Musical Director: Robert Hanson

The Hythe Singers:


Soprano: Claire Cheetham, Eileen Gibson, Joan Hellyer, Sarah Morris,
      Becky Philpott, Rebecca Scott-Saunders, Chris Thomas
Alto: Susi Lancaster, Brídín Mills, Jo Richardson, Elaine Sturman
Tenor: Neil Hawes, David Scott
Bass: Brian Gillies, Gerry Ingram, Chris Orr, Mike Ridley

The soloists (and honorary members of the choir for the day):
Juliet Wood (Soprano)
Anthony Dowson (Tenor)
Francis Thomas (Bass)


The players:
Violin 1: Kate Birchall, Violin 2: Paula Tysall, Viola 1: Rosalind Hanson, Viola 2: Sharada Mack
’cello: Siriol Hugh-Jones, Double Bass: Louis Garsen, Organ: Hazel Baker

• “I thought the concert was impressive, a great improvement even on the previously high standard...”
• “The concert was an amazing experience and I was completely taken aback by the professional quality of the performance...”

Click here for a short extract recorded at the concert (The BlueBird by Stanford). Programme:

Three Partsongs - C. V. Stanford
Heraclitus
The Blue Bird
The Swallow


Concerto Grosso in F - G. F. Handel

Christ lag in Todesbanden - J. S. Bach

Juliet Wood (Soprano)
Anthony Dowson (Tenor)
Francis Thomas (Bass)


Libera Nos - John Sheppard

Three Nonsense Songs - Mátyás Seiber (words by Edward Lear)


There was an old lady of France
There was an old person of Cromer
There was an old man in a tree


Three Songs - Gabriel Fauré, arr. Robert Hanson

Après un rêve
Nocturne
Mai
The Hythe Singers at “Awakenings”:
22nd December 2007 - Carol Singing in Windsor Shopping Centre
Click on image for larger picture

3.00pm Sunday 16th December 2007
Angelus ad Virginem - Music for Christmas
The Church of the Assumption, Harvest Road, Englefield Green, near Staines
The Hythe Singers with St. Cuthbert's School Choir
conducted by Paul Plummer and Bridin Mills
with Hamish Dustagheer - organ
and soloists from Soprano and Alto members of the choir
The programme consisted of the Advent “O antiphons”, with the Cecilia McDowall's Cantata “Christus Natus Est”
and a section from Bach's Christmas Oratorio interspersed with carols and motets.



Solo - Georgina Bridle		Antiphon		O Sapienta
Choir		Motet		Totus Tuus - Henryk Górecki
Solo - Judith Hawes		Antiphon		O Adonai
Solo - Judith Hawes, Organ, Choir and All		Carol		Of the Father's heart begotten (arr. Willcocks)
Solo - Georgina Bridle		Antiphon		O Radix Jesse
Organ, Choir and St. Cuthbert's School Choir    including solo - Georgina Bridle		Cantata		Christus Natus Est - Cecilia McDowall
Solo - Jo Richardson		Antiphon		O Clavis David
Choir (and a single note from the organ)		Motet		O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen
Organ and Choir		Carol		A Maiden most gentle - Andrew Carter
Choir		Motet		Mother Mary Sing - Margaret Haley
Solo - Claire Cheetham		Antiphon		O Oriens
All		Carol		Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (arr. Willcocks)
Choir and solo - Judith Hawes		Carol		In the Bleak Mid-winter - Gustav Holst
Piano and St. Cuthbert's School Choir		Carol		Il est Né - Steve Kupferschmid
Piano and St. Cuthbert's School Choir		Carol		Ring the Bells - Libby Larsen
Choir		Carol		Gabriel's Message (arr. Willcocks)
Solo - Rebecca Scott-Saunders		Antiphon		O Rex Gentium
Harpsichord and Choir		Motet		Ehre Sie Dir, Gott, Gesungen from the Christmas Oratorio - J.S. Bach
Choir		Antiphon		O Emmanuel (world première) - Jamie Brown
All		Carol		O come, O come Emmanuel (descant Plummer)
Solo - Joan Hellyer, sopranos and altos		Antiphon		O Virgo Virginum
Organ and Choir		Motet		The Shepherds' Farewell from l'Enfance du Christ- Hector Berlioz
Solo - Joan Hellyer and all		Carol		Once in Royal David's City (arr. Willcocks)
Organ and Choir		Encore		Nativity Carol - John Rutter

On Saturday 24th November 2007 some members sang Anerio's Requiem for The Guild of Our Lady of Ransom at the St Anselm and St Cecilia Catholic Church in Kingsway, Holborn.

On 10th and 17th October 2007, the choir interviewed and auditioned candidates for the post of Musical Director, which was to fall vacant at the end of 2007. A total of 15 applications had been received and the committee short-listed six of these. Three candidates were seen on one evening, and three the next week. Each was interviewed by the committee and each had about 40 minutes to rehearse the full choir in two specified pieces. There was a great variety between the candidates in the types of warm-up exercises, styles of conducting and accompanying, and the general approach to the speed of progress and criticism given. Each member of the choir also provided feedback and the committee made their decision based on all the factors.