29 June 2019   United Reformed Church, Coleham Head, Shrewsbury, 

Shrewsbury Cantata Choir, directed by Anthony Coupe and accompanied by Catrina Lapage, with Scott Phillips on organ, sang a set of hauntingly beautiful songs by Gerald Finzi, based on words by the poet Robert Bridges, together with songs by Edward Elgar and madrigals - and with a drinking song by Henry Purcell for before the interval. We have also invited an exciting young organist, Scott Phillips, to join us to play Elgar's Imperial March. 

In the interval, we served the new (and very delicious) 'Cantata Cocktail', in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions. The cocktail was much appreciated.

The idea for a Cantata Cocktail arose from Cantata's performance of Gioacchino Rossini's Petite Messe Solonelle last December. Rossini was a famous gourmand and bon viveur and created his own recipe for the 'Rossini cocktail', which the choir served at their December concert and which turns out to have been a not-so-dry run for greater things this June.

This was the first performance directed by Tony Coupe. It was a warm evening and much mopping of brow in between 'sets' was required as Tony energetically encouraged even more than the usual degree of enthusiasm from the choir and produced dynamic range and excitement to add to Cantata's high standard of performance.  An audience member commented that she 'rarely saw a choir enjoying itself so much'. This enjoyment continued after the performance when the choir let its hair down to celebrate the end of quite a demanding year. The singing then was as entertaining, though of quite a different genre. 

VERDI: REQUIEM

6th April 2019.  Alington Hall, Shrewsbury School.  

Directed by Thomas Payne and, with soloists Madeleine Pierard, Soprano, Claire Barnet-Jones, Mezzo Soprano, Robert Tilson, Tenor and Nicholas Folwell, Baritone, and accompanied by Shrewsbury Cantata Orchestra led by Yu Mien Sun.

Giuseppe Verdi wrote the Requiem in memory of his hero, Alessandro Manzoni, a writer little-known in England but very famous in Italy (every Italian schoolchild has to read his work). 'Manzoni helped create modern Italian,' explains  Cantata Cairman, Joe Gomme. 'It's because of Manzoni and others like him that Italy is a unified country today and not a patchwork of hostile states like former Yugoslavia, which it could easily have become when Verdi was composing. In these troubled times, it's wonderful to be singing such a powerful hymn to unity.'  Press release: Verdi's Requiem is one of the greatest choral works of all time and Cantata are pulling out all the stops. You won't quite need ear plugs, but the choir has taken on extra singers and there will be an orchestra of over fifty musicians. The four soloists are outstanding - the baritone has sung major roles at Glyndebourne and for English National Opera. 'We're privileged to have these soloists,' says Joe, 'and it's thanks to our Musical Director, Thomas Payne that they're coming. 

Sadly, this is Thomas's last concert with us since he's now 'Jette Parker Young Artist' at the Royal Opera House. I suppose, all good things must come to an end. The Requiem is Verdi's tribute to Manzoni - and this is our tribute to Thomas.'

We hope that Thomas Payne felt that we did him justice in this, our last concert under his able direction, and we 'gave it our all'. Feedback from our audience was certainly positive.

ROSSINI: PETITE MESSE SOLENNELLE

8 December 2018. Holy Trinity Church, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury.  Shrewsbury Directed by guest MD Stavros Kokkinos. Soloists were Sarah Westwood - Soprano, Stephanie Windsor-Lewis - alto, Andrew Morris - tenor, Mike Dewis - bass, Alexander Mason - harmonium, Maria Giles - first piano, and Cantata's own Catrina Lapage - second piano.

This concert was dedicated to the memory of Cantata Tenor Peter Nottle.
Rossini gave a brief speech before the performance and 'Rossini Cocktails' were served in the interval. (Rossini was a famous gourmand and bon viveur and created his own recipe for the 'Rossini cocktail').

16  June 2018   Holy Trinity Church, Meole Brace. Shrewsbury.

For our Summer 2018 concert we presented a selection of items designed to lull and relax our audience in the beautiful setting of Holy Trinity Church, Meole Brace. Our programme included a selection of Scandinavian Folk Songs arranged by Cantata alto Gill Berry.

J. S. BACH: ST MARK PASSION

31 March 2018. Shrewsbury Abbey.

Directed  by Thomas Payne. With soloists David Brown – tenor: Evangelist. Jack Holton – baritone: Jesus. Ruth Gomme - soprano. Chloë Pardoe - mezzo soprano & alto. Guy Withers – tenor, and members of the choir.

This was a very special performance for Cantata as this reconstruction of Bach's 'lost' composition is by Andor Gomme, father of our chairman Joe. Andor’s wife Susan introduced the concert and his daughter Ruth, sang the soprano role.

J. BRAHMS - A GERMAN REQUIEM

9 December 2017. St Chad's Church. Shrewsbury.  

Shrewsbury Cantata Choir, directed by Thomas Payne, with soloists Davidona Pittock – soprano, Jack Holton - baritone, and accompanied by the Ludlow Orchestra, performed  Brahms's German Requiem. Also in the programme was Chorale BWV Anh.200 - J. S. Bach and Sie Liebten Sich Beide - C. Schumann. 

17 June 2017   Holy Trinity Church, Meole Brace. Shrewsbury.

Conducted by Marianne Ayling and accompanied by Catrina Lapage we presented a varied concert, from Eric Whitacre's Lux Aurumque to Bart Howard's Fly me to the Moon, and including How do I Love Thee, a lovely arrangement by our own Gill Berry (Alto). 

We were privileged to welcome soprano Hope Rodenhurst, a mature and confident 17 year old with a heavenly voice. Hope sang solo 'A Nightingale sang in Berkeley Square' and Gershwin's 'Summertime'. Hope is currently (2020) studying at the Royal Northen College of Music.

Why the cars? Hatfield Jaguar of Shrewsbury generously sponsored this event. Owners of classic Jaguar cars were being displayed at the site on the day of our visit.

HAYDN: NELSON MASS

8 April 2017.  St Nicholas Church (URC), Shrewsbury. 

A Night in Vienna.

Directed by Thomas Payne  with soloists  Victoria Adams; soprano and Emma.   Chloë Pardoe ; alto. Steven Swindells; tenor.   Conall O'Neill; bass.   

We turned St. Nicholas Church, the United Reformed Church building in Shrewsbury, into a very large time machine last night, and went back to Vienna at the turn of the 18th and 19th century.

Before we entered the Time Machine the choir performed Frank Martin's Mass for double choir, a beautiful setting, but very demanding, requiring absolute concentration by the choristers in order to interpret the score.

Thanks to the patience of our conductor Thomas Payne, we were able bring this rarely sung piece to Shrewsbury, and do it justice, and we thank our audience for their reception of our performance.

A press cutting from the Social Pages of the Wiener Landwirtschaftliche Zeitung recalls the event.

The homeward bound party of Sir William  Hamilton, his wife, Lady Emma and our hero Admiral Nelson arrived in Vienna and were met by  Herr Joseph Haydn. Herr Haydn accompanied her on the keyboard,  after some conversation with the suitably gentrified audience, who greatly appreciated his command of the Queen's English on this occasion, who were pleased to honour the party in their own language.

There was also some discourse between Sir William, Lady Emma and Lord Nelson with the assembled audience who were honoured to be addressed by such august personages, following which Herr Haydn conducted a small Chamber Orchestra, four soloists and the Cantata Choir from Shrewsbury in England, in a performance of his setting of the Mass.