career as a treble in Birmingham Parish Church Choir. He continued his musical training at Trinity College of Music studying organ, singing, piano, harpsichord and conducting where he won the Choral Conducting prize and was appointed Senior Student of the College in his final year.
Although John earns his living as a teacher he maintains an active professional musical career. He has played the organ for concerts and services in many English Cathedrals as well as several Cathedrals on the Continent, and for a short time
co-directed the music at Sheffield Cathedral. He was for six years Choirmaster at St Wilfrid's Church, Harrogate and for a short while was Director of Music at Christ Church, High Harrogate.
One of John's trademarks is his vocal dexterity. While professionally he sings most frequently as a tenor soloist, he has also had engagements as a bass and a countertenor. He sings regularly with Sheffield Bach Society and Sheffield Oratorio
Chorus as well as performances in Wakefield Cathedral with the Yorkshire Chamber Choir and other Choral Societies in the Yorkshire area. Among recent concerts he has sung Evangelist in Bach St John Passion, taken the title role in Britten St Nicolas, and sung the extraordinary swan solo in Carmina Burana in performances in Sheffield and Harrogate as well as performances of most of the Classical Masses and Requiems.
As a bass he has sung Bach Magnificat, St Matthew Passion, and as a counter-tenor he has sung Haydn Nelson Mass, Bach St John Passion, Magnificat and Vivaldi Gloria for
alto solo and choir. He deputises as a lay clerk at Ripon Cathedral singing as a tenor on a Ripon Cathedral CD and on broadcasts of Choral Evensong with the Cathedral Choir as an alto. He has also broadcast on Radio and Television as an
organist and conductor.
John's career has moved through ambitions as an organist, to establishing a solo vocal career (much to his surprise), but currently, away from the classroom, devotes most of his energies to choral conducting. While a student at Trinity College of
Music he formed and directed a Chamber Choir which won considerable acclaim. Among the choir's invitations was one to sing in Fairfield Hall, Croydon to sing the
semichorus in Elgar The Dream of Gerontius. A professional group of ten singers which he created has made a recording in collaboration with the choir of Cork Cathedral, although, at the time, John was at an International Music Festival in Rome working with Arthur Oldham and Claudio Abbado.
John is Director of Music at Ashville College, Harrogate. He conducts both Wetherby Choral Society and Ripon Choral Society and was, until recently conductor of the St Oswald Singers, in Sowerby. He has held the position of Director of the New
Westminster Chorus, Marlow Choral Society, and deputy and guest conductor of Sheffield Bach Society and Harrogate Philharmonic Orchestra. Future singing engagements include Handel Israel in Egypt and Taylor I have a Dream in Sheffield Cathedral, and the Swan solo in Carmina Burana in Peterborough Cathedral.
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Marjorie Hodlin
Marjorie's first love has always been accompanying - she describes herself as "addicted to dots". She studied for 4 years at the Royal Accademy of Music, moving then into a Head of Music post at Pontefract and District Girls High School. After having her family, she pursued freelance work teaching piano and
accompanying. She was a founder repetiteur with Opera North and has played for Leeds Festival Chorus for 25 years, working with many notable conductors and soloists. She has accompanied Wetherby Choral Society for over 20 years.
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SPONSORS
The Society wishes to express its sincere gratitude to our Sponsors for their very kind and generous support. We list them below.
The economics of choral singing are such that, now that our government funding has been withdrawn, it would be hard indeed for us to maintain standards, let alone continue to put on four major concerts a year, without our Sponsors' support. As we lose between £1,000 and £2,000 on every concert we put on, it would actually pay us to put on only three concerts a year rather than four! But that is not what we are about.
We should very much welcome further Sponsors, both from individuals and from businesses and family or charitable trusts. If you would like to discuss this, please contact our Sponsorship Secretary Peter Jackson on 07760 176 414
or by e-mail at:
Please note that this is in a form that cannot be read by 'spammers' and is therefore not a direct link to Peter's e-mail address.
The Olav Arnold Charitable Trust
Wetherby solicitors
HartLaw LLP
HALCYON HEALTHCARE, Wetherby.
MILLS & REEVE
is a full service national law firm, the Leeds office of which specialises in all aspects of family law. Top rated for family law in the independent guides. Part of the largest family law team in the world and on your doorstep.
HBOS Annuity Service,
part of HBOS plc, the combuined Halifax and Bank of Scotland group.
