FREE CHESTER CONCERT SET TO CELEBRATE WORK OF RENOWNED NORTH WEST BASED COMPOSER

A free concert staged by one of the North West's leading composers and musical directors is set to be staged at an historic Chester church, thanks to support from one of Chester's top choirs.

Entitled 'Pastures of the Spirit', the concert will take place at the Wesley Church Centre in St John Street Chester at 3.30pm on Saturday 8^th November. 

Sponsored by Chester Bach Singers and hosted by the choir's former long-serving Musical Director Martin Bussey, the concert will feature performances of a selection of Martin's own songs and instrumental music, interspersed with music by other composers including Schubert, Elgar and Bernstein.

Joining Martin for the special concert will be renowned Mezzo Soprano Joyce Tindsley, rising young performers French Horn player George Strivens, Tenor Tom Kelly and New Zealand born London based Baritone Jonathan Eyers.

Speaking about the special concert Martin said:

"It is a great honour for me that this concert is being sponsored and funded by Chester Bach Singers, as a result of very generous donations given to mark the occasion of my retirement as Musical Director in March 2025. I am delighted to be joined by Joyce Tindsley who has a longstanding association with me and CBS. Joyce will sing some of Elgar's Sea Pictures as well as some of my setting of Emily Bronte's works. The concert promises to be celebration of my composing and also support for young musicians including Manchester-born French horn player George Strivens. George is a real star and he is coming to play the solo horn piece I wrote for him called 'The Rites Observed'. George will then partner tenor Tom Kelly in Schubert's 'An dem Strom', for tenor, horn and piano. Tom will sing a new work of mine, the debut public performance of 'At the Grave of Henry Vaughan', setting a beautiful poem by Siegfried Sassoon. Completing the line-up is guest performer Jonathan Eyers, who hails from New Zealand and comes with an impressive CV."

Jonathan was awarded Third Prize at the 2024 Wigmore Hall/Bollinger International Song Competition.  Recent song performance highlights include recitals at St Martin-in-the-fields and the Armourers’ Hall, the Oxford International Song Festival, the London Song Festival, and recording Detlev Glanert’s Gesang des Achill for BBC Radio3. Passionate about contemporary music, this year Jonathan premiered new song works by Daniel Davis, Emily Hazrati, Nathan Williamson, and Luka Venter.  Jono has recently won a prize at the Cesti Baroque Opera Competition. Jonathan trained as a Young Artist on the Global Talent Programme at the National Opera Studio and completed the Opera Studies Course at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, studying with Robert Dean.  He holds a Master of Performance with Distinction from Guildhall and a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours at the University of Waikato.

Martin added:

"I came across Jono as he sang one of my Walt Whitman settings at the Barbican in July this year and I'm delighted that he's going to come and sing more of that Whitman cycle plus some non-Bussey as part of this concert. He's exactly the sort of singer I used to enjoy bringing to sing with Chester Bach Singers and will help the concert be a true celebration of my composing and also support for young musicians - which continues!" 

Helen Crich, the Chair of Chester Bach Singers said:

"There is completely free admission to this exciting event. You will have an opportunity to make a donation to show your appreciation on the day but you do not need a ticket - just arrive early enough to get a good seat! We are delighted to be able to sponsor this special event thanks to generous donations received on the occasion of Martin's retirement as our long-standing Musical Director earlier this year.  We look forward to seeing the concert space filled with Chester Bach Singers audience, regulars and friends, to celebrate the gifts and inspiration of a very special person."

Full details of Chester Bach Singers and all its upcoming concerts and events can be found at: 

www.chesterbachsingers.org.uk