On Saturday 29 July 2019 we sang Carmina Burana at Lewes Town Hall. It was the hottest day of the year, with 250 performers and 300 in the audience, it was the hottest ticket in town! East Sussex Community Choir was joined by Brighton Orpheus Choir, Wallands School Choir and Orpheus Young Singers, all of whom were accompanied by the South Downs Youth Orchestra.
Vocal soloists were Paul Austin Kelly (singing the part of Roasting Swan), Philip Tebb – the baritone solos – showing an extraordinary vocal range, and Charmian Bedford – who stunned us all with her fabulous singing, standing in at the last minute (well actually 10 hours notice). All fabulous – thank you to them.
And the first half of the concert showed off the South Downs Youth Orchestra under the baton of their conductor Malcolm Warnes, playing Gordon Jacob’s Horn Concerto with 16-year old soloist Brendan Connellan; Stravinsky: Symphonies of Wind Instruments; and a World Premier Angelus by Siobhan Connellan b.1998 and ex SDYO bassoonist.
A big thank you to all the performers, including Malcolm Warnes and Nicholas Houghton (conductors) and the all the audience. As Nick Houghton said, it was a hot evening and we were ‘all in it together’ but I know everyone enjoyed it.
Here are some photos taken by John Astbury.
