The Croydon Philharmonic Choir has been working hard in rehearsals ahead of their much-awaited return to the Fairfield Halls
Inside Croydon is delighted to be able to offer our latest great prize for our loyal readers – two pairs of tickets for the Croydon Philharmonic Choir and London Mozart Players’ performance of Verdi’s Requiem, to be staged at the Fairfield Halls on Saturday, October 26.
This marks a grand return to the Fairfield Halls for the Croydon Philharmonic Choir, in their first performance at the venue since it re-opened last month following its extensive refurbishment.
The Choir has one of the great set pieces of the choral canon to mark the occasion, and have recruiting additional singers so that they will be around 150-strong for the occasion. The performance will be enhanced by the presence of singers from the Croydon Male Voice Choir, Croydon Bach Choir, Downland Chorale and Carshalton Choral Society.
And they will be accompanied by the London Mozart Players, back once again at the venue they regard as home.
Singers from four other established local chorale societies and choirs are joining forces for the occasion
The choir has been rehearsing up to three times a week, including a day-long workshop last weekend.
The concert is the choir’s first performance at the Fairfield Halls since it sang Handel’s Messiah at its centenary concert there in December 2014.
The choir has set itself the ambitious task of singing the Requiem from memory – that without music scores, as would be customary. It is a big ask for any amateur choir, but music director David Gibson believes that this intensifies the experience for singers and audience alike.
Verdi composed his Requiem in 1873, when he was 59, with a long list of operas to his name. The Requiem is renowned for its thrilling operatic style and for the Fairfield performance, four top-flight soloists will be taking part, including soprano Erica Eloff, who is a choir vice-president. The others are mezzo Samantha Price, tenor Alberto Sousa and bass Nicholas Warden. David Gibson will conduct choir and orchestra.
The choir is using the concert to support the South East Cancer Help Centre, the Purley-based charity which offers help and advice to cancer patients and their families. It will be making a collection for the centre following the concert.
Choir acting chair Jane Castle says the choir is looking forward immensely to the concert. “We are delighted to be singing at the Fairfield Halls again and this will be a wonderful occasion,” she said.
David Gibson will conduct the mass choir
The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £15 to £25 and are on sale from the Fairfield Halls box office.
Or you can win a pair of tickets by entering our latest Inside Croydon competition.
To enter, you must be a subscriber to Inside Croydon.
The winners will be the first two drawn from the Editor’s very large hat who have managed to answer corrrectlly the following question…
In which city was Verdi’s Requiem first performed?
Send your answer in an email, with “Verdi’s Requiem competition” in the subject field, plus a daytime contact phone number, to inside.croydon@btinternet.com. Entries close at midday this Friday, October 18, 2019. The two lucky winners will be advised by email shortly after.
No alternative prizes are available. Usual T&Cs apply. Editor’s decision is final etc and so forth…
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC London News
- Inside Croydon named Journalist of the Year at 2018 Anna Kennedy Online Autism Heroes Awards
- ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: For two consecutive years, 2017 and 2018, Inside Croydon has been the source for two award-winning nominations in Private Eye magazine’s annual celebration of civic cock-ups
- In 2018, Inside Croydon had 1.6million pages viewed by more than half a million unique visitors
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or what to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
