Steventon Choral Society

Concerts in 2004 - 2005

Saturday 11th June: A Capital Concert – light music with a London theme

Steventon Village Hall

Musical director: Terry Pearce

Pianist: Debbie Jordan

Guest solist: Sam(antha) Murray (alto)

The choir began the evening with a medley of songs from Lionel Bart's Oliver and an arrangement by a local musician, Tom Robinson, of A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (words by Manning Sherwin). Sam Murray made her first appearance to sing Chacun à son Goût from Johann Strauss's opera Die Fledermaus. She was followed by Rachel Vevers (soprano) singing Noel Cowards's London Pride before Terry Pearce (bass) led the choir in a performance of the Yeomen of England from Edward German's operetta Merrie England and Diana Bowder (soprano) sang a Elizabethan song. Members of the choir of St Michael's and All Angels Church, Steventon, then sang the popular hymn, Love Divine All Loves Excelling, and John Hunt performed the comedy monologue 'Enry 'igginbotham's 'istory of the Magna Carta. The first half of the concert continued with the choir singing Sir Arthur Sullivan's The Long Day Closes and Wendy Moore (alto) singing I Don't Know How to Love Him from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar.

Music by Gilbert and Sullivan completed the first half. First Helen Pearce (soprano) sang Poor Wondering One from The Pirates of Penzance. Sam Murray and the men then sang The Screw May Twist from Yeomen of the Guard and the choir performed a short selection of pieces from Iolanthe including solos from Sam Murray (alto), Tom Hartley (bass) and Bert Branker (bass).

A performance – with dancing – of the Lambeth Walk started the second half of the concert. The choir then sang a medley from Lerner and Lowe's My Fair Lady and Sam Murray sang I Hate Men from Kiss Me Kate by Cole Porter before a return to Yeomen of the Guard for the quartet Strange Adventure sung by Alex Freeman (soprano), Salma Azmeh (alto), Debbie Jordan (tenor) and Terry Pearce (bass). An arrangement by Terry Pearce of the Ralph McTell hit Streets of London sung by the choir was followed by a folk song from Rebecca Joisce about a girl from the north of England who lived in London but longed for home.  Sam Murray continued her vendetta against men with a terrific performance of the popular music hall song Why Am I Always the Bridesmaid.

Helen Pearce and the choir performed Flash Bang Wallop from Half A Sixpence. A London sing-song led by John Hunt featuring May Be It's Because I'm A Londoner, My Old Man, I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts, When Father Papered the Parlour, Daisy Bell, I'm Hennery The Eighth I Am and Down At The Old Bull and Bush allowed the audience to join in the fun before a rousing end to the evening with the choir giving their all in Land of Hope and Glory by Edward Elgar.

Saturday 16th April: Spring Concert

St Andrews Church, Letcombe Regis (near Wantage)

£910 was raised for the Restoration Fund at St Michael and All Angels Church, Letcombe Bassett

Musical director: Terry Pearce

Organist: Debbie Jordan

Fauré's Requiem with Rebecca Joisce (soprano) and Leslie Macleod-Miller (baritone)

Haydn's Little Organ Mass (Kleine Organ Messe) with Helen Pearce (soprano)

A selection of solos and small groups singing sacred music:

Rejoice in the Lord Alway (the Bell Anthem) by Purcell — Wendy Moore (alto), Gerry Brewer (tenor) and Terry Pearce (bass)

O Lovely Peace from Judas Macabeus by Handel — Helen Pearce (soprano) and Diana Bowder (mezzo-soprano)

Lord God of Abraham and It is Enough from Mendelssohn's Elijah — Leslie Macleod-Miller (baritone)

Ave Maria by Puccini — Leslie Macleod-Miller (baritone)

All People that on Earth Do Dwell attributed to Thomas Tallis — Trish Napper (soprano), Salma Azmeh (alto), Debbie Jordan (tenor) and Terry Pearce (bass

Sunday 20th March: Spring Concert

St Michael & All Angels Church, Steventon in aid of the Church Organ Fund

Musical director: Terry Pearce

Organist: Debbie Jordan

This concert was the same as that presented on 16 April at St Andrews Church, Letcombe Regis.

The concert raised £212 for the Church Organ Fund.

