Over the years Epworth Choir has performed many concerts. Many of these concerts have been reviewed both privately, by choir members, and publicly in the press. Here you will find a list of our historic events with reviews and copies of old flyers.
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Sunday, 06 December 2009 13:05 |
 Epworth Choir Charity Christmas Concert
Saturday 19th December, Guildford Cathedral, 7.30pm
Woking’s Epworth Choir with Guest Conductor Katherine Dienes-Williams (Organist and Master of the Choristers, Guildford Cathedral), will be performing a Family Christmas Carol Concert in aid of the Guildford-based children’s charity, Disability Challengers at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday 19th December, 2009 at 7.30pm. The concert will include the ever popular Carols Old and New, which, this year, will feature John Rutter’s famous ‘Jesus Child’ and his popular arrangement of ‘ Joy to the World’. The Concert will also include a performance of Cecilia McDowell’s glorious Christmas Cantata ‘Christus Natus Est’ plus many other favourites. The Audience Carols will be accompanied by the Cathedral Organ and Brass Ensemble. The Concert will also feature Emmanuel Bach, Violin, Woking Young Musician of the Year, 2009.
Disability Challengers is passionate about delivering play opportunities to any disabled child regardless of the profoundness of their impairment and is able to offer direct help to over 1000 children each year. Epworth Choir are delighted to have this opportunity to support the vital work of this charity.
This much anticipated annual Carol Concert will, as usual, be a joyous evening of seasonal music that perfectly captures the true spirit of the Festive Season and must be a highlight of your Christmas List!
Epworth Choir will commence its 52nd Season with a performance of Mozart Requiem at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday 24th April, 2010 - for details go to the choir web-site,
www.epworthchoir.org
The choir warmly welcomes new members, in particular, tenors and basses - please telephone the Membership Secretary,
01483 756670 |
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Thursday, 07 May 2009 14:58 |
 ‘Epworth Choir perform Messiah for Handel 250th Anniversary’
Woking’s Epworth Choir opened their 51st Season at Guildford Cathedral on Saturday 25th April, 7.30pm with an international line-up of world class opera soloists and the renowned Brandenburg Sinfonia for a performance of Handel’s most famous oratorio, The Messiah, with its inspiring Hallelujah chorus and equally famous arias including The Trumpet shall Sound. The soloists for this performance were Ruby Hughes, soprano, Christopher Ainslie, countertenor, Christopher Bowen, tenor, and Dawid Kimberg, bass.
This concert was the last that Neil Ferris would be conducting as Music Director of the Epworth Choir. Neil has been no stranger to concert audiences at the cathedral and over the past years has conducted many memorable performances to an ever enthusiastic audience and Messiah was no exception with the audience rising to their feet for the Hallelujah Chorus which ended with those glorious chords soaring away to the West Gallery! The audience joined with the choir in wishing Neil every success in the future.
The Epworth Choir dedicated this performance of Messiah to the memory of Walter Deakin, choir Founder, Past Conductor and Life President who died late last year. This oratorio was one of Walter’s favourite works and the Hallelujah Chorus was sung at his request at his funeral. It was also fitting that the concert supported the Woking Hospice for which both Walter and his wife Joan were huge supporters since its beginning in 1996. The Retiring Collection raised £1390 for this worthy cause.
‘What a delightful evening! The Epworth Choir performed Handel’s Messiah as a tribute both to the composer who died 250 years ago and to their Music Director, Neil Ferris for whom it was a truly worthy final tribute! The Brandenburg Sinfonia was beautifully balanced and the four soloists an absolute joy to listen to. The choir was both strong and sympathetic to the work they were performing with their voices, at times, raising the roof of the cathedral – a great credit to their outgoing conductor' |
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Saturday, 08 November 2008 00:00 |
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The EPWORTH CHOIR, in partnership with the Wimbledon Choral Society, formed the FESTIVAL CHORUS at the ROYAL BRITISH LEGION Festival of Remembrance in the presence of the Royal Family. |
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Saturday, 14 June 2008 00:00 |
 Members of the Epworth Choir together with singers of all abilities from around Woking came together for the opportunity to meet Bob Chilcott and study with him some of his most recent compositions. Bob’s inimitable and friendly style made this a most memorable occasion! The day started with some energetic and ‘unusual’ voice warm-ups before a rehearsal of ‘Like a Singing Bird’ followed by a selection from Bob’s well-known ‘Song Book’. The afternoon session concentrated on his ‘Songs and Cries of London Town’ which will feature in the Epworth Choir’s concert on 19th October 2008 at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford. Grateful Thanks were expressed to Bob Chilcott who had lived up to his reputation for making his Music Workshops entertaining and fun for all! |
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Tuesday, 25 December 2007 00:00 |
 The Epworth Choir Family Carol Concerts conducted by Alexander Chaplin were a great success! The sell-out audience at Christ Church Woking were treated to a feast of festive music sung by the choir and youth choir and delighted by the highly professional dancing of the Susan Robinson School of Ballet. The near capacity audience at Guildford Cathedral enjoyed the programme of Christmas music sung by the choir and were thrilled by the organ and brass ensemble fanfares to each of the audience carols. The organist, Simon Thomas Jacobs also performed pieces by J S Bach and Leon Jessel. It was a special treat to be entertained by the Guest Artistes, Vox Concordia A Cappella Singers whose close harmony singing of a number of Christmas favourites was much appreciated by the audience.
