Ashtead Choral Society's Summer Concert, entitled 'Transatlantic Melodies', takes place on Saturday 15 June at St George’s Church, Ashtead, and features an eclectic range of music from the UK and also 'across the pond'. Ashtead Choral Society is delighted that its summer concert will be supporting Rianna’s Fund, a local charity helping vulnerable children in Africa and India.
Aaron Copland’s 'Old American Songs' take us on a journey through an extraordinary range of North American musical history, from the solemn hymn-like 'At the river' to more lively works such as 'Ching-a-ring chaw' and 'I bought me a cat'. We guarantee there will also be at least one tune that you recognise…..
George Shearing’s 'Music to hear' songs are exciting to sing, combining the words of Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets with the 20th century jazz of Shearing who, nonetheless, has created a sound world which incorporates harmonies redolent of Tudor and Jacobean music.
Bob Chilcott - with the very English background of singing both as a chorister and as a student at King’s College, Cambridge - has set the ancient words and liturgy of the Christian Eucharist in his 'Little Jazz Mass' which was written for the New Orleans Crescent City Festival. The piece achieves the difficult task of fitting sacred words to music considered as secular, without in any way being unsuitable for the words, or untrue to the melodies.
In addition, our rehearsal accompanist, Stephen Ridge, will be playing some arrangements of songs by George Gershwin to complement the transatlantic theme of the evening.
This year we are delighted that our summer concert will be supporting Rianna’s Fund, a local charity which has been helping vulnerable children in Africa and India since 2004. Rianna’s Fund believes that every child deserves to have the opportunity to learn, and attain a level of care and education irrespective of their background. It is a voluntarily run organisation, ensuring that every £1 donated directly benefits the children it aims to support.
So why not come along to St George’s Church and enjoy some Transatlantic Melodies with Ashtead Choral Society at 7.30pm on 15 June at St George’s Church, Ashtead, Surrey.