O Holy Night!

image What an immense joy it was to hear the choir singing those beautiful harmonies at the parish carol service last night. Well done everyone, you’ve worked really hard on this challenging arrangement of Adolphe Charles Adams’ “O Holy Night” and I know at times some of you felt pushed out of your comfort zone in the learning process.  But you rose to the challenge, stepimageped up to the plate magnificently and produced a most wonderful sound which went down a storm with many of the congregation.  I had so many people afterwards coming up to me saying how much they’d enjoyed our choir’s performance and how they were left wanting moreimage (next time we’ll sing all the verses maybe?)   I especially want to thank you all for welcoming both Amelya and Izzy to join us for this one-off performance singing the female solo.  I think you will agree that having such a range of voices enabled us to produce a truly rich and magnificent sound.  I am inordinately proud of your success and all that you have achieved through your hard work and dedication.  Long may it continue!  Looking forward to Sunday’s mass and the new, vigil mass on Christmas Eve.  By which time we’ll all be ready for a well-earned break to recharge the vocal batteries.  photo (39)Last but by no means least, thank you dear friends for your generosity in buying me the flowers and chocolates.  It was so very kind and thoughtful of you.

On Faith and Music

Here’s the renowned, Scottish composer James MacMillan talking about how his faith influences his work.  I thought it might interest the choir to read about how composers write psalms as it’s something that we sing regularly.  He’s one of the most prolific, choral composers of our time, responsible for some of my favourite pieces of work such as his setting of the Mieserere mei and the wonderful, advent piece O Radiant Dawn.

 

Review of Epsom Civic Society Concert on 17th Octobe

ANNUAL BUFFET SUPPER PARTY

“A delightful evening” was the general consensus on the 2014 supper party held on Friday 17th October in St. Joseph’s Church Hall. Eighty-one members, friends and family were joined by the Mayor, Councillor Robert Foote, and his wife, Rosemary – both ECS members. [….]  2cf4d0d0-27b6-463c-8f77-5e60f9c0e220However the highlight of the event was the St. Joseph’s Family Choir, conducted by Helen Wade and accompanied on the piano by Alex Watson. The thirteen in the choir had a varied repertoire from Bob Dylan to Bizet finishing up with Paddy on the Railway. Their soloists, Sandra Dunn, Amanda Mathers, Paul Tooke and Phil Wells were joined by guest artists Amelya Goldy (soprano) and a name for the future, Amelya’s pupil Elspeth Marrow (mezzo-soprano) – what amazing musical talent lurks around Epsom!
Sheila Wadsworth