The Friends Of The Music at All Saints’ Gosforth and The All Saints’ Chamber Choir
Background
The Friends of the Music at All Saints’ was set up in 1992 as a Registered Charity (Number 1040125). The main focus of its support is the All Saints’ Chamber Choir, which was also established in 1992. Both the Friends and the Chamber Choir are independent of the Church, but work harmoniously together.
All Saints’ Chamber Choir is an amateur choir of between 50 and 60 singers, which performs three public concerts each year at the All Saints’ Parish Church, Gosforth in March/April, June/Jul and December. No auditions are required – we just ask that participants can sing in tune and ideally can follow their part in the musical score.
Although All Saints’ Chamber Choir is entirely amateur, the Friends of the Music engage on a commercial basis for each performance
- a professional musical director/conductor
- professional (and semi-professional) instrumentalists on a sessional basis to forms the All Saints’ Chamber Orchestra
- professional (and semi-professional) vocal soloists – including some young professionals at the start of their careers many of whom are based in the North of England.
Rehearsals take place on most Sunday evenings between 7.30 pm or 7.45 pm and 9.00pm in All Saints’ Parish Church, with gaps during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holidays.
Repertoire
In recent years the works performed have included:
- Bach’s St John Passion; St Matthew Passion; St Mark Passion (UK Premiere of Ton Koopman’s reconstruction) and B Minor Mass
- Handel’s Messiah; Coronation Anthems and Chandos Anthems
- Mozart’s Requiem and Solemn Vespers
- Vivaldi’s Gloria; Magnificat and Credo
- Haydn’s Creation and Missa Sancti Nicolai
- Faure’s Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine
- Dvorak’s Stabat Mater
- Durufle’s Requiem
- Pergolesi’s Magnificat
- Rutter’s Magnificat
- Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb and St Nicholas
- Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols
- Charpentier Messe de Minuit
- Granger’s Folk Songs
The current season’s programme will include performances of:
- December 2010 Charpentier Messe de Minuit
- March 2011 – Bach’s St Matthew Passion
- June 2011 – Vivaldi’s Gloria
In order to provide a varied programme, the concerts also include popular orchestral pieces so as to give an overall duration of about 2 to 3 hours. Audiences are typically 150 to 200 per concert, though the maximum capacity of the Church is of the order of 400.
The choir also sing at one of the local law firms’ Christmas Carol Services each year in Newcastle Cathedral.
The choir participated in the November 2003 fund raising concert at Newcastle City Hall that raised £41,000 for St Oswalds Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Relief.
Who can join?
Anyone who can sing! There is no audition and age range of the membership covers young adults to senior citizens, and at times includes teenage singers.
Choir subscriptions are currently £75 per annum.
If you are interested please contact ascc@btinternet.com or better still come along to a Sunday evening rehearsal and see for yourself. New members are always welcome.