"FINE & COUNTRY HOMES", the Wetherby branch of
ManningStainton , property professionals.
Finally, our grateful thanks to ACADEMY FLORISTS CHURCH STREET, WETHERBY (01937 582277) who so kindly assist us by selling tickets for our concerts.
The Society is also grateful for the continued support given by MAKING MUSIC and BRITISH CHOIRS ON THE NET, but we regret that we can now no longer record our thanks to ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND as, in common with most other choral societies, our annual grant has been withdrawn. It is said that this is because of the need to finance the Olympic Games! Instead, they are going to send someone to come and tell us how to raise money. What do they think we've been doing all these years?
It is also said that no politician dares to cut opera funding. It is therefore interesting to note that the 2007 - 08 grant for Opera North (without doubt a most worthy cause) went up from £8,757,500 to £9,153,800. A special grant of £16,500,000 has recently been spent on their splendid new centre in Leeds, and they have in 2008 - 09 been given an extra £3,500,000 towards its running costs.
And we read that the
Daytones Barbershop Harmony Chorus , meeting in Clifford but drawing its membership from the same area as us, was awarded a Lottery grant of £7,005 to purchase new uniforms, fund a new Singing Course, purchase professional tuition, new music and - wait for it - a new TEA URN!
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WELCOME . . . to the second Harrogate Festival Choral Course !
This course will be held at Queen Ethelburga's Collage, between Harrogate and York, from 25 to 30 August 2009 and is open to singers with some experience of choral work. Participants will rehearse intensively under the expert direction of John Dunford to bring together a performance of Handel's Israel in Egypt in Ripon Cathedral. Singers can also sing in a male or a female voice choir, leading to a concert at Queen Ethelburga's on the Friday evening, featuring young musicians and 'An Audience with Dr SimonLindley'. Vocal masterclasses will held to enable singers to learn more about the art of performing.
Feedback from delegates on the first Harrogate Festival Choral Course was overwhelmingly positive, so read what they said and to find out more about HFCC
please visit HARROGATE FESTIVAL CHORUS COURSE
Music Matters
Gareth Green and Andrew Padmore (Director of Music, Harrogate Choral Society) and
MUSIC MATTERS
run a "Come and Sing" weekend in the spring in Harrogate and another at Sneaton Castle, Whitby in October every year. In October 2008 they sang Mendelssohn's Elijah and in October 2009 they will be doing Brahms' Requiem - see
SNEATON CASTLE WEEKEND
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Other useful web sites
WETHERBY TOWN - INFORMATION
MAKING MUSIC in Yorkshire
ARTS COUNCIL
RIPON CHORAL SOCIETY
HARROGATE CHORAL SOCIETY
KNARESBOROUGH CHORAL SOCIETY
THE MUSIC-ROOM - North East listings
WETHERBY COMMUNITY WEB SITE
ST JAMES'S CHURCH, WETHERBY
ST JAMES'S CHURCH CHOIR
LEEDS CITY GUIDE
WETHERBY LIONS
WETHERBY TODAY
"GUIDESTAR" charity information web site
THE REALLY BIG CHORUS Concerts from Scratch
BRITISH CHOIRS ON THE NET
British Choirs on the net - COME AND SING page
SING FOR PLEASURE
LEEDS GUILD OF SINGERS
MICKLEGATE SINGERS
THE OUSEBURNS CHOIR,
based at Great Ouseburn and Little Ouseburn, is always glad to welcome new members.
PLEASE NOTE: The links to other Web sites, addresses and info about rehearsal aids have now been moved to our 'Rehearsals' page.
Disclaimer
Wetherby Choral Society provide links to other web sites as a convenience to you. We do not monitor or control the content of any other web site and assume no responsibility or liability of any kind for the material or communications available at such web sites.
PLEASE . . .
Please let me have other useful web site addresses or any information which may be of interest. PLEASE tell me if any links to other web sites no longer work,
and PLEASE tell me if you find any typos or other errors. I know I can't sing, but it seems I can't spell or type either!
This site is maintained by me on behalf of Wetherby Choral Society and was last played about with on 20 April 2009.
HERE'S MY E-MAIL ADDRESS in a form I hope the "e-mail crawlers" and "spammers" cannot read, or you can ring me on 01423 324344:-
Thank you very much for visiting this site
ANTHONY BLACKMORE
© Wetherby Choral Society 2009
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