Saturday 16 March 2024 7.30pm Banqueting Suite, Newcastle Civic Centre Orchestra North East Soprano : Ruth Jenkins-Róbertsson Alto : Heather Jill Burns Tenor : Austin Gunn Bass : Andri Björn Róbertsson Musical Director : Mark Anyan Tickets £20 with Free Programme Free for under – 18’s with a paying adult £10 Full – time students & unwaged Available online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/newcastle-choral-society Card payments or cash on the door Our first concert of 2024 featured two very different settings of the Roman Catholic Mass. Haydn’s Nelson Mass was followed by Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass. Haydn’s foremost biographer and leading authority H C Robbins Landon has described the Nelson Mass as arguably the composer’s greatest single composition. Praise indeed when one considers the huge output of music in all genres that Haydn composed, most of which has become firmly established in the modern repertoire. Certainly the work is full of the energetic tunefulness and lyrical beauty one associates with Haydn, added to glorious and virtuosic solo writing alongside great chorus work, all accompanied by orchestration which benefits from the composer’s long experience of writing instrumental music. Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass sets the text musically in a way that takes one from the vastness of the universe to the familiarity of Earth with the development of our self-awareness and life in civilised society. The composer sees this as a metaphor for a spiritual journey transcending conflict and dissonance. The music is constantly appealing, written for chorus and strings from which colourful and atmospheric effects are imaginatively drawn. It is a modern work, dating from 2018, providing a fine and contrasting companion to the...
Following on from the successful collaborative concert in June 2022, NCS are delighted to be joining the Newcastle Youth Choir once more for ‘A Christmas Concert’ in the Banqueting Suite of Newcastle Civic Centre at 19.00 on Saturday 02.12.2023 North Tyneside Youth Symphony Orchestra will also be performing Featuring a combined performance of ‘The Night Before Christmas’ by Oliver Tarney a fun setting of the classic Christmas poem featuring bursts of well-known carols such as, God rest ye merry, gentlemen, O little town of Bethlehem, and We Wish you a Merry Christmas (well-suited to audience participation.) Also featuring ‘On Christmas Night’ by Bob Chilcott and ‘Sleigh Ride’ by Leroy Anderson. Tickets priced at £6 each or £20 for a family ticket (plusbooking fee). Email hello@newcastlesings.org, visit...
NEWCASTLE CHORAL SOCIETY is recruiting! Musical Director Mark Anyan Join our friendly choir as we celebrate 70 years of choral excellence, with three exciting concerts, culminating in our Anniversary Concert in 2024 Saturday 15 June 2024 7.30pm Newcastle Civic CentreMass in Blue with the composer Will Todd and his Trio‘Driving jazz grooves and clear, strong, choral writing!’ Plus our newly commissioned piece by renowned composer Kristina Arakelyan, funded by Northumberland Freemasons STEP ONE! Did you take it? Come and Sing with us Faure Requiem Saturday 11 November 2023 All Saints Church Akenside Hill Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3UF Musical Director Mark Anyan We welcomed guest singers into the beautiful setting of All Saints and enjoyed the Vocal Technique session with Mary Hitch. Mary is a freelance vocal coach and singing teacher and is the Study Leader in Singing at The Glasshouse (formerly) Sage Gateshead’s Young Musicians Programme, in which she coaches the most talented young singers in the north-east. NCS Accompanist Nick Butters Nick became the accompanist for Newcastle Choral Society in December 2021. He teaches and plays at the Centre for Advanced Training at the The Glasshouse and regularly accompanies the cellist, Deborah Thorne and soprano Mary Hitch, and the Wordsworth singers. Nick accompanied us at the Come and Sing. Mark Anyan NCS Musical Director took over for the rest of the session as we worked through the sublime Faure Requiem. We enjoyed a well deserved break for drinks and cakes – lots of them, before finishing the afternoon with a Beatles classic ‘And I love her’ Lots of lovely comments from our guest singers as they headed home. We hope some will be able to try us out as potential members....
