Programme £1

Saturday 18 July 2015 Victoria Hall, Hartley Wintney, 7.30pm

www.hartvoices.org.uk

Hart Voices - Summer Concert - 18 July 2015

Summer Concert 2015

PROGRAMME OF MUSIC

You are the new day (John David)

Mon Coeur Se Recommande a Vous (Anon) So Wünsch ich ihr (Franck)

Sospirava il mio core (Gesualdo)

Elen Hydref - Harp

My Sweetheart’s Like Venus (Holst)

Early One Morning (arr. John Rutter)

Mother I will Have a Husband (Vautor) Come Again (Dowland)

- Interval -

Please join us for some light refreshments during the interval

Hart Voices - Summer Concert - 18 July 2015

John Rutter’s Five Childhood Lyrics;

- Monday’s Child - The Owl and the Pussycat - Windy Nights - Matthew, Mark, Luke & John - Sing a song of Sixpence

Elen Hydref - Harp

Among The Leaves (arr. John Rutter)

O waly waly (arr. John Rutter)

That Lonesome Road (James Taylor, Don Grolnick) Eriskay Love Lilt (Trad.)

Thank you for joining us tonight - we very much hope you enjoyed the concert!

CAROL CONCERT

Sunday 6 December 2015 - Church of Our Lady, Fleet

Hart Voices - Summer Concert - 18 July 2015

Roy Rashbrook was educated at Dauntsey’s School, going on to study Music at Goldsmith’s College and Singing under Alexander Oliver, William McAlpine and Rudolf Piernay at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London. After a brief flirtation with a career in teaching, Roy became a professional singer in 1998, joining the world famous choir of Saint Paul’s Cathedral the following year; a position which offers some precious stability in the life of a freelance musician! In addition to the broadcasts, concerts, special events and daily services there, Roy also sings regularly with such groups as The King’s Consort and The Clerks, combining their various performing, touring and recording schedules with his work as a soloist, singing teacher and conductor. He has conducted several choirs and ensembles, including the Goldsmiths’ Chorus, The University of London Union Chorus, The Hanover Singers and Candlelight Opera. He is currently musical director of two choirs: Hart Voices (Fleet, Hampshire) and The Chantry Singers (Guildford, Surrey). Roy has performed as a soloist with many of Britain’s leading orchestras including the City of London Sinfonia, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the London Mozart Players. In addition to performances in all London’s best-known concert venues, his work has taken him all over the country and throughout Europe as well as to Israel and the States. He has appeared on many CD recordings, film soundtracks and radio and television broadcasts, both at home and abroad. Recent conducting work includes performances of Purcell’s and Handel’s Odes for St Cecilia’s Day, Stainer’s Crucifixion, Byrd’s Mass for Four Voices, Vivaldi’s Gloria and Mozart’s Dominican Vespers. Recent singing engagements include broadcasts of music from Agincourt on BBC Radio 3 with The Clerks and of the London 7/7 memorial service from St Paul’s Cathedral on BBC television, as well as tours to France, the Netherlands and the United States. Forthcoming conducting engagements include Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Vesperae de Confessore with Chantry Singers in Guildford. The next few months also include performances with The Clerks and The King’s Consort in Antwerp, Oxford, Cambridge and Bucharest.

ROY RASHBROOK Musical Director

Image courtesy of Polla Rashbrook

Hart Voices - Summer Concert - 18 July 2015

Elen was born in 1987 and brought up in Porthmadog, North Wales. She started singing in local Eisteddfodau at an early age before learning to play the piano, harp and flute. At the age of sixteen, having studied with Dylan Wyn Rowlands and Elinor Bennett in Wales, Elen began her studies at The Purcell School of Music, followed by the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Skaila Kanga and Catherine White.

ELEN HYDREF Harp

She graduated with a BMus First Class Honours degree from the Academy in 2011 followed by an MA with distinction and a DipRAM in 2012 which was kindly funded by The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Arts Council of Wales, Musicians Benevolent Fund and The Arts and Humanities Research Council.

As a soloist, Elen has been performing at venues across the UK and Europe since an early age. At the age of 12 she was chosen to perform in the ABRSM National Concert for High Achievers at Covent Garden. She performed at the European Harp Symposium in Lyon in 2004 and the World Harp Congress in Dublin in 2005. Elen has given recitals at Chichester Festivities, Colston Hall, 'Harp Masters' Switzerland and at the 40th Anniversary Festival of Camac Harps in Ancenis, France. In March 2012 she performed Debussy's 'Danses' with The Orchestra of St John's at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Elen is currently giving recitals across England and Wales as part of The Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme. Her debut CD was released with Sain Records in November 2012.

