Bath Sing for Life - News

Embargoed – Tuesday 14th April

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:23:50 +0700

WITH the Bath Comedy Festival now finished the next major event in the City is the big Charity weekend Bath Sing for Life, which puts the focus on choirs, talented young musicians and an appearance of Bath’s own Jazz Queen, Clare Teal.

The weekend is organised by Grenville Jones, best known as conductor of ‘Last Choir Standing’ top five group Bath Male Choir. Bath Sing for Life will raise money for three of the Cities favourite Charities, Dorothy House Hospice Care, RUH Forever Friends and Golden-Oldies.

There’s a unique music mix and for the first time, a number of Bath’s leading choirs, including Bath Male Choir, will all add their support at concerts around the city on Friday evening May 1st starting at 7.45pm.

Says Grenville:

“The response from the choirs has been brilliant as well as the churches involved and I hope that local people will pick their own favourite group to support that Friday evening. All the choirs are giving their services free of charge so its an important night to kick-start the weekend.”

A full listing of the concerts is on www.bathsingforlife.org.uk and music degree students from Bath Spa University will also be entertaining at various city centre stores throughout the Saturday.

Keeping the youth theme on Saturday, one of the World’s leading choirs, The Rodolfus Choir will perform a programme of choral classics in the splendid setting of Bath Abbey on the Saturday evening. Rodolfus regularly broadcast on the BBC and their guest organist that evening will be the Internationally renowned organist David Goode.

Also on Saturday there will be a youth singing workshop led by Mike Brewer OBE, conductor of the National Youth Choir. This will be followed by a concert in the Bath Forum featuring all the singers who take part in the workshop plus other local, talented groups.

Sunday evening, May 3rd sees Clare Teal headline the final show at the Bath Pavilion supported by the fabulous Stockingtops, another of Grenville’s music groups.

Tickets for all concerts are available from the Bath Festivals Box Office on 01225 463362.

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For more information please call Grenville Jones on 01761 472468

Friday February 27 2009

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:33:48 +0700

One of the leading Conductors of Youth Choirs in the World will be in Bath on Saturday May 2nd this year. Over the Spring Bank Holiday, Friday May 1st – Monday May 4th, Bath music man Grenville Jones will be organising the first Bath Sing for Life Choral weekend.

A series of concerts and special events will raise money for three of Bath’s popular Charities, Dorothy House Hospice Care, The Forever Friends Appeal and Golden-Oldies.

Mike Brewer OBE is a friend of Grenville’s. Grenville explains:

“When I was planning the Sing for Life weekend I wanted to involve young people who were interested in singing. I was over the moon when Mike agreed to come to Bath, he really is the main man when it comes to youth music, his workshops are lively and highly motivational.

“I have been working with Tim Parker the Singing Advisor for Bath & North East Somerset on promoting the day and information leaflets have been sent to all the schools.”

The workshop will be at the Bath Forum and is open to young people aged 9 to 17. Older students will start at 10am in the morning with young students attending in the afternoon. Everyone will work on Mike Brewers Worldsong composition which is an 8 part piece involving music from across many different parts of the world.

In the evening, starting at 7.30pm there will be a concert in the Bath Forum. The first half will feature the Curtain-Up Theatre Group, Bath Youth Gospel Choir led by Tim King and Cantilena.

The second half will involve all the students and the audience performing Worldsong and led by Mike Brewer.

Students taking part will pay £5 but they will get a free ticket for a parent or guardian for the evening concert.

If you would like more information on the day please call Abby Rakes on 01761 472468 or visit www.bathsingforlife.org.uk .

Tickets for the evening concert are now on sale priced £15 from Bath Festivals Box Office on 01225 463362.

Mike Brewer is in demand in Britain and worldwide for vocal and conducting workshops and guest conducting of choirs. Last year his tours took in Mexico, Venezuela, the USA, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia and the Seychelles as well as regular visits within Europe.

He is Adviser on world music to the IFCM and assessor to Mexico’s choral programme. Mike is consultant for over 20 prize winning UK choirs. He has often served as adjudicator for the finals of “Choir of the Year” and the National Festival of Music for Youth in the UK and in international competitions.

Since 1983 Mike has been Musical Director of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. He also conducts “Laudibus”, the award winning chamber choir of NYC graduates.

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For more information please contact Grenville Jones on 01761 472468 or email jonesgrenville@aol.com

February 6th 2009

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:21:05 +0700

Pilton born organist David Goode www.goodeorganist.co.uk will be the special guest at a major charity concert in Bath Abbey on Saturday May 2nd.

Bath Sing for Life takes place over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend from May 1st - May 4th raising money for three of Bath's best-loved charities and organised by choir leader Grenville Jones.

One of his many choral links is as an executive trustee of the famous Rodolfus Choir so a call to Ralph Allwood, the Rodolfus founder and conductor was an obvious one when he started planning Sing for Life.

Says Grenville:

"When it comes to choral singing, Rodolfus are just as good as it gets and we have a wonderful bonus in that one of Europe's leading organists is taking part. When Ralph called me to say that David Goode would also be the guest organist, that really was the icing on the concert cake!"

David was born in Pilton and is now Organist and Head of Keyboard at Eton College. He studied the organ with David Sanger and in Holland with Jacques van Oortmerssen. Recent years have seen a rare solo Proms recital, concerts around Europe, the U.S. and Australia, and a fruitful partnership with the BBCNOW in several concerti.

His performance of Francis Pott’s Christus was described by the Times as ‘a stupendous achievement.’