A Retiring Collection was taken on behalf of the CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRUST.  |
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Thursday, 18 December 2008 00:00 |
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The ever-popular carol concerts were performed to large audiences on both occasions and the choir again welcomed as its guest stars to the ChristChurch concert, the Susan Robinson School of Ballet. The Epworth Youth Choir entertained the audience on both occasions with a selection of modern carols and, as usual, the audiences 'raised the roof' with their enthusiastic singing of 'Hark The Herald Angels Sing' and many other Christmas favourites.
Epworth Choir wish to thank their audiences for their generous support of Woking DebRA at the ChristChurch concert and AGE CONCERN Surrey at Guildford Cathedral. |
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Sunday, 19 October 2008 00:00 |
 The Epworth Choir continued their series of 50th Anniversary events with a concert at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford on Sunday 19th October. The concert opened with Bob Chilcotts’ SONGS AND CRIES OF LONDON TOWN' followed by the World Premiere of Alan Simmons’ new work for adult and massed children’s choirs based on Samuel Pepys’ diaries - 'THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON'. This exciting and atmospheric cantata was performed to great audience acclaim by a choir of 180 voices including many children from the Woking and Spelthorne area. The concert concluded with Carl Orffs’ CARMINA BURANA, the dramatic portrayal of the ‘merry’ lifestyle of medieval monks with it’s well-known ‘O Fortuna’ chorus.  The Epworth Choir, conducted by Neil Ferris were joined on this occasion by the Epworth Youth Choir, Spelthorne Young Voices, soloists Helena Dix, soprano, Marcus Hopkin, bass and Richard Scott, counter-tenor, the percussion section of the Chameleon Arts Orchestra and accompanists Alexander Chaplin and Christopher Cromer who also played a selection from Leonard Bernstein's 'West Side Story'.
“The concert was brilliant in every way......"
The Retiring Collection raised close to £500 in aid of Woking MIND 
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Saturday, 26 April 2008 00:00 |
 The Epworth Choir opened their 50th Anniversary Season with a Gala performance of Verdi Requiem. Epworth Choir were joined by two guest choirs, Cardiff Polyphonic Choir and Concordia Voices and the Salomon Orchestra led by Tara Persaud. The soloists were Helena Dix - soprano, Emily Bauer-Jones - Mezzo Soprano, Shaun Dixon - Tenor and Jacques Imbrailo - Bass. The Conductor was Neil Ferris - Epworth's Musical Director. 'Verdi's glorious Requiem with its operatic style was performed with sensitivity, verve and enjoyment by the 200 voices blending so well together, the excellent Salomon Orchestra and the superb soloists.'
'The 'Sanctus' and the 'Agnus Dei' showed the choir at its best for me. There were 200 voices but when I closed my eyes during the ' Sanctus' it could have been just one and the 'Agnus Dei' brought tears to my eyes'. The 'Libera Me' brought the work to a breathtaking and magical climax.'
'It was a night to remember and Epworth Choir and their fellow performers can be justifiably proud of a wonderful performance.'
THE RETIRING COLLECTION RAISED £875 IN SUPPORT OF THE GUILDFORD SAMARITANS
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Sunday, 21 October 2007 00:00 |
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'Epworth Choir, together with the Chameleon Arts Orchestra and four superb soloists gave a well-received concert of Opera Choruses and Arias to a near-capacity audience at the New Victoria Theatre.'
Under the leadership of the two conductors, Neil Ferris and Alexander Chaplin, the audience were treated to the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves, Carmen, Polovtsian Dances, Aida, Flower Duet, La Boheme, La Donna e Moble, Pearl Fishers Duet and many more well known pieces from the world of opera.
The tenor, David Newman, delighted the audience with his lyrical voice as did the rich-toned baritone, Hakan Ekenas in every aria they sang. Meriel Andrew, soprano and Emily Bauer-Jones, mezzo-soprano were a real joy to listen to; Meriel's rendition of Dvorak's Song to the Moon and Emily's seductive, honey-toned Carmen need special mention!
''It was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday evening and I congratulate all the performers, especially Epworth Choir - the amateurs who sang with total professionalism!''
''The professionalism of the orchestra and soloists was exceptional''
The concert was performed in support of the CYSTIC FIBROSIS TRUST who were delighted with the retiring collection which raised well over £1000 towards maintaining the vital work of the Trust, with those who suffer from this life-threatening condition. |
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on 24-04-2010 at 19:30
