People's Messiah

AT UNION CHAPEL, 4PM start, 3PM doors, Sunday 2ND APRIL 2023

Free to book

Tickets available here

 

This Easter Eclectic Voices choir join forces with the City Bach Collective, professional soloists and local community choirs to perform Handel's Messiah at the Union Chapel in Islington, a performance that is open to all and free to attend.

The ensemble will be conducted by Scott Stroman, music director of Eclectic Voices, who has enlisted the support of local choirs to provide ripieno voices in the key choruses and ensure that the listener is fully immersed in the music.

For many it will be the first time they have heard this enduring and uplifting work, for others it may be familiar, but we aim to for everyone to experience the buzz and excitement of a large-scale live performance. The project is part of the Eclectic Voices community outreach, which aims to bring the joy of choral music to a broader audience.

 

SOLOISTS

Kelly Glyptis, soprano

Joanna Davies, soprano

Siobhain Gibson, alto

Nick Allen, tenor

Jonathan Eyers, baritone

Edwin Kaye, bass

 

ECLECTIC VOICES

Eclectic Voices is an energetic and exciting choir based in Highbury, north London, which thrives on stretching and dynamic musical performances.

Now in its 31st year the choir continues to be directed by its inspirational founder, American jazz composer and teacher Scott Stroman. Eclectic Voices sings a wide variety of music, from jazz, gospel and folk to modern and classical repertoire. It has also recorded a number of well-received CDs.

The choir has a strong ethic of commitment and dedication and packs each year with up to eight thrilling performances, many with world class classical or jazz musicians.

 

SCOTT STROMAN

Scott Stroman is a uniquely broad musician: a composer, conductor, performer and educator in jazz, classical and world music. He is director of the London Jazz Orchestra, professor of jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, director of the genre-busting choir Eclectic Voices, and director of music at the American International Church in London.

As a conductor his repertoire ranges from early to new music, and he has worked with orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, English Chamber Orchestra, and Northern Sinfonia. In September 2021 his opera The Weekend, based on the play by Michael Palin, was performed at the Bloomsbury Theatre. 

 

CITY BACH COLLECTIVE

The City Bach Collective is a group of professional musicians, founded in 1976 by Peter Lea-Cox, to perform Bach cantatas in their liturgical setting. The group continue to perform Bach and music of Bach’s contemporaries on period instruments; they are known for playing in the Bach Vespers series in churches in the City of London and also play in concerts. The City Bach Collective is directed from the violin by its leader, Hazel Brooks.

 

The People's Messiah project is partly funded thanks to the generosity of Eclectic Voices members and their fundraising initiatives, but we hope you will be able to support us too, whether it is by making a financial donation to contribute to the costs of staging these concerts, helping us to advertise this event, or by attending on the performances.

CONTACT For more information, please visit www.eclecticvoices.org.uk

Contact: [email protected]. If you are interested in participating in the ripieno choir, please email [email protected] for more information.

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY A programme will be produced for the performances with back cover, inside cover and main body advertising space. Please contact Timothy Neville-Lee via [email protected] to discuss sponsorship or advertising opportunities.