Sunday 13th March: The Blue Ginger Tsunami Fund Raising Day

Steventon Village Hall

Steventon Choral Society sang a short programme of songs from the shows as part of the entertainment at an event brought about by Mohammed Mustak, co-owner of the Blue Ginger Indian Restaurant in Steventon and other local people. The day raised around £2500 for the disaster appeal.

Thursday 16th December and Saturday 18th December

Winter Wonderland - a concert of Christmas music and carols

Steventon Village Hall

Musical director: Terry Pearce

Pianist: Debbie Jordan

Proceeds of £792 from the Saturday Concert were donated to the Sue Ryder Care Hospice at Nettlebed, Henley-on-Thames. The audience heard from one of the charity's trustees, Brigadier Nick Thompson, about the work of the hospice.

The choir opened the concert with We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Its other pieces in the first half were the ever popular songs, Winter Wonderland and White Christmas, and the traditional carols, Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly , List Our Merry Carol and The Carollers (also known as the Hendred Carol). These items were interspersed with six audience carols (see below) and items from individual choir members. A trio of Alex Freeman (soprano), Rachel Vevers  (soprano) and Wendy Moore (alto) sang There Is No Rose from Benjamin Brittan's Ceremony of Carols and Rebecca Joisce (soprano) sang a traditional Irish carol, the Wexford Carol (a carol associated with St Aidan's Cathedral in Enniscorthy and also known as the Enniscorthy Carol), while accompanying herself on a 20th century folk music harp. John Hunt's choice of monologue this year was a story of a nativity play performed by an eager infant class. Mozart's Hallelujah was the choice of Helen Pearce (soprano).

The second half began with something slightly different - Rockin' around the Christmas Tree with Terry Pearce on vocals and guitar, and featuring dancers Hayley Binch, Francis Broadbent, Pauline James, Debbie Jordan, Rebecca Joisce, Trish Napper, Rachel Vevers, Salma Azmeh and Tom Hartley. Santa Claus behind the Christmas tree was Ted Lay.

This was followed by Terry Pearce (Thursday)/Wendy Moore (Saturday) leading the audience in When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney and I Saw Mommy, and the choir singing about Frosty the Snowman. Mo Hunt, accompanied by the choir, told the story of the Twelve Days of Christmas as rewritten by John Julius Norwich (the daily thank-you letters from Emily to unseen admirer Edward) and Debbie Jordan played a Christmas arrangement on the piano (on Saturday evening this was a four-hand piece with a former guest pianist, Michael Evans). A small group of singers (Helen Pearce, Trish Napper, Mo Hunt, Caroline Miller, Jack Jarvis, John HUnt, Gerry Brewer and Terry Peace) offered We Wish You the Merriest. Terry Pearce sang Greg Lake's song, I believe in Father Christmas, accompanying himself on the guitar. After the chairman's speech from Caroline Miller, the concert ended with the choir singing John Rutter's arrangement of Home is a Special Kind of Feeling and Percy Fletcher's setting of the Christmas poem, Ring Out Wild Bells, by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

During the second half, the choir sang Prince Charlie's Farewell in memory of Teresa Barry, a choir member for many years and a former chairman, who died after a short illness on 9 November 2004.

Ding Dong Merrily On High

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Good Christian Men Rejoice

Hark the Herald Angels Sing

In the Bleak Midwinter

Jingle Bells

O Come All Ye Faithful

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Once in Royal David's City

The First Nowell

The Holly and the Ivy

When a Child is Born

Saturday 4th December: Concert with Wantage Silver Band
Wantage Civic Hall
The choir was a guest of Wantage Silver Band, singing two groups of items in each half of the concert. In the first half, the choir sang a medley of songs from Lerner and Lowe's My Fair Lady, An American Trilogy, John Rutter's arrangement of Home is a Special Kind of Feeling and song Oklahoma from the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Terry and Helen Pearce sang the duet Bless This House. The first half of the concert ended with a selection of rousing melodies played by fellow guests, the Reading Scottish Pipe Band under Pipe Major Ronald Paterson.

Christmas was the theme of the second half of the concert, with the choir singing a variety of seasonal songs - Winter Wonderland, White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman and - and traditional carols - The Carollers (also known as the Hendred Carol), List Our Merry Christmas and Ring Out Wild Bells. One of our contraltos, Wendy Moore, joined the band to sing Walking in the Air from the Snowman. The evening ended with the choir and audience joining with the band in a selection of popular carols.

The concert raised around £400 for the Band's new hall fund.