SPRING ARRIVES WITH CARMINA BURANA AND CAPTAIN NOAH

Saturday 12th April heralded the Spring with Carl Orff’s ever popular Carmina Burana along with Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo by Joseph Horovitz. A diverse yet compelling programme of vibrant music which delighted a packed audience.
The children’s choir opened the concert with The Season of Singing which was very apt considering what was to follow. Captain Noah featured cameo roles from members of the choir with Paul Clerehugh as Noah and Mike Tipler as narrator who both brought humour and drama to their roles in equal quantities. The children stole the show as they sang with such enthusiasm and commitment, clearly enjoying their special moments and dramatic touches with barks, screams, glugs and two by twos.
Carmina Burana was breathtaking with Bel Canto on form from the opening chord of O Fortuna to the powerful final note as the wheel went full circle under the skilful direction of Robert Webb. Special thanks go to Jonathan Gooing and Nigel Gyte who played magnificently in accord on two pianos; Clare Wheat for a stunning performance as she soared to the high notes so beautifully in Dulcissime; Peter Taylor for his amazing interpretation of the drunken abbot with its demanding vocal range; Mixed Metal, three percussionists who impressed everyone with their versatility on a huge variety of instruments and the children who were inspired in their singing.
Teamwork in abundance and an excellent performance from everyone.

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Celebrity Concert with Lesley Garrett

Bel Canto will be performing with Dore Male Voice Choir in celebration of their Golden Anniversary on Saturday 8th March 7pm at Sheffield City Hall. International opera star, Lesley Garrett will be guest soloist, accompanied by David Barnard. The concert will also feature the sounds of Unite the Union (City of Sheffield) Brass Band. Tickets: £25, £20, £15, £10 available from Sheffield City Hall                            0114 2 789 789                     http://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk

Christmas with Bel Canto

Friday evening sees the return of the children of St John’s school choir joining forces with Bel Canto in a Christmas spectacular with music to please everyone from the shimmering sounds of Lauridsen in O Magnum Mysterium to the pure simplicity of Chilcott’s Midwinter. With audience carols, mulled wine, mince pies … Christmas is here!

St Margaret’s Church, Swinton

Friday 20th December 7.15pm

Sheffield Music Club

Bel Canto choir members are  looking forward to performing for Sheffield Music Club on Friday. With Robert Webb as Musical Director and Jonathan Gooing as accompanist, the choir will perform an eclectic programme ranging from Handel to Elgar, Goodall to Mancini – something for everyone!  Robert and Jonathan will be joining forces at the piano with lighthearted duets – all in all, it promises to be an excellent evening.  Come along and support South Yorkshire’s Premier Chamber Choir!

Friday 1st November  7.30pm.

St.Andrew’s Church, Psalter Lane, Sheffield

Guest Accompanist for June

Bel Canto are delighted to welcome pianist Malcolm Martineau to the concert in June in which he will join our resident accompanist, Jonathan Gooing, for the four-hand original version of the Liebeslieder Waltzer Op. 52 (Brahms).

Here is some information on Malcolm and his achievements.

Website: http://martineau.info/

Malcolm Martineau

From Wikipedia:

Malcolm Martineau (born 3 February 1960) is a Scottish pianist who is particularly noted as an accompanist.

Biography

Born in Edinburgh, and educated at George Watson’s College, Malcolm Martineau read Music at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge. In 1981 he went on to study at the Royal College of Music and currently studies with Joyce Rathbone.

Malcolm Martineau has played in Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Milan, Berlin, throughout the United Kingdom and in North America accompanying many of the world’s leading singers including Thomas Allen, Dame Janet Baker, Barbara Bonney, Susan Graham, Della Jones, Simon Keenlyside, Tom Krause, Dame Felicity Lott, Anne Sofie von Otter, Frederica von Stade, Bryn Terfel, Sarah Walker and Ainhoa Arteta.

Among many noted instrumentalists he accompanies clarinetist Emma Johnson. He has appeared at numerous festivals throughout the United Kingdom, has given many recitals for the BBC, and appeared at the Aix-en-Provence, Vienna, Edinburgh and Salzburg Festivals and in North and South America.

He accompanied the winners of the Lieder prize at the 1989 Cardiff Singer of the World competition, and at the 1990 Elly Ameling Award. He has accompanied at masterclasses at the Britten-Pears School in Aldeburgh for Dame Joan Sutherland, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Suzanne Danco, Ileana Cotrubas and Kurt Equiluz. He presented his own series at St Johns Smith Square of the complete songs of Debussy and Poulenc and a major Britten series at Wigmore Hall (both broadcast by the BBC).

Recent recordings have included Schubert, Schumann and English song recitals with Bryn Terfel (for Deutsche Grammophon), Schubert and Strauss recitals with Simon Keenlyside (for EMI), recital records with Angela Gheorghiu (for Decca), Emma Johnson, Della Jones and Yvonne Kenny, the complete Faure songs with Sarah Walker and Tom Krause, the complete Britten Folk Songs for Hyperion, the complete Beethoven folksongs, and the song recital “Songs My Mother Taught Me”, together with Magdalena Kožená, for Deutsche Grammophon.

His awards include the Walther Gruner International Lieder Competition.