www.inspirationuk.com
The massed voices of Inspiration present
Raise your voicewith The Orchestra of Opera NorthA sensational concert featuring all your favourites from the worldof musical theatre – Sister Act, Les Misérables, Sunset Boulevard,My Fair Lady and more...
6 March 2011, 4pm, Leeds Town HallBox office: 0113 224 3801www.leedsconcertseason.com
Saturday 27 November 2010Leeds Town Hall
Musical Director: Gary Griffiths
Rejoice!Inspiration and the Orchestra of Opera North present
Merry ChristmasThank you once again for joining us all in our celebration of Christmas. Hasn’t it
come round fast? In this concert you will hear many of your Christmas favourites,
all given our special treatment. You will even get a chance to join in!
A lot has happened since our last concert here in the summer, most
momentously of all our first international event. As many of you will know, we
have in our repertoire a medley from Disney’s ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’, so in
the summer we (nearly 400 of us) went to Paris. We sang to a standing room
only audience in Église Saint-Eustache, then the following day we performed
twice on the main Castle Stage at Disneyland Paris. On the final day we got on
a boat. All of us, on one boat. On the Seine. Sailing past the Cathedral of Notre
Dame. Singing Hunchback! The whole weekend was quite memorable and I know
it was the first of many.
We continue to take our singing out into the community to raise money for many
charities including Helpline Victim Support, MacMillan Nurses, St. Gemma’s and
St. Oswald’s Hospices and many church restoration funds. We really look forward
to expanding our outside events as they mean a lot to us.
I am so proud of the commitment and dedication these singers give me. I think
we are definitely proving that we can sing anything!
And to you of course, thank you for your support, and the support I know a lot
of you give the singers away from rehearsals.
Gary
Joy To The WorldFirst published in 1719,
‘Joy to the World’ continuesto be popular today and is the
most published Christmascarol in North
American history.
Gary GriffithsInspiration Musical DirectorGary was born in 1966 and educated at
Wolverhampton Grammar School where he first
started to sing in choirs and also started to play
oboe and percussion. Eventually he became
principal oboist of Wolverhampton Youth Orchestra
and principal percussionist of Wolverhampton
Concert Band.
He went on from Wolverhampton to York University
to study music, continuing to play oboe and
percussion and of course singing. He played or sang in most of the department’s
ensembles and also sang in the Yorkshire Bach Choir under the inspirational
directorship of Peter Seymour.
He graduated in 1988 and stayed in York to live, working as a Songman in the
choir of the beautiful Minster. With the Minster Choir he sang in many of the
world’s great cathedrals and churches in the USA and Europe and many of
the major concert halls in the UK. The Choir has made numerous recordings
and broadcasts.
Whilst at university he discovered his love of musical theatre. Eventually he joined
York Light Opera Society, first as a playing chorus member, later becoming their
Chorus Master. He also became Musical Director for Pickering Musical Society
and Sing Live. It was orchestrating ‘Annie’ for Pickering that led him to start his
own business, arranging and orchestrating for local groups.
On the non-musical side, Gary is an excellent cook
and is also a member of the Rollercoaster
Club of Great Britain.
Andy BoothAccompanistAndy Booth is a professional musician hailing
from Chesterfield who is the founder and principal
conductor for FONO Productions, a professional
entertainments management company with
in-house full symphonic orchestra and bands.
When not in this role, Andy can be found as a
professional freelance MD/Conductor and has
recently worked with Evolution Pantomimes
(Sheffield 2009: Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs), Sheffield Theatres (The Crucible re-opening night 2009 – The Crucible
Awakes), USO Productions (Blackburn 2009 – The Last Night of the Proms), and
most recently Croft House Operatic Society (Sheffield 2010 – Fiddler on the Roof).
As a pianist Andy can be found playing for Orchestras, Big Bands and Soloists.
