Beckenham Junior Choir - giving children in Beckenham, Bromley and Southeast London a place to sing!

An informal Concert by Youth Voices

On Wednesday 12th October, Youth Voices gave an informal concert in Elm Road Baptist church for an audience of families and friends.

A lively start to the evening's proceedings was made with "I got Rhythm" and then the Newfoundland folksong "She's like the Swallow" featuring Grace accompanying Youth Voices on flute. Long-standing choir members Robyn and Tamsyn then treated us to wonderful solo pieces, "When daisies pied" and Tamsin's completely unaccompanied "Long-a-growing".

This concert was a chance to air new pieces that were started at the beginning of this term and "Jesu Joy of man's desiring and "To music" show how just how wide a range of music is enjoyed by our choirs.

Sophie filled the church with her solo rendition of "I don't know how to love him" and Bonnie captivated all who were there with the aria "Giunze alfin il momento deh vieni" from W A Mozart Le nozze di Figaro.

It was then time for a little girls vs. boys with "The man I love" followed by the boys singing "Red is the Rose" to an arrangement of the tune Loch Lomond by our guitarist-accompanist Mark Edwards.

The programme concluded with another visit to "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square", and some welcome refreshments - thanks to Rosemary and helpers - and a chance to chat. We hope to repeat this opportunity for Youth Voices to perform in an informal concert like this in the Spring and all are welcome to attend.

Youth Voices was started in 2004 as an extension the the Junior Choir for those in school years 7 and above, and new members are always welcome.

Photographs of the concert

Thanks once again to Nick Charles there are some photographs online here, remember to enter your password to see them. If you click the 'slideshow' link you see them all play automatically.

Photographs of the concert here

Nightingales sang in Elmers End!

On Sunday 3 July 2011, the final concert of this academic year was a wonderful celebration of the summer season and of good old London town.  The Beckenham Junior Choir and Youth Voices were given a warm welcome by Father Leon Carberry, and the church was filled with friends and family.

The choirs were also thrilled to be  joined by some special guest singers and by the Blackheath Baroque ensemble.

The programme began with a series of songs about summer, reminding us of sunny days at the beach and messing about on the river!  There were some lovely solo performances by Hannah Knowles and Emma, Robyn, Jessica, Anton and Sophie.  The Blackheath Baroque also played a Vivaldi Concerto, "Il Gran Mogol", which was composed in the 1700's but was lost, and only recently rediscovered in Edinburgh in 2010.  It was exciting to think that we were one of the first audiences to hear the concerto in 300 years!

After the interval we were transported to the heart of London for a series of songs and poems about our capital city.  Ivan and Malini performed solos in "Wotcher" and "Let's All Go Down the Strand".  The audience was then treated to a charming performance of "They're Changing Guard at Buckingham Palace" sung by Sabrina in a miniature guardsman's outfit accompanied by Roger Nicholls on the trumpet and Charlie Warren on the side drum.  This was followed by "The Oak and the Ash with a solo by Marie, and "The Mountains of Mourne" with solos by Niamh and Hannah Knowles.

The Blackheath Baroque and guest singers then performed "The Cries of London", which simulated the shouts of tradesmen and market sellers throughout London Town. This set the scene for a suite of songs by Mervyn Burtch, a Welsh composer born in 1929. Each of the short songs concentrated on a different part of London, including Knightsbridge, Moorgate, Highgate, Mayfair, Fleet Street, Kilburn, Haymarket and Whitechapel.  The solo performances by Chloe, Ella, Emelia, Luka, Liberty, Oliver, Elizabeth, Hannah Faja and Matricia were clear and confident, and showed how much the children's voices have developed over the year.  The songs were interspersed with poems about London, spoken by Ivan, Brandon, Christian, Megan, Sophia, Matricia, Eleanor, Kaitie, Roimata, Kate and Isobel.  All of the children performed confidently.

All too soon it was time for the finale.  All of the choirs, singers and musicians came together for a beautiful performance of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square", with a  thrilling solo by Bonnie.

Some members of the Junior Choir and Youth Voices are leaving us and we wish them all well, and hope they will keep in touch with the choir, and let us know how they all get on.

Photographs of the concert

Thanks once again to Nick Charles there are some photographs online here, remember to enter your password to see them. If you click the 'slideshow' link you see them all play automatically.

Photographs of the concert here

A BIG THANK YOU!
Thank you to everyone who took part in our wonderful concert at St James' Church.  A special thanks to the accompanists, Charlie Warren, Sophie Kale, George and Elizabeth Godsmark and Mark Edwards.  Thanks also to our special guest singers and the Blackheath Baroque ensemble. I would also like to thank all of the parents who help behind the scenes, and last but not least, all of you talented singers in the Junior Choir and  Youth Voices. Some of you are leaving us at the end of the summer term, and we wish you every success in the future, and hope you will keep in touch.

John