ONLINE CONCERT DECEMBER 6TH 2020 In aid of St Lawrence Seal and St Margaret’s Underriver Church funds Produced by John Morris Presented by The Clemence Charitable Trust (Reg no: 283114) Featuring Lauren Joyanne Morris (Mezzo Soprano) Greg Tassell (Tenor) Jo Ramadan (Piano) David Flood (Organ) The two churches, which are a joint benefice, have a record of producing live concerts. Most of the performers at Underriver have been students of music, who have been supported in their studies by The Clemence Charitable Trust and Greg Tassell and David Flood have frequently performed at St Lawrence. Lauren and Greg are well-known to concert audiences at our two churches and they will be performing a wide range of music to suit all tastes. Lauren’s accompanist is Jo Ramadan, who will be familiar to St Margaret’s patrons and Greg will be accompanied by David Flood, who will also contribute to the concert a short recital on the newly-rebuilt Canterbury Cathedral organ. This year has been difficult for professional musicians with the cancellation of engagements and also for our churches with the closure of buildings and the cancellation of fund-raising events. This concert will enable the musicians to earn a fee. It will also raise essential funds for the two churches and it will provide a much- needed lift as Christmas approaches. The concert will be available on YouTube from 6pm on December 6th until Christmas and ticket holders will be advised of the access link ahead of the concert. Tickets are priced at £15 per household (£20 for any one outside Europe) and are available by application on the attached form from John Clemence on which you can also include a donation. It is essential that you provide an email address so that the link may be sent to you some 48 hours before the performance. No actual tickets will be issued. Your application will be acknowledged by email. This letter and the application form will be attached. We would urge you to forward them to family and friends wherever they are so that they will also be able to enjoy the concert. PROGRAMME Lauren and Greg are versatile performers who are able to cover a wide repertoire. Their programmes will comprise songs from musicals including Rodgers and Hammerstein as well as popular operatic arias, a sprinkling of Christmas music and a short recital on the newly restored Canterbury Cathedral Organ. 1 LAUREN JOYANNE MORRIS British born mezzo soprano Lauren Joyanne Morris is a recent graduate of the Royal College of Music International Opera Studio (RCMIOS), having completed her Master of Vocal Performance (Distinction) at the Royal College of Music, London. During her time at the RCM Lauren Joyanne was generously supported by the Clemence Charitable Trust. Lauren is also proud to be a Concordia Artist. Performance highlights include covering the role of Zerlina in Don Giovanni for Garsington Opera, singing the role of Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro under the direction of Sir Thomas Allen for the RCMIOS and covering Johanna in Sweeney Todd for Welsh National Opera. Concert work includes singing in a performance of Serenade to Music at Buckingham Palace and in a Gilbert and Sullivan Gala Concert at the Symphony Hall, both under the baton of John Wilson. JO RAMADAN Jo began his music studies as a chorister at Chapel Royal St James Palace. After graduating from Durham University, Jo studied as a postgraduate pianist at the Royal College of Music studying with John Blakely and Roger Vignoles. He received major awards from both the MBF and the Neuby Trust. He has been accompanist for many master classes including those of Sarah Connolly, Kiri Te Kanawa, and Brindley Sheratt. Jo was Assistant Conductor and Chorus master for The British Youth opera tour to Anghiari with Southbank Sinfonia for performances of L’Elisir d’Amore. He is also a Britten-Pears Young Artist and a Samling Scholar. Recent performances include recitals with Amanda Roocroft and Cardiff singer of the world finalist John Pierce. Jo has also won the accompanist prize from Joanina Trust awards competition. Jo works regularly as accompanist and repetiteur for Classical Opera Company, Opera North and English Touring Opera. He is also currently Director of Music at St Vedast Foster Lane as well as being on the staff as accompanist and coach at the Royal College of Music and Oxenfoord International Summer School. Jo is also a coach and course leader for Samling Academy. Future plans include recitals `with Mary Bevan, Martha Jones, Joan Rodgers, Amanda Roocroft, Kitty Whately and Roderick Williams. 2 GREG TASSELL Greg is from Tunbridge Wells in Kent and was a chorister at Durham Cathedral. He studied music at Exeter University, becoming a choral scholar at Exeter Cathedral under Andrew Millington and won a place on the post graduate diploma course at the Royal Academy of Music, where he studied under David Lowe and Ryland Davies. Whilst at the RAM he reached the finals of both the London Handel Competition and the London Bach Prize and was runner-up at the inaugural John Kerr Award for Early English Song. On the opera stage, Greg has performed roles with English Touring Opera and is also much in demand as a soloist for oratorios. Recent engagements have included appearances at Cadogan Hall, Coventry Cathedral and St Martins in the Field. Greg has become particularly well known for performing the role of the roasting swan in Carmina Burana in full costume! In 2017 Greg was honoured to be one of the chosen soloists at the Presteigne Festival, performing Walton’s rarely heard “Anon in Love” and Cecilia Macdowell’s “In some corner of a foreign field” with full orchestra, to critical acclaim. Greg is a founder member of professional chamber choir Sonoro and the vocal quartet Twilight ensemble. He also enjoys teaching singing at various schools in Kent. DAVID FLOOD David is the Master of the Canterbury Cathedral Choristers and is the Cathedral Organist. As such he is responsible for every aspect of the Cathedral’s music programme and has filled these two roles since 1988, having previously been Organist of Lincoln Cathedral. Prior to that, he had been assistant organist at Canterbury Cathedral. He has been a key participant in four Enthronements of Archbishops and two Lambeth conferences, but it is the daily sequence of sung services, which is his pride and joy. He is an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University and a Visiting Fellow of St John’s College, Durham. He was awarded an honorary DMus by the University of Kent in 2001 and is much in demand for choral workshops around the world. 3 .