His more notable work includes The Isle of Man Promenade Concerts 2005
(Falla – Nights in the Gardens of Spain, Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 21, Concert
Orchestra of Europe), The Rightful Owners of the Song Project (Guest Leader –
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra) and regularly plays for ‘Inspiration’
the superb Leeds/Newcastle based choir, the contesting UK teams in the Waterford
International Light Opera Festival and for many jazz artists, which in itself, has
taken him from Keswick to Barletta (South Italy) over the years.
Besides all this, Andy still finds time to be the Chair and Musical Director of the
Barlow Annual Promenade Concerts, a prestigious village festival in the heart of
Derbyshire culminating in June each year, run his own mini
jazz club (Mister B’s), conducts, accompanies and
consults for a number of choirs, music groups
and festivals (Ripley and Alfreton Musical
Theatre Company, The Lindrick Singers,
The Holmebrook Valley Singers and so on)
and he still continues the family tradition
as Musical Director of The Carolare Choir
(Chesterfield).
Silent Night‘Silent Night’ was sung
simultaneously in French,English and German by troopsduring the Christmas truce of1914, as it was one of the few
carols that soldiers onboth sides of the front line knew.
I Wish It Could BeChristmas Every Day
First released in 1973 byglam rock band Wizzard,
‘I Wish It Could Be ChristmasEvery Day’ was beaten to the
UK number one spot thatyear by Slade’s ‘Merry
Xmas Everybody’.
Inspiration teamChristine RowlandsChristine has been singing and dancing since
an early age and has been singing in and
choreographing for adult choirs for over ten
years. She was delighted when Gary asked her
to be involved in Inspiration both on and off stage.
Christine’s other passion is for musical theatre
and she can often be found performing with
LAOS at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and
The Grand Theatre, Leeds.
Barbara SumroySinging carols one Monday evening in September
was an unusual way of starting off rehearsals for
our ‘Rejoice!’ concert, but even more unusual is that
I have had the tree and all the decorations up and
been eating mince pies ever since (so I blame Gary
for all the extra weight I have gained!). I hope you
enjoy this evening’s performance as much as I have
enjoyed rehearsing for it and would like to wish
everyone a very happy and peaceful Christmas.
Jane LarderJane has always enjoyed singing, but it wasn’t until
she met Gary that she had the chance to do more
than sing in the church choir. She looks forward to
greeting her Inspiration family each week and
sharing their laughter and tears.
The last few months have seen great changes in
her life and she is now settling into her new home
and learning to respond to a new name. Who
knows what next year, and her bus pass, will bring.
Liz GreenNarratorLiz Green is delighted to narrate today’s concert
with Inspiration and The Orchestra of Opera North.
Multi award-winning journalist, radio and television
broadcaster Liz Green is based in Leeds and has
broadcast for the BBC for 15 years. She hosts the
lunchtime radio news and current affairs interactive
show on BBC Radio Leeds Liz Green Live, followed
by One On One, an hour in conversation with the
people who make West Yorkshire what it is.
Liz broadcasts for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio 2 and is a contributor
to Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4. Liz regularly interviews leading politicians,
captains of industry, news makers and commentators as well as being
acknowledged as being a great communicator with her audiences regionally,
nationally and internationally. Her programme allows her audience to question
those making the news every week day lunchtime between 12 and 2.
Her skills as a journalist in the broadcast media have won her the coveted radio
Sony Gold award twice; the highest accolade the industry can offer. She is also a
past winner of the Yorkshire Young Achiever Award for Personality of the Year.
Liz was also nomianted in this year’s Frank Gillard Awards for Radio Presenter
of The Year.
Born in Huddersfield, Liz is a proud Yorkshire woman. A huge fan of Inspiration,
she is honoured to be able to narrate this concert.
She says this: “Community singing at this exceptionally high standard is a pure
joy to hear. Inspiration are remarkable. Combined with the Orchestra of Opera
North, today represents the very best of the arts and the community coming
together, for a very special event. For me, it symbolises the very best Yorkshire
can offer.
I am looking forward to the music, the power of these voices and I shall be trying
not to leap out of my seat and start dancing! I challenge you to do the same –
in fact, when the music takes over, let’s just raise the roof! Good luck to everyone
involved today.”
