Carol singing at Sunnybank Care Home
On the night of our final sing of the term, Wednesday 17th December, we visited a special friend who now lives in Sunnybank Care Home, Griffithstown. Soprano Beryl Williams has sung with Cwmbran Baroque Singers for many years.
At the end of the evening Beryl was presented with a well-earned certificate of Life Membership of the choir. Her son, granddaughter and great-granddaughter were also there to share the moments of celebration with her.
The choir sang carols for the residents of Sunnybank, with an invitation for everyone to join in with the best known of our selection. We were delighted to find that a good number of the audience joined in with enthusiasm, making a great fun evening for everyone.
Patronal Festival at St Michael's Church, Llantarnam
At unavoidably short notice Cwmbran Baroque Singers stepped in and sang at the annual Patronal Festival of St Michael at Llantarnam Church in Cwmbran. This meant that rather fewer than usual of us were available to sing, but those who were able to attend thoroughly enjoyed taking part.
That Saturday evening we were sharing the stage with The Linden Singers.
We sang a short programme of songs from our recent Summer concerts during the first half. As in the Summer, Carol Williams had chosen music from many eras, stretching from the seventeenth to the twenty-first centuries.
After a short interval, with very welcome refreshments kindly provided by members of the church, we relaxed and listened to the fantastic, upbeat singing from the ladies of the Linden Singers.
Their programme was a lovely contrast to ours. The timescale was from the 1950s to the 2020s and many of the songs were so well known and singable that it was hard not to join in. Great fun!!
Our appreciative audience seemed to enjoy hearing the really wide range of music on offer from both choirs.
We have to thank Martyn Jones, organist and Musical Director at Llantarnam, for inviting us to sing. Thank you to Martyn too for accompanying us on the evening. Finally, we thank Carol Williams, our Musical Director. She really brought out the best in us, as she always does.
D Martyn Jones, Director of the St Michael's Festival, writes:
Well, the St Michael's Choral Festival has come to an end for this year. Three excellent choirs over the two nights. Melody Makers entertained us on Friday evening with a varied selection of songs, then tonight Cwmbran Baroque Singers and Linden Singers gave us a wonderfully contrasted programme ranging from 17th Century madrigals to 20th century musical theatre.
We have once again enjoyed a wonderful weekend of music making and hopefully raised some much needed funds for the church. Thanks to all those participating choirs, Melody Makers, Cwmbran Baroque Singers and Linden Singers and their music teams who made the weekend a success. Special thanks to the Parish Social Committee for all their support providing refreshments and front of house support.
Concert in aid of St Cadoc's Church, Caerleon
The concert in St Cadoc's Church, Caerleon on Friday 19th September was a great experience, very successful and well-received.
Over £1,000 was raised in aid of St Cadoc's Restoration Fund.
Choir Trip to St Feock's Church, Cornwall, October 2024
The church of St Feock, near the lovely Cornish town of Falmouth, very kindly invited Cwmbran Baroque Singers to sing a concert there on the evening of Saturday 12th October.
The programme followed the theme Sun, Sea and Tranquillity. Works included music by, among others, Dering (16th century), Purcell (17th century), Bruckner and Mendelssohn (19th century), Mansel Thomas and Leonard Bernstein (20th century). Eric Whitacre and Philip Stopford represented the 21st century.
The weather was gloriously warm and sunny all weekend and we received an equally warm, sunny welcome from the lovely folk of Feock. There was plenty of time to enjoy a meal together, a stay at The Royal Duchy Hotel on the seafront in Falmouth, some hours of sightseeing and shopping in the town and a visit to Trelissick House and Gardens, before gathering at the church to rehearse.
After rehearsing we were treated to some substantial refreshments in the church. In addition, the whole audience and choir were plyed with freshly baked Cornish Pasties at the end of the evening's concert. Thank you so much, St Feock's Church.
Spring concert 2023 - Music for a Coronation
Musical Director Carol Williams chose a selection of music to mark the Coronation. The Concert took place on Saturday 22nd April in St John the Baptist Church, Risca Road, Newport
Works included Mozart's Coronation Mass in C, Handel's Coronation Anthems, Walton's Coronation Te Deum and Parry's I was glad.
The evening was the most glorious celebration of some absolutely joyful Coronation music. So many choir members have since said that they simply could not help singing along with the music as they watched King Charles III's Coronation on television. We hope this was not a mixed blessing for some of the families and friends affected.
Carols at Leadon Court Care Home
At Christmas 2022 we were made very welcome by the residents and staff of
Leadon Court Care Home, Thornhill, Cwmbran
We sang a selection of traditional carols and Christmas music with them on the evening of Wednesday 14th December. It was a joy to see and hear residents joining in, beating and clapping time and to feel the warm, Christmassy atmosphere.
Thank you for inviting us, Leadon Court!
Concerts
Saturday 3rd December 2022
Our Christmas Concert took place in St John the Baptist Church, Risca Road Newport, accompanied by Runaway Brass, on Saturday 3rd December 2022.
We enjoyed singing a selection of Christmas music through the ages, ranging from some tricky two choir works by the sixteenth century composers, Gabrieli and Schutz to works by Vaughan Williams, the Welsh composer William Mathias and John Rutter, who is, of course, still composing.
Here is the full programme:
- O Clap Your Hands - Vaughan Williams
- Benedictus - Vaughan Williams
- Im Advent - Mendelssohn
- Weihnachten (Frohlocket) - Mendelssohn
- In Dulci Jubilo - Praetorius
- Sweet was the Song - Mansel Thomas
- Runaway Brass: A Carol Fantasy from ‘Christmas Crackers’ arr. John Iveson
- Alleluja! Lobet den Herren in seinem Heiligtum (Psalm 150) - Schütz
- Jesus….of Humble Birth - Meyerbeer
- Hodie Christus Natus Est - Gabrieli
- O Come all ye faithful (trad)
- Magnificat in C - Stanford
- A Maiden Most Gentle - Carter
- See amid the winter’s snow
- Sussex Carol
- It Came Upon the midnight clear
- Jesus Child - Rutter
- Put Memory Away - Chilcott
- The 3 Kings
- Runaway Brass: Jingle Bells/Deck the Halls from ‘Christmas Crackers’ arr. John Iveson
- A Christmas Blessing - Stopford
- Sir Christemas - Mathias
- Hark! The Herald
Rehearsals now continue as normal in Richmond Road Baptist Church Hall, Pontnewydd on Wednesday night at 7pm.