A MIDSUMMER CELEBRATIONTraditional and Contemporary Choral works from Handel to Hagenberg, Boulanger to Beach including ‘Zadok the Priest’ and ‘I was Glad’. Saturday 24th June at 19.30 in Trinity Church Gosforth Soprano: Mary HitchSoprano: Katie OswellPiano: Nick ButtersOrgan: Kris ThomsettMusical Director: Mark Anyan £12 with free programme Free to under 18s with a paying adult(£6 for those in full time education or registered unemployed)Available online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/newcastle-choral-societyCard payments or cash on the door There will be a Pay bar in the interval – CASH ONLY please Our midsummer concert consists of a wide variety of music drawn from different periods. Monteverdi, Vivaldi and Handel, Mozart, Fauré and Parry are included as well as Ola Gjeilo Morten Lauridsen is currently one of America’s most performed composers,whose Sure on this Shining Night provides us with the title for our programme. We are also pleased to perform a number of works by female composers. Music written by women has often been unjustly neglected in the past but is now being given the attention it fully merits. Amy Beach, Lili Boulanger and Elaine Hagenberg provide a substantial contribution to our programme. In addition to the United Kingdom we visit the USA, France, Italy, and Norway.Quiet, contemplative music and rousing, joyful choruses provide great contrast and there are two items which, conforming with tradition, accompanied important sections of the recent coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, namely I Was Glad and Zadok the Priest.We are sure you will find much to enjoy in this well-chosen programme. FOR NOW Sing with Us – Two FREE sessions remaining: Discover: what it is like to sing with NCS. We are coming to the end of a series of monthly open rehearsals. Only Two more remain so come along at 7.30pm on the following Mondays: 22 May and 12 June. We started these sessions in February in great style, some participants choosing to come each week, in all sections. Join in – it’s not too late to get a flavour of NCS as we prepare a selection of choral favourites for our Summer Concert. These include works by Handel, Mozart, Lauridsen and Hagenberg, the latter choice, a sure winner to bring a tear to the eye! Sing with us in performance in the lovely setting of Trinity Church Gosforth on 24 June at 7.30pm! Beyond that become a fully fledged member of NCS and enjoy a rewarding choral experience with exciting opportunities ahead! Whats not to...
NEW Sing with Us – FREE sessions: Discover: what it is like to sing with NCS. We are running a series of monthly open rehearsals at 7.30pm on the following Mondays: 20 March,17 April, 22 May and 12 June. We started these sessions in February in great style, some participants choosing to come each week. Hurrah for Sopranos and Altos but we would love to welcome Basses and Tenors! Join in as we prepare a selection of choral favourites for our Summer Concert, including works by Handel, Mozart, Lauridsen and Hagenberg, the latter choice a sure winner to bring a tear to the eye! Sing with us in performance in the lovely setting of Trinity Church Gosforth on 24 June at 7.30pm! Beyond that become a fully fledged member of NCS and enjoy a rewarding choral experience with exciting opportunities ahead! Whats not to...
recruiting NOW
Step forward if you have:
What can you expect as a member of NCS?
Look what’s coming up:
‘Summer Thyme’ Sat June 30th Trinity Church Gosforth
And the BIG one! NCS as Guest Choir alongside Northern Spirit Singers
Britten’s War Requiem at Sage One Gateshead on Sat Nov 10th 2018 at 7.30pm
Conducted by John Forsyth MBE
JOIN NOW to be able to take part!! View pdf here Easter Recruitment
Contact: Tel: 0191 286 6338 or 01207 560555 email: enquiries@newcastlechoralsociety.org.uk
Start ? Monday 16th April 2018 19.30 -21.30
Where? Church of St John the Evangelist
Kingston Park Avenue
Newcastle upon Tyne NE3
NB Sat 21st April at Church of St John the Evangelist – a multimedia War Requiem presentation 10 -1pm by John Forsyth
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Newcastle Choral Society
Musical Director Mark Anyan
Elgar ‘Dream of Gerontius’
Saturday 24 March 2018, 7.30pm
Banqueting Suite Newcastle Civic Centre
Stephanie Lewis Mezzo Soprano
Adam Tunnicliffe Tenor
Philip Shakesby Bass
Elgar considered The Dream of Gerontius to be his finest work. Indeed it might be regarded as the greatest piece of music ever written by a British composer. Based on a poem by Cardinal John Henry Newman, the piece relates the journey of a man’s soul from his death bed, where he is attended by friends and a priest who pray for him in his last moments of life.
After death a Guardian Angel conducts his soul past demons and angels to the presence of God for judgement, and thence to the tranquillity of Purgatory to await a glorious re-awakening. The concert was well received by an appreciative audience. The work called for three soloists who represented respectively Gerontius, Priest and Angel. Adam Tunnicliffe was deemed to be ‘sensational’ as Gerontius and the rich voice of Stephanie Lewis gave depth and emotion to the role of the Angel. Philip Shakesby’s resonant bass voice gave power to the role of the Priest. There was a double chorus which incorporated a semi-chorus, portraying friends, demons and angels at various stages of the drama. Orchestra North East were superb and provided a wonderfully varied palette of sounds throughout the work, enhancing each phase of the journey.View pdf here
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OPEN REHEARSAL AWAITS YOU
Elgar: Dream of Gerontius
MONDAY 15TH JANUARY 2018
DREAM OF SINGING with a large mixed choir, professional soloists and one of the finest orchestras in the North East? Make your dreams come true! ALL WELCOME
ELGAR’S ‘DREAM OF GERONTIUS’
Open Rehearsal with Newcastle Choral Society and Musical Director Mark Anyan. Leading to a performance in the Banqueting Suite, Newcastle Civic Centre on March 24th 2018.