The Orchestra of Opera North is the only ensemble in the country to have a
year-round dual role in the opera house and concert hall.
It has important relationships with Leeds International Concert Season and the
region’s choral societies, and is the resident Orchestra for the Leeds Conductors
Competition, the National New Composers Forum and the orchestral concert
seasons in Kirklees.
The Orchestra has a strong commitment to education work and many of the
players are outstanding teachers with several holding professorships at the
Royal Northern College of Music and at Universities within the region.
It has received international recognition for its recordings, with releases on
Chandos, Collins Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Hyperion and Naxos,
and has toured abroad both with the whole Company and independently to
many European countries and regularly performs at venues throughout the UK.
First ViolinsAndrew Long (Leader)David Riley*Stephen Shulman*Michael Ardron*Eileen Spencer*Brian ReillyTamsin SymonsClaire Osborne
Second Violins Katherine NewDamon FlanaganAnita Chidsey*Catherine Baker*Helen GreigWendy Dyson
Violas David Aspin Vivienne CampbellHoward Breakspear*Shelagh McKail
CellosAnna MowatJudith BurginJessica HayesZoë Long
BassesPaul Miller*Claire Sadler
Flutes David Moseley*Jennifer George
PiccoloJennifer George
OboeCatherine Lowe
Clarinets Colin HonourJohn Robinson
BassoonDavid Baker
Horns Robert Ashworth*John Pratt
Trumpets Murray GreigMichael Woodhead*Matthew PalmerJim Bulger
TrombonesDuncan WilsonRobert Burtenshaw*
Bass TromboneChris Stearn
TubaBrian Kingsley*
TimpaniSarah Stuart
PercussionChristopher Bradley*Graham Hall
HarpEleanor Hudson
PianoAndrew Booth
KitMatthew Dabs
Bass GuitarRichard Dodd
Chorus and Orchestra Director:Douglas ScarfeOrchestra Manager: Helen WilsonLibrary Manager: Andrew Fairley*Librarian: Victoria BellisStage Manager: Christopher LaddsOrchestra Attendant: Jordan SeniorMusic Secretary: Helen Stephens*
* Opera North Company member for 25 years or more
Shout For JoyRicketts
O Come All Ye FaithfulReading and Wade
O Come O Come EmmanuelTraditional
Breath Of HeavenGrant and Eaton
Penny Wilson
O Holy NightAdam
HeirloomsFarrell, Bannister and Grant
Lynne Hegarty
The First NoelTraditional
Rejoice With Exceeding Great JoyRouse and Kirkland
Christmas Isn’t ChristmasOwens and Owens
Linda Dredge with Rita Roberts,Sue Tootell, Clare Swindell andElizabeth Hawkhead
Hark The Herald Angels SingMendelssohn and Wesley
Little Drummer BoyDavis
Hallelujah ChorusHandel and Jennens
Rejoice!Ames
Vicky Swift, David Isaacand Company
White ChristmasBerlin
Geoff Walker
I Wish It Could BeChristmas Every DayWood
The Christmas Song(Chestnuts Roasting)Tormé and Wells
Pam Jagger
Away In A MangerTraditional
Pam Jagger and Company
Silent NightGruber and Mohr
Let There Be Peace On EarthMiller and Miller
Angels We Have Heard On HighTraditional
Joy To The WorldMason and Watts
Rejoice!Part one Part two
O Holy NightIn 1906 Reginald Fessendenbroadcast the first AM radioprogramme which included
him singing and playing‘O Holy Night’ on the violin.
It was therefore the firstpiece of music to bebroadcast on radio.
White ChristmasWith estimated sales in
excess of 50 million copiesworldwide, Bing Crosby’s
version of ‘White Christmas’is the best selling single
of all time. The Christmas SongOriginally subtitled
‘Merry Christmas To You’,‘The Christmas Song’ was
written in 1944 by Tormé andWells during a blistering hot
summer in an effortto keep cool.