Elen's orchestral and chamber work include concerts with the Royal Opera House Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Norwegian National Opera, Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Royal Ballet Sinfonia & London Chamber Orchestra.

Elen has won many prizes in various Eisteddfodau and Gwyliau Cerdd Dant, including the Instrumental Blue Ribband under 16 at the 2002 National Eisteddfod. She was awarded second prize in the 2003 Texaco Young Musician of Wales competition and received the Walter Todds Prize in the 2004 BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. In 2011 she won the Camac Harp Competition in London and the Nansi Richards Scholarship. During her time at The Royal Academy of Music she won several awards including the Guy Magrath Harp Prize and the Renata Scheffel Stein Prize for the best harp final 2011 and 2012. She was a finalist in the Academy's 2012 Patron's Award at the Wigmore Hall and was highly commended in the RAM Club Prize 2012. She is a 2012 Martin Musical Scholarship Fund award winner.

Hart Voices - Summer Concert - 18 July 2015

Michael Whytock is a talented organist, pianist and composer with a degree in music and many years’ experience working as a musician.

He began studying the piano from age 7. This was followed by the organ and harpsichord, studying under Dr Christopher Kent while, alongside this, working as organist for his local church in Wiltshire. After gaining Grade 8 organ with distinction, Michael studied for, and gained a degree in music at the University of Chichester where he was accompanist to various local choirs and director and organist of the university chapel choir. It was during this time, he also gained his LTCL piano diploma. Since completing his degree Michael has been active as an accompanist, church organist, choir director, and recitalist. Alongside organ lessons with Julian Cooper, he currently works as a pianist/visiting tutor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, a post which he combines with freelance work as organist to many local churches. Michael is also active as a recitalist and has taken part in both performances with other instrumentalists and solo concerts; something he enjoys a lot. Recent venues have included St Sulpice, Paris, The Cathedral of Valvasone, Italy, and St Michael's Church Southampton.

MICHAEL WHYTOCK Associate Conductor

Vivaldi GLORIA

Saturday 21 November 2015

St Philip & St James Church Kings Road, Fleet

Conducted by Roy Rashbrook

+ Handel CORONATION ANTHEMS

Hart Voices - Summer Concert - 18 July 2015

Whilst eating our evening meal on that Monday we received a text message saying that All Saints Church was on fire.

At first we thought that this might be recycled news of the previous week’s attempted arson but a quick check of the internet confirmed that All Saints was indeed on fire. Sue & I finished our meal, drove into Fleet and, from a taped-off area in the car park opposite, we watched in shock as fire tore through the roof of the church. It was immediately obvious that very little would survive inside the building.

We have been worshipping in the Parish of Fleet at St Philip and St James (P&J) Church for some twenty years and whilst we were not at All Saints every week, we would often go to All Saints for services, so it was for us a familiar place with a very warm and welcoming congregation. Whenever we could, we would also sing at the monthly Choral Evensong in All Saints: the wonderful music, the beautiful brickwork and dramatic lighting gave a strong sense of timeless continuity of successive generations who had worshipped in the same way. It is quite difficult to fully understand that the physical context for all that has now gone for ever. I am extremely grateful that we were part of an inspiring, unaccompanied Evensong in All Saints just a week before the fire struck.

Hart Voices has had a long association with All Saints Church and after the fire we are continuing to rehearse each week in the Parish Community Centre. We have held many memorable concerts in All Saints, including most recently, Stainer’s The Crucifixion, a work that completely resonated with the church. In 2013, Hart Voices also performed a stunning Mozart’s Requiem in the Church and we are eternally grateful to have recorded some stunning photos, taken by Sean Haffey, of the choir in that wonderful building (you can find these all at www.hartvoices.org.uk - they are well worth a look).

Hart Voices also spent much of one year rehearsing in the Church itself whilst the new Parish Community Centre was being rebuilt. During this time, the Church lighting was also being replaced and so each week our members were to be found clambering around something of a building site to find somewhere to rehearse! As its choral home, Hart Voices has been a firm part of the All Saints community for some 40 years.

The week that followed the dramatic event of the fire was equally dramatic for the Parish.

For many in the congregation, clearly grieving for the loss of a much loved Church, All Saints represented the precious memories of christenings, weddings and funerals of generations of their families. Through the week following the fire there were many gatherings where all shared their feelings, tears and hopes.

Remembering All Saints Church

Following the devastating fire on 22 June 2015, which ravaged our beloved Concert Venue and choral “home”, our Chair Mike Huddie pays tribute to All Saints Church.

Hart Voices - Summer Concert - 18 July 2015

Two things became clear as the week progressed. Firstly, there was a groundswell of support from the community of Fleet, often from people who had no obvious connection with All Saints. A strong wish has been repeatedly expressed that the Church be rebuilt including some spontaneous donations. Secondly, the congregations of the two churches of All Saints and St Philip & St James were united as never before and showed a determination that the whole parish would grow through the experience.

