Newsletter Autumn 2012

English Song Festival - Congratulations! - Forthcoming concerts - Useful contacts

English Song Festival

In May, William Vann, pianist and Artistic Director of the English Song Festival, invited seven of Catharine's students to take part in a Bring a Song Along coaching session in the recital room at The Forge, Camden Town NW1.

Rosalind Andrews (Evening Hymn, Purcell)
Judy Booth (The Water Mill, Vaughan Williams)
David Peddy (Silent Noon, Vaughan Williams)
Christopher Pickard (Figaro's aria: Non piu andrai, Mozart)
Mika Mochizuki (Es ist vollbracht, St John Passion, JS Bach)
Isobel Sanders (Little Polly Flinders, Michael Diack in the style of Mozart)

It was a real treat for everyone to sing at The Forge with William at the piano and his wise words and enthusiasm encouraged everyone to give a heightened performance the second time around.

Congratulations!

In March, ISOBEL SANDERS (12) passed her Grade V Singing Associated Board with Merit.

UGOCHI ONWUANIBE (16) has now completed her Duke of Edinburgh Award (Silver). Her singing project was to perform songs in Italian and German and a song from a musical (Gigi).

Congratulations to the versatile AISLING RIDGE who studied singing with Catharine. In May she starred in the youthful and exuberant production of the rock musical Spring Awakening by the amateur theatre company Sedos. Next production in December, Guys and Dolls.

In June, SUZY TREVETHAN successfully re-auditioned for the Bach Choir and went on to sing at the Proms in the Bach Choir's outreach concert featuring Bob Chilcott's new work The Angry Planet.

Former student FIONA WHELAN has returned from Hong Kong and re-joined the Bach Choir, with whom she will be singing when they celebrate the Britten centenary with a performance of the War Requiem at RFH on Tuesday 27th November at 7.30pm, conductor David Hill.

JOHN MORSHEAD (aged 8) began singing lessons at the beginning of the summer holidays and has successfully auditioned for the chamber choir at his new school, Wetherby School, London W2.

In September, ROSALIND ANDREWS successfully re-auditioned for the Royal Choral Society. She will be singing in Carl Orff's Carmina Burana on Saturday 27th October in the Royal Albert Hall.

Forthcoming concerts

JUDY BOOTH, as busy as ever, spent a week in Italy in September doing yoga and singing a capella sacred music directed by Ben Saul. She then attended a workshop with the English Baroque Choir, singing Bach's Christmas Oratorio. Her next concert will be with the Chiltern Choir on 24th November singing a contemporary programme. Judy continues to sing in the St John's Wood Church Chamber Choir who are looking for sopranos, tenors and basses to sing one choral evensong a month. Contact JudyBooth@blueyonder.co.uk.

MIKA MOCHIZUKI sings in the London Orpheus Choir whose next concert will be Brahms' A German Requiem and four Mendelssohn part songs on Saturday 3rd November at St. James' Church Piccadilly W1 at 7pm.

JULIA ELTON sings in St Paul's Knightsbridge Festival Choir. On Saturday 15th December, they will be performing a programme of music by J.S. Bach including the Magnificat in D at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge SW1.

SUSANNAH ROSS, who sings with the Chelsea Opera Group, will be performing Don Quichotte by Massenet at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on Sunday 25th November at 7pm.

LUCY DOIG will be singing in Brahms' Requiem with the London Philharmonic Choir at the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday 1st December at 7.30pm.

KARENZA BOSCAWAN and CHRISTOPHER PICKARD both sing in The Lawyers' Music Society Choir who will be performing Bach's Christmas Oratorio in German with the Lawyers' Orchestra on Thursday 6th December in St. Andrew's Church Holborn EC4 at 7.30pm. See www.lawyersmusic.org.uk.

Phone Catharine Robinson 020 7289 3082 for a list of Christmas concerts and advice on joining a suitable choir in London.

Useful contacts

Catharine purchased her piano from Jacques Samuel Pianos, London's premier independent piano retailer, 142, Edgware Road W2. New and second hand. Piano tuning. Practice rooms. Manager Terence Lewis.

Piano tuner: Robert Pierce regularly tunes Catharine's piano and works in central London. Tel 020 3294 8674.

Rehearsal tapes of choral works are available from ChoraLine, which also has an online music store for singers.

Study the Wigmore Hall concert diary. Improve your appreciation of singers and widen your repertoire. See what's on at Wigmore Hall.

Catharine supports the London music colleges. Visit their websites for information on recitals, concerts, opera and singing prizes and musicals.