Our singersBrenda AdamsMaralyn AdeyPat AinleyJanet AldhamGloria AllawayEnid AllinsonDe’Anne AmblerAnne AustwickRosemary BallJennifer BalmforthJan BarracloughPat BassanoRosemary BayfordBarbara BedfordBetty BedfordJean BishopDorothy BlackbandRosalind BodsworthChristine BottomSheila BouldHelen BretonVanessa BridgeRachel BrooksMollie BrumfittHetley BurnhamBettie BushMarilyn BushAngela ButcherPat ByrneMaria CameronNick CameronVanda CameronJackie CampbellFiona Campbell HallJudith CarterAnn ChamberlainGaynor ChaplinPauline ChidseyBarbara ClarkNeil ClarkeSally ClarkeSheila ClarkeShirley CliffKirsty CobbHelen CourtmanMargaret CouzensDebbie CowlingGraham CrollJanice CurtinCatherine DakinDoromie DaviesJenny DavisMarian Davis
John DawSusan DayGeoff DickinsonVal DickinsonMarie DillonRowena DobsonMilly DonaldsonKaren DouglasLinda DredgePeter DredgeMark DrummondPam DrysdaleHelen DukePeter DukeJane DunneCelia EasthamJanice EastwoodSteven EmeryPauline FarnworthBrenda FinchettSheila FitzgeraldJo FlanneryChristine FlecknoeMervyn FlecknoeChris FolkardLynne FolkardElizabeth FordHazel FordhamWendy ForrestSarah-Jane FoxtonSue FoxtonLiz FranklinChris Gale Dot GallagherSheila GibbsCaroline GibsonMarilyn GillisNancy GlaisterAlison GlewMary GorneyHelen GraceMichaela GreasleyLynne GreepRita GriceKatie GrovesPatricia GwynneSusan HaighMarie HallSue HallRaymond HallamCarol HallsworthSusan HallsworthStephanie Hansell
Janet HardwickRaymond HardwickSally HarrisonSue HarrisonPat HartleyMargaret HarveySheena HastingsElizabeth HawkheadFiona HayLynne HegartyDiane HensonRobert HensonAnne HeyhoeDavid HeyhoeElaine HillKath HinchcliffeChristine HodgsonTom HollowayBarbara HolmesCarol HorwoodMarilyn HoughDerek HowardMargaret HowardDerek HudsonJoan HudsonRose HudsonJan HunterJohn HurstTricia HutchinsonFreda IllingworthIsabella InmanTina IrvingDavid IsaacBernie JacksonPam JaggerLiz JarrattJonathan JohnsonMavis JohnsonMichelle JohnsonSuzanne JonesSue KeenFelicity KennedyMargaret KerinsDiane KershawPauline KettlewellAnne LangleyJane LarderKathy LawnPatricia LawrenceHelen LaycockJayne LaycockJim LeathleyCaroline Ledgard
Hazel LeeRainy LeeValerie LeeDania LeslieBob LewisEion LindsayRita LindsayPaula ListerVictoria LittlewoodPatricia LloydDeborah LongAnne LovellJack LyttleAllison McCrackenBeth MagnierJulia ManderPenny MansonVera MarkovicCarol MarshallFay MarshallBarbara MartinTamsin MartinAndrea MasseyJosie MedvedCarly MitchellTess MooneySally MooreJ Marian MoranDavid MorlandCatherine MorleyJoan MoseyMaureen MyersJulie NewellHelen NewmanJanet NewsomeWendy NewsomeRachel NixonJan OddyJudith PaxtonNadine PembertonLynne PickersgillErnest PollardFreda PollardCarmel PotterKaren PotterElaine PowellPatricia PrattJulie PriestleyJean PurcellVerity RandallSandra RawdingDi ReynoldsMalcolm Roberts
Rita RobertsTrudi RobertsDianne RobinsonIan RobinsonPauline RobinsonJudith RowanChristine RowlandsCarole SaulJill SaundersCharlotte SayerAnne SeagerLynn ShadfordJulia ShawLiz SibsonSusan SilkstoneBeverlie SmithJen SmithJulie SmithJulie SmithPamela SmithAnne SpearsHelen Speight
Helen SpencerGraham StandringPatricia StandringAndrina StanislawskiAnne SteadPaul SteadWilliam SteadJannine StewartJames StockEvelyn StoreyCarole SullivanBarbara SumroyAntony SuttillMargaret SuttillDorothy SwallowVicky SwiftClare SwindellManolina TaggHelen TaylorVal TetchnerPenny TharrattSue Thistlethwaite