This was given expression at the end of that eventful week with both congregations packed into P&J for a wonderful combined service that made clear that, whilst we had suffered a terrible loss in the bricks & mortar that housed All Saints Parish, the Church in the end is about its people and local community, and that out of this would come new life.

Mike Huddie, Hart Voices Chair July 2015

Hart Voices rehearsing Mozart’s Requiem @ All Saints in Nov 2013

Photography by Sean Haffey 2013

Although I have sung for most of my life, starting in the church choir when I was about 12 and singing at school in concerts and shows, I definitely would not describe myself as a choral music expert. My musical taste is best described as “eclectic” - a bit of Green Day and Led Zeppelin, some Pharrell Williams on occasion (come on, who doesn’t love a bit of ‘Happy’!) as well as the odd classical favourite thrown in for good measure.

So, for me, one of the best things about singing in Hart Voices is that we don’t just tackle the choral classics (although we can Hallelujah Chorus with the best of them). We are introduced to a wide range of different choral styles and challenges which have expanded my taste and introduced me to some new firm favourites.

I also love the concerts, particularly when we feel we’ve done ourselves justice and given the audience a great night out. Roy is really good at getting us to raise our game come concert time and the amazing quality of the soloists we are now performing with is really inspiring and a great incentive to concentrate on giving the best performance we can.

Apart from a brief break from the choir about 10 years ago, I’ve sung with Hart Voices for 20 years (it definitely does not feel that long). One of the main reasons I’ve been a member so long (and the reason I came back after my break) was the people who sing in the choir. They are a lovely bunch; friendly and welcoming with a great sense of fun. We have regular social events and trips which all help to make you feel part of the team and, I hope, make it easier for new members to settle in and feel part of the group. We’ve even sung at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen in North Wales this year; an amazing experience that I definitely wouldn’t have had without the choir.

I recently moved to Basingstoke but have no plans to leave Hart Voices. I really could not imagine my life without singing as part of this choir. It’s a wonderful way to spend my time and I would recommend it to anyone!

Kirstie Hennessey, July 2015

Find out more about us at: www.hartvoices.org.uk

Rehearsals - Wednesday Evenings - 8pm to 10pm All Saints Parish Centre, Church Road, Fleet

Musical Director: Roy Rashbrook

Associate Conductor: Michael Whytock

What Hart Voices Means to Me

Choir Members tell us about how important being a part of the choir is to them.

This month, we hear from Kirstie Hennessey

Choir Member for: 20 years Voice Part: Soprano 1

Hart Voices is a mixed voice choir based in Fleet, Hampshire which achieves a high-standard of singing from a non-auditioned choir. We perform four concerts each year across three terms running from September to July. Our programme varies from stunning major choral works to satisfying chamber music programmes and the occasional light programme of popular numbers! Singers are drawn not only from Fleet and the surrounding area, but also outlying towns including Guildford and Basingstoke. Choir membership is currently around 50 voices, many of whom have sung with the choir for several years. The combined experience and enthusiasm enables us to explore new musical horizons - both in repertoire and venue. We aim to broaden our experience, strive for quality and musicality in our performances and involve young singers wherever possible. Soloists are drawn from the choir, although for more complex works we often invite professional singers to participate.

Find out more about us at: www.hartvoices.org.uk

Rehearsals - Wednesday Evenings - 8pm to 10pm All Saints Parish Centre, Church Road, Fleet

Musical Director: Roy Rashbrook

Associate Conductor: Michael Whytock

Sopranos Nessie Black Ann Bradford Clare Downer Angela Edwards Kirstie Hennessey Anne-Mary Hine Penny Joyce Katy Lethbridge Lorraine Pickett Catherine Schlieben Pat Spence Clare Thomas Di Tilston Jackie White Kate Wickenden

Altos Sue Huddie Polla Rashbrook Jill Rowe Louise Shapley Carolyn Smith Fiona Smith Helen Smith Jenny Spencer Pat Vidler

Tenors Tony Kemp Deidre Major Deryck Martin Bill Wickenden

Basses Phil Day Graham Gillies Malcolm Hitchcock Mike Huddie Richard Joyce Michael Soul

Hart Voices (Charity No. 264333) is affiliated to Making Music (the National Federation of Music Societies)

Follow us on Twitter: @hartvoices Like us on FB: facebook.com/hartvoices

Fancy joining? We don’t have a formal audition process but if you can sing in tune and read music and fancy making Wednesday night your choir night, then contact us at enquiries@hartvoices.org.uk or simply come along to our next rehearsal!

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