Rodolfus is made up of singers aged 25 and younger who have been chosen from past and present members of the Eton College Choral Courses, including singers form Bath. Many are choral scholars, some are at music college, and most hope to make a career in music.

They were the choir chosen by Katherine Jenkins to sing on her hugely popular CDs, and they have performed all around the World and at many of the leading UK music festivals.

They are regulars on Radio 3 Choral Evensong as well as Songs of Praise. Their programme at Bath Abbey, selected by Ralph Allwood will encompass a wide range of delights from early to contemporary composers and this concert is an absolute must for lovers of Choral music.

Also appearing at Bath Sing for Life are Grenville Jones' own famous Bath Male Choir who were seen my millions last year on the BBC Last Choir Standing series. Top jazz star Clare Teal will also be headl ining at the final show on Sunday evening in Bath Pavilion - www.bathsingforlife.org.uk has all the details.

Tickets for the Bath Abbey concert are expected to sell very quickly - they are priced from £8 - £25. Contact Bath Festivals Box Offic e on 01225 463362.

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February 3rd 2009

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:58:08 +0700

ONE thing is for sure: Bath will be the all-singing and all-dancing place to be over the Spring Bank Holiday this year from May 1 – May 4.

For the last two years, Bath music man Grenville Jones has organised his Bath Showcase charity concert at the Bath Forum on the first Saturday in May. These have raised over £30,000 for local community groups, working with the Chairman of Bath & North East Somerset Council who has chosen the groups who receive the support.

This year, in his inimitable style, Grenville is going a few steps further, turning the Showcase idea into a weekend of music called Bath Sing for Life. Grenville started talking to local businesses last summer, looking for sponsorship support.

He has raised over £20,000 to date. The main Bath Sing for Life sponsor is Wessex Water, with a long list of other backers.

Grenville explains:

“Bath was buzzing on that Spring Bank Holiday last year, but apart from my showcase concert there was very little else happening. This year things will be different. Not only will there be the Bath Sing for Life concerts, but James Whitehead is also running his Bath Dance Festival that weekend, and of course there is the annual Bath Spring Flower Show at Royal Victoria Park.

“If you live in Bath, get your guest room ready and ask your friends from around the UK. Let’s make our city a lively and happy place to be between May 1st and 4th.”

Bath Sing for Life will be raising money for Dorothy House Hospice Care, Forever Friends and Golden Oldies. Grenville’s target is £30,000.

On Friday May 1st, there will be 4 concerts all starting at 7.45pm featuring local singers. St. Mary Bathwick will welcome the Bath Minerva Choir and the Paragon Singers. This concert is sponsored by Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons and Zenith International.

The Bath Cantata Group and the Jane Lilley Singers will be in concert at St. Stephen’s Lansdown. Rotork Controls and Buro Happold are the sponsors.

St. Luke’s Wellsway will welcome the Bath Community Gospel Choir and the RUH Community Choir, sponsored by The Podium and Bath Chamber of Commerce.

St. John’s Catholic Church in South Parade will host a concert by the ‘Last Choir Standing’ top five, The City of Bath Male Choir with Grenville Jones’ new choir, THE Bath Chorus. The sponsors here are Mowbray Woodward Solicitors and Richardson Grove Accountants.

“I would like to especially thank all the choirs, who are taking part without charge. Friday concert tickets will all be priced £12.50 and I hope that the people of Bath will turn out to pack all of the four churches, so we can really get the weekend off to a fantastic start,” adds Grenville.

As well as the Dance Festival events taking place on the streets of Bath through the weekend, Saturday will see talented young musicians from Bath Spa University playing at city centre venues such as The Podium, Milsom Place, Jolly’s, M&S and BHS.

The Rodolfus Choir are without question one of the premier youth choirs in Europe. Aged between 18 and 25, they are all aspiring professional musicians who have been selected from the annual Eton Choral courses. They regularly record on Radio 3, were the choir chosen by Katherine Jenkins to sing on her CDs, and are led by Ralph Allwood from Eton College. They will be in concert at Bath Abbey on Saturday evening May 2nd, a concert featuring popular choral music from across the ages that is bound to sell out very quickly.

One of Europe’s leading organists, David Goode will also play at the Bath Abbey concert.

Also on the Saturday, the Bath Forum will host a singing workshop for young people aged between 9 and 17 called Worldsong. Sponsored by Bath Building Society, the workshop will be taken by one of the leading youth choir conductors in the world, Mike Brewer OBE.

This workshop is being supported by the music advisor team at Bath and North East Somerset Council. On Saturday evening at 7.30 p.m, the workshop will form the basis for a concert, which will also feature the Curtain-Up theatre group, the Bath Youth Gospel Choir and Cantilena.

Top jazz vocalist Clare Teal will headline at the Bath Pavilion on Sunday evening May 3rd, the final Bath Sing for Life event for the weekend, sponsored by Tesco. Appearances on shows like Parkinson have put Clare right at the top of the jazz tree. Supporting Clare at the Pavilion will be the fabulous Stockingtops all-girl swing group, another evening not to be missed.

Other local sponsors backing Bath Sing for Life are Ralph Allen Press, World Market Travel, First Office, Money Wise, Cross Manufacturing, Touchstone, Aqua Sulis Guesthouse, The Royal Hotel and Tolley Cottage. Media supporters are the Bath Chronicle and GWR West.

With the support of the Council, promotional literature will be sent all around the UK targeting visitors to the city. Group travel and accommodation are in the capable hands of Bath-based European Connoisseurs Travel.

See www.bathsingforlife.org.uk for full details. All concert tickets are available from the Bath Festivals Box Office, tel. 01225 463362 or call Rosie at Grenville’s office on 01761 472468.

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