Jules ThomasGloria ThompsonRuth ThornSue ThorpSue TimmeSusan TootellKrystyna TrybulaJane TurnerDavena VittaLance VittaHelen WadeSusan WaineGeoff WalkerTrish WalkerAlison WarrenRalph WatsonJanice WeldonAndrea WellsLisa WellsAlison West-LaySue WhelanAlan Whetton
Zenna WhettonSue WhitelawSandra WhitsonGwen WigginsGill WildeKaren WilkinsonTony WillettSheila WillisAnn WilsonKim WilsonPenny WilsonSue WilsonYvette WindowsElaine WormwellCathy WrigglesworthAnne WrightMargaret WrightSheila WrightCarole YeomansRobin Young
Away In A MangerFirst published in 1885 in
Philadelphia, this carol wasranked joint second in the
1996 Gallup Poll to findthe most popularcarol in Britain.
As well as enjoying the beautiful sights of Paris, Inspiration performed four
concerts in three wonderful and contrasting venues throughout the city, including
the magnificent Église Saint-Eustache and the magical Castle Stage at Disneyland
Paris. Our final performance was aboard a cruise boat on the Seine on which we
performed our ‘Hunchback’ medley, whilst sailing past Notre Dame Cathedral!
You can find out more about our trip by visiting the Inspiration website
www.inspirationuk.com, but here’s what a few people had to say:
“So many great flashbacks of the river cruise keep appearing before my mind’s
eye: the incomparable views of the city, the heart and soul on the face of every
singer; the way the sound swirled about the boat and soared above it; the
startled, delighted faces of passersby on banks and bridges; the emotion as we
neared Notre Dame and told the story of Hunchback; and Gary’s face, overcome
by happiness that a cherished dream had been realised. We all wanted to cling
to that special feeling of togetherness and fulfillment.”
Sheena Hastings
“It was Saturday afternoon and whilst the group came
to Saint Eustache for their rehearsal I was setting up
my camera equipment. They started to sing ‘Non Nobis
Domine’ and I had to stop what I was doing as I got
goose bumps and shivers down my spine. As I stopped
to listen to the beautiful sound that was coming from
the choir, I found myself welling up. That was only the
rehearsal – I couldn’t wait for the full concert!”
Fran Bridges, Rayburn Tours
“What a fabulous time was had by all in Paris.
The happiness and joy on everyone’s faces on
the bateau was a sight to behold. It overflowed
to the people on the banks and bridges of the
Seine, who joined in our pleasure with cheers
and applause. Paris can never have experienced
such joie de vivre en masse en bateau!”
Val and Geoff Dickinson
Inspiration would like to thank everyone who helped make this trip such asuccess. To Sue, Janice, Judith, Chris, Andy, Mark, Rich, Matt and RayburnTours. We all just have one question. Where next?
Inspiration hits Paris!Many months ago Gary had the idea of taking Inspiration to Paristo sing our much loved medley from Disney’s Hunchback of NotreDame. In the early hours of 27 August 2010 this idea was realisedwhen nearly 400 Inspiration singers and supporters headed toParis for a five day tour of the city.
An interview with…If you’ve been to one of our concerts before you will obviouslyrecognise Inspiration’s Founder and Musical Director, Gary Griffiths.Gary founded Inspiration in 2008 with the simple ethos thateveryone can sing. He has sung in and conducted choirs all his lifeand truly believes that singing in a large group is life-affirming andfulfilling in a way that few other activities can be. Here Gary answersa few questions about Inspiration’s two choirs and life off theconductor’s podium.
