Students rehearsing Mass in Blue
Students and teachers from seven Worcestershire secondary schools are busy counting down the days until their involvement in a unique music project later this month.
The event is a performance of Will Todd’s thrilling Mass in Blue at Worcester Cathedral on 27 April alongside a stellar line-up of professional musicians and artists.
Mass in Blue is a jazz setting of the Latin Mass and will be the centrepiece of an evening of jazz and high energy music. Performing it will be a chorus of around 170 singers with composer Will Todd at the piano, the Will Todd Ensemble and soprano Lorna James, all under the direction of conductor Neil Ferris, Chorus Director at the BBC Symphony Chorus.
Superstar saxophonist and BBC R3 presenter, Jess Gillam MBE, will present the concert and feature as its solo Guest Artist.
The programme will include a choral piece by vocalist, composer and workshop leader Aga Serugo-Lugo, and Will Todd’s arrangement of Amazing Grace with specially composed saxophone solo for Jess Gillam and the occasion.
Anne Renshaw, Producer of the event said: “Jess is a fantastic ambassador for music education and for her art the world over. At only 25 she has set the music world on fire with her outstanding talent and infectious personality. We are thrilled she is coming to Worcester to perform with us and inspire our young people and the audience.”
In addition, Jess Gillam will lead a Masterclass for six talented local students at the Royal Porcelain Works during the afternoon of concert day.
The concert is the culmination of an ambitious music education project for young people to work and perform with top professional musicians.
Anne continued: “This project is all about opportunity and access. It’s about offering young people, especially those with no previous experience, the chance to immerse themselves in a high-quality, uplifting, challenging, and ultimately highly rewarding musical experience. Working throughout the project with some of the UK’s leading professional artists and musicians will be life-changing for some. Such opportunities are rare and we are very grateful to the Bransford Trust, Worcester City Council and Worcestershire Community Foundation for their vision and support in making it possible.”
Joining the schools chorus will be young singers from Worcester Cathedral Youth Choir, the RSCM Millenium Youth Choir, and two high school choirs from Vermont USA in an exciting local, national and international collaboration.
Conductor Neil Ferris, leading the massed rehearsals and working directly with students and teachers since the project’s launch in April 2023 said: “We’ve had a great session here this morning with Will Todd in the lead-up to the concert on 27 April. They are making a fantastic sound and I’m really excited about what we’re going to achieve on that day in Worcester Cathedral.”
The American choir will meet the Mayor of Worcester for a special reception and tour of the Guildhall on Tuesday 23 April.
Youth Choral Worcs - formerly Sing UK - has been delivering exceptional educational and performance opportunities for young people in Worcestershire since 2010 working with secondary schools, colleges and those in higher education. Its 2017 concert in Worcester Cathedral, Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man - a Mass for Peace - was a sell-out with more than 1200 people in the building.
TICKET HOTLINE: Worcester Theatres, Huntingdon Hall, Crowngate, WR1 2ES
01905 611427, worcestertheatres.co.uk
No comments:
Post a Comment