The two Love Music Choirs – the Love Music Community Choir and the Love Music Junior Choir will hold their concert next Monday 12 November 2018 at the Usher Hall.
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM Usher Hall Box Office, Lothian Road, EH1 2EA Tel 0131 228 1155 and online
Reserved seating: £7 full price, £5 seniors, disabled people and students. FREE for unwaged, under 16s and a disabled person’s companion.
The concert will involve 450 people singing on stage. There are 150 between 8 and 12 years old in the Junior choir and the community choir is the largest of its kind in the UK.
The piper Stephen Blake and City of Edinburgh organist John Kitchen will accompany the singers of all ages as they perform classical, pop, ancient folk music and music by Ivor Cutler on stage at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall.
Both choirs are a partnership of The City of Edinburgh Council and the Usher Hall and are directed by award-winning composer Stephen Deazley and accompanied by Scottish jazz-folk legend Dave Milligan on piano.
John Kitchen will join the choirs for the first time and will lead the choirs in Fauré’s Requiem as well as accompanying the junior choir in their own set.
Love Music Choirs provide fun, inclusive and inspiring experiences for people from any background. There are no auditions or requirements for previous experience, and choir members can expect to sing a wide range of music from across the world and in many different styles and languages, specially arranged for them by Stephen Deazley.
They work with professional musicians in rehearsal and performance, and learn about different styles of singing and musical expression. The powerful and positive effect of singing – and singing together – on their members’ health and wellbeing is an important aspect of the choirs’ ethos, and the benefits of mixing with people from all walks of life and of all ages are evident in the friendships made and joy expressed at rehearsals and performances.
Stephen Deazley, Love Music Artistic Director said : “We’re constantly amazed by this wonderful community of singers, by their enthusiasm, their love of singing, receptiveness to new musical ideas and styles, and by the sheer expressive joy that comes from the stage. Our collaborations are always meaningful and musically adventurous, and this term is certainly no exception… to sing with the wonderful Usher Hall organ and create new work with one of Scotland’s finest young pipers will definitely be one of my highlights of the year.”
Maddy (14) a Love Music Community Choir member since 2014 said : “Love Music choirs are made up of such a variety of wonderful people, and you make loads of new friends. It’s like one big family, and we bump into people we know all over town now. The range of music is enormous and I love all the different styles and languages we sing. It’s very special to practice and perform in the Usher Hall and the musicians we get to work with are very inspiring. I still think – wow, am I really doing this?!”
Love Music Junior Choir receives generous support from the City of Edinburgh Council and Usher Hall, Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative fund, and donations from many charitable trusts and individuals. Thanks to this support, Love Music is able to offer half of the choir memberships free of charge to families who would otherwise be unable to afford to attend, alongside providing assistance with travel costs where required.
Love Music would be grateful to receive donations of any size to help support and fund its Junior Choir. Please make donations with Gift Aid via the fundraising website: www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/JuniorChoir, and send cheque donations made out to “Love Music Productions” to Love Music, 65/8 Warrender Park Road, Edinburgh EH9 1ES.
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