Singing obviously gives many people from all walks of life a lot of pleasure.What is it about the singing experience that encourages your choir to keepcoming back for more?
Now this needs a book to answer properly. Singing is by far the most personal of
all the music-making skills. It is only you and your body making that sound, and
when you do that in a group of 300 or more people, it can be quite overwhelming.
I have sung in choirs all my life, and there is no better feeling than when it all
feels right. I also like to think that my approach to rehearsals helps. We have so
much fun that sometimes we don’t realise how hard we are working, and I try
very hard to make singers feel safe. One knock back or cruel word (spoken
without cruel intentions) can be devastating for a singer, and once confidence
is lost it can be hard to get back. The development of each concert is very
rewarding as well; from first rehearsal through to concert is a thrilling journey.
Gary, you have been described as a talented cook and a rollercoaster fan, so Ihave two questions. What would you describe as your signature dish? Whichrollercoaster has been the most thrilling so far and which one is on your wishlist for the future?
Well I like to think I can turn my hand to anything, but I suppose one of my
favourites is a proper steak and kidney pie, with a suet crust. I also do a mean
chocolate mousse, which is a bit strange as I don’t have a sweet tooth at all!
I would much rather see a decent cheeseboard than a sweet trolley. As for
rollercoasters – easily my favourite, and considered one of the best in the
world, is Nemesis at Alton Towers. The genius of the design and the speed
and smoothness of this is remarkable. And the one I’m looking forward to
most is the one in my head, when I dream.
I have always wondered if you can tell the difference between the twoInspiration choirs – although we are all ‘Northerners’, we do speak differentlybut do we sound different?
This is a fascinating question. The difference between the two choirs is most obvious
at the beginning of each term, before the work on vowels really kicks in. During
warmups we do try to get a uniform sound for all our vowels, but if you haven’t sung
for a few weeks, then the regional accents can come through. The two choirs each
have their own personality too, but I couldn’t possibly declare a favourite.
If you weren’t involved in music, which other career path do you think youmight have taken?
I would have loved to have been an actor. I did a lot of serious drama at school,
and deferred university for a year to play the title role in Brecht’s Life of Galileo,
which I adored doing. Once at university though, music completely took over. As
an oboist, percussionist and singer, I was in all the university ensembles, choirs
and orchestras and loved every second. I do miss playing in an orchestra, but it is
such a joy to be allowed in front of players of the calibre of Northern Sinfonia and
The Orchestra of Opera North.
You can keep up to date with Garyand all the Inspiration singers byvisiting the Inspiration website at www.inspirationuk.com.
Angels We HaveHeard On High
The words of this song arebased on a traditional French
carol known as ‘Les Anges dansnos campagnes’ which literally
translates as ‘Angels inour countryside’.
Dates for your diary‘Raise Your Voice’ with Inspiration and The Orchestra of Opera North6 March 2011, 4pm, Leeds Town Hall
Box office: 0113 224 3801www.leedsconcertseason.com
‘Raise Your Voice’ with Inspiration and Northern Sinfonia2 April 2011, 3pm and 7.30pm, The Sage Gateshead
Ticket office: 0191 443 4661www.thesagegateshead.org
Hallelujah Chorus,Messiah
The World Record for anunbroken sequence of annual
performances of Messiah is heldby the Royal MelbournePhilharmonic, who haveperformed it annually
for 157 years.
Programme designed by Penny Wilson E: [email protected] printed by Media Solutions E: [email protected] courtesy of Penny Wilson, Rayburn Tours (Francesca Bridges), Michelle Bedell,Sally Harrison, Geoff Dickinson and Yorkshire Post Newspapers.
Thanks to…Thanks as always to everyone who helps with the smooth running of Inspiration.
To Barbara (Sumroy and Sheehan) Jane and Jan, Peter and Linda, Andy (without
whom it wouldn’t be possible), Judith, David, Chris, Penny, Sue (my driver) and of
course Dougie and all at Opera North.
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