Email:
enquiries@downlandchorale.org.uk
for enquires and ticket sales: 07729 618226
or please use our contact form.
Our usual rehearsal venue is:
St. John the Evangelist
Canon's Hill, Old Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 1HA
We rehearse every Monday evening from
8pm - 10pm
(during term time)
Come along and try a session!
Hiring scores
We have a stock of scores available to hire 30p per copy per month. Please visit www.gerontious.net to see what music we have for hire then email with your requirements. Please note their is a charge for scores that are not returned.
Spring Concert April 2nd, 2022.
Brahms
Requiem and Fauré's Messe Basse.
In the first
half of the programme we sang the ‘Messe Basse’, the four sections of
the Mass being interspersed with a soprano solo, beautifully sung by Ellie
Neate, who is doing an opera course at the Guildhall School of
Music and Drama, and some Brahms Intermezzos and selections from Fünf
Lieder Op.105 by Brahms played superbly by our resident accompanist
Duncan White.
We sang the
Brahms Requiem in the second half. We put everything we had into singing it, inspired by our talented and enthusiastic Music Director,
Thomas Chapman and superbly supported by our accompanist joined by his brother Craig. Ellie Neate
sang the soprano solo in movement 5, with baritone Michael Hickman,
singing a powerful solo in
movement 6, Michael pursues a freelance singing career in London, including BBC Singers,
EXAUDI, Opus Anglicanum and the Oxford Consort of Voices sang the solos in
units 3 and 6. Our accompanist also played two selections from Brahms's
Sixteen Waltzes Op.39 in the second half.
We felt that
this was one of the best concerts we have ever done and we are now
looking forward to our summer concert.
With our Musical Director Thomas Chapman.
WORKSHOP 2020
We had a great time at our Folk Rock for Choirs Workshop day on
15th
February. We learnt songs from the repertoire of Simon and
Garfunkel,
Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Byrds, Fairport Convention and
Steeleye
Span, which were enthusiastically interpreted by our intrepid
Music
Director, who managed to teach us orally without a note of music
in
front of us, aided and abetted on the piano by our valiant
accompanist.
We had some wonderfully complimentary comments from our audience,
saying
how much they had enjoyed the day, and that it was possibly the best
of
our workshops that they had ever been
to.
Winter concert December 2020
A most enjoyable event. We sang Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai, which was very appropriate for the Christmas period as St. Nicholas is commonly known these days as Santa Claus. The mass was composed in 1772 when Haydn was employed by Prince Nicolaus Esterhazy whose birthday fell on 6th December, the feast day of St Nicholas. We presented the mass in the first half of the concert, while the second half featured a variety of carols, some for audience participation. Our accompanist performed piano solos by Grieg in both halves of the concert. We had four wonderful soloists for the mass, and the whole concert was accompanied by a professional orchestral ensemble.
We are now looking forward to our Spring concert, when we will be performing Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle. We hope to see you there.
THE SUMMER CONCERT.
What's playing at the Roxy?
Everyone had great fun learning what was playing at the Roxy at
our
Summer concert. We were delighted to welcome such a large audience
who
seemed to hugely enjoy hearing once again the well-loved hit tunes
from
Guys and Dolls and South Pacific. Add to this the three piano solos
by
Thomas 'Fats' Waller played by our brilliant accompanist and a medley
of
jazzy showstoppers plus folk favourites from the UK and America and
you
have all the ingredients for a light-hearted summer
evening's
entertainment. A big thank you to our highly esteemed Music
Director
for choosing such a great programme.