Considered to be one of the greatest pieces of music ever written by a British composer. The considerable numbers involved in this dramatic masterpiece make performances something of a rarity. Make sure you do not miss this opportunity to be a part of it!
Join us for the Free open rehearsal and if you would like to take part in the concert then sign up for the Spring term for £50.
To be a full member you would need to sign up for a short audition to remain with us.
When? Monday 15th January 2018 from 7.30pm – 9.30pm
Where? St John’s Church, Kingston Park Centre, Kingston Park Ave, NE3 2HB
Cost? FREE with coffee and cake
Contact? 07707 621312 / 07980 484598 / enquiries@newcastlechoralsociety.org.uk
Read the full flier here
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Newcastle Choral Society
Musical Director Mark Anyan
HALLELUJAH it’s Christmas!
Saturday 9 December 2017, 7.30pm
Trinity Church Gosforth
Handel – Messiah Part 1
Bob Chilcott – The Twelve Days of Christmas
Kris Thomsett organ
and special guests Quintessential Voices
Our Christmas programme was very well received by a near capacity audience! It began with music from Part I of Handel’s ever-popular Messiah. This section of the oratorio dealt with the prophecy of Christ’s coming, the circumstances of His birth, and rejoiced over the significance of the event, all as described in various books of the Bible. We sneakily added the famous Hallelujah! Chorus from Part 2, always a popular chorus.
After this impressive introduction to the festive season we lightened the mood with an imaginative version of The Twelve Days of Christmas by the prolific choral composer Bob Chilcott. Not to be missed, it incorporated some witty references to other well-known pieces of music and got the whole choir uplifted.
Our friends, a cappella group Quintessential Voices, added to the programme with their fine ensemble singing with a very catchy encore. The smiling audience joined us in some favourite carols. Kris Thomsett on the organ and piano was something else! Flying fingers and extremely competent.
If you want to stockpile our very eyecatching fliers , download HALLELUJAH it’s Christmas! here.
Our Away Day and Let’s SING!
23rd September 2017 was great fun!
We had a goodly number of guest singers joining us at Newcastle Falcons Platinum Suite Kingston Park where we learnt such a lot about Vocal Technique from the brilliant Miranda Wright – Masterclass leader and singing teacher Samling Academy; Head of Classical Singing Newcastle University; Durham Cathedral Choristers; National Youth Choirs of Great Britain
We enjoyed singing the MESSIAH CHORUSES and learning fun African songs with Mark Anyan
Director of Newcastle Choral Society; General Manager of National Youth Choir of Great Britain
If you are interested in joining the choir that ‘pushes the songboat out’ a little further than most choirs, register for an audition by contacting enquiries@newcastlechoralsociety.org.uk
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We had a special Summertime Treat on Saturday July 1st! Newcastle Choral Society led by Mark Anyan, joined forces with 60 children from 3 primary schools and the ‘Call Me Al’ quintet led by composer Alexander L’Estrange, to perform his joyous cantata ‘Ahoy’ Sing for the Mary Rose
This was a unique opportunity for the children from Seaton Sluice First School Whitley Bay, Eastlea Primary School Cramlington in south east Northumberland and from St Godrics RC Primary School in Durham to work with professional artists and the choir in the iconic Turbine Hall in The Castlegate, Melbourne Street Newcastle upon Tyne.
Specially designed banners hung from the 5m high steel columns in the Turbine Hall. Each school was given a signed banner to display in their school halls.
A quote from one of the Head teachers ‘It was a wonderful opportunity and I am sure that it is one that the children will remember forever. Thank you too for the banner which we will proudly hang in out school hall!‘
Funding was received from Hadrian Trust and the Roland Cookson Community Fund at the Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.
Support was also acknowledged from The Castlegate and Emma Bunting Creative Designer
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Bach ‘B Minor Mass’
Bach’s Mass in B minor stands as one of the finest works in all music.
Completed in the final years of his life it can be regarded as the crowning glory
in the career of one whom many regard as the greatest-ever composer
Saturday 25 March 2017 7.30
Banqueting Suite
Newcastle Civic Centre
Ruth Jenkins-Róbertsson soprano
Beth Mackay alto
Peter Davoren tenor
Andri Björn Róbertsson bass
Orchestra North East
Newcastle Choral Society
(Musical Director Mark Anyan)
£15 (£8 for those in full time education or
registered unemployed,
free to under 18s with a paying adult)
email: enquiries@newcastlechoralsociety.org.uk
Phone: 0191 2854868 or 0191 2866338
online www.wegottickets.com