TOP UK CLASSICAL SOLOISTS TO JOIN CHESTER CHOIR

One of Chester's top Choirs is preparing to stage a concert which will feature Choral Music by one of the UK's best loved classical composers and performances by two of the UK's leading soloists.

The Concert, staged by Chester Bach Singers will feature "The Music Makers" by popular English composer Sir Edward Elgar who is perhaps best known for compositions including "Nimrod", part of the Enigma Variations and "Pomp And Circumstance March No 1", better known as "Land of Hope and Glory". The concert, which takes place at the Wesley Church Centre in St. John's Street, Chester on Saturday 26^th March at 3pm, will also feature a performance of "In Praise of Mary" by Geoffrey Bush.

Joining the Chester Bach Singers on stage will be soloists Soprano Donna Lennard and Mezzo Soprano Joyce Tindsley, accompanist Catherine Barnett and conductor Martin Bussey.

Speaking about the pieces being performed during the concert, Helen Crich, Chair of Chester Bach Singers said "It's quite probable that you have never heard either of these musical gems before but, now is your chance to hear Chester Bach Singers, conducted by Martin Bussey and accompanied by Catherine Barnett at the piano, perform two choral works that deserve to be more widely known. The Music Makers was written in 1912 and first performed at the Birmingham Festival that year. It sets a poem by Arthur O'Shaughnessy to music and is scored for choir, mezzo-soprano soloist and orchestra. Our performance at Wesley Church Centre, with Catherine Barnett on piano will be a more intimate, but nonetheless moving experience, than the large-scale choral society versions enjoyed during the last century. We are delighted to welcome back Joyce Tindsley as our soloist. Joyce has sung with us many times and is also a very knowledgeable and experienced vocal coach and singing teacher.  Joyce was appointed vocal coach to the Huddersfield Choral Society in September 2017 and to the Keele Bach Choir in September 2018. The other work in the programme is also seldom heard today. Composed by Geoffrey Bush, "In Praise of Mary" takes familiar texts - familiar at least to lovers of Benjamin Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols" and crafts them into a work for choir and solo soprano.  First performed in 1955 at the Three Choirs Festival, "In Praise of Mary" is a joy both to sing and to listen to. Our soprano soloist, Donna Lennard, a former Chester Bach Singers Young Singer and now an established professional singer, will be warmly welcomed back to Chester following her recent UK tours in "The Little Prince" with the dance company Protein. We are very much looking forward to staging this concert to bring these two great works to our audience in Chester".

Full details of "The Music Makers" can be found at:

www.chesterbachsingers.org.uk 

...where tickets can be booked online.

Pictured - Chester Bach Singers will stage a concert of Choral Music in Chester.