THE MASSED VOICES OF INSPIRATION AND ROYAL NORTHERN SINFONIA PRESENT THE MASSED VOICES OF INSPIRATION SEIZE THE DAY AND THE ORCHESTRA OF OPERA NORTH PRESENT Featuring the magical music of Alan Menken including songs from Newsies, Tangled, Little Shop Of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Pocahontas and Beauty And The Beast SUNDAY 3 APRIL 2016, 4PM LEEDS TOWN HALL JOY TO THE WORLD MUSIC DIRECTOR: GARY GRIFFITHS 19 DECEMBER 2015 BOX OFFICE: 0113 224 3801 LEEDS TOWN HALL BOOK ONLINE: WWW.LEEDSTOWNHALL.CO.UK MUSIC DIRECTOR: GARY GRIFFITHS NARRATOR: LIZ GREEN IN THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT… There’s something about the Christmas concert that always brings out the best in everyone. There’s just enough familiarity in the music and the lyrics to make it feel very secure, though our arrangements are always somewhat out of the ordinary, which makes discovering them in rehearsals very interesting. Whatever it is, the singers always have a ball rehearsing the Christmas concert and I hope you enjoy the experience as well. There are some surprises in this one too, not least three different setting of the same lyrics. You might think you Originally known as know ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’, but you haven’t ‘Carol Of The Drum’, ‘The heard Inspiration give it the full treatment… three times Little Drummer Boy’ was over. We also have some familiar lyrics to unfamiliar written by the American tunes, with an insanely catchy version of ‘O Little Town composer and teacher Of Bethlehem’ among others. Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941. The first popular Our trees have been up since September and the recording was in 1955 by sprouts have been on since Bonfire Night – I hope this the Trapp Family Singers. concert puts you in the full Christmas spirit. Let’s bring some ‘Joy To The World’. Gary Griffiths, Inspiration Music Director and Founder About Gary… I have been singing for as long as I can remember. Wolverhampton Grammar School was my major musical influence – School Choir, Choral Society, Musical Theatre Group, Jazz Band – alongside the Youth Orchestra and the Concert Band. When it came to University it had to be music, and so to York. Three wonderful years of music making also included being Chorus Master for York Light Opera and MD for Pickering Musical Society. I then became a tenor in the Choir of York Minster with all that entails; daily services as well as many world tours, concerts and recordings. After 18 years , I left and became part of the creative team behind the formation of SingLive. Now, with Inspiration as my sole focus, I really do have my dream job. Weekly rehearsals and trips around the country and abroad are a joy. Win16 Inspiration Prog A5 ad v1 AW.indd 1 18/11/2015 10:19 First Violins Bassoon Orchestra Director THE ORCHESTRA David Greed (Leader)* Sebastian New Phil Boughton OF OPERA Peter Maslin (Co-Leader)* David Baker Orchestra Manager NORTH Andrew Long Michael Ardron* Horns Helen Wilson Brian Reilly Robert Ashworth* Library Manager Tamsin Symons Max Garrard Susannah Simmons Andrew Fairley* Belinda Hammond Trumpets Murray Greig* Librarian Second Violins Michael Woodhead* Victoria Bellis Katherine New David Hooper Pit Supervisor Ian Bone Jim Bulger Christopher Ladds Maria Vericonte* Catherine Baker* Trombones Orchestra Attendant Alison Dixon Blair Sinclair John Boulton Cristina Ocaña Rosado Beth Calderbank Music Secretary Violas Bass Trombone Helen Stephens* Anne Trygstad Christian Jones The Orchestra of Opera North, Classic FM’s Orchestra in Elizabeth Wyly* * Opera North Company member Yorkshire, is the only ensemble in the country to have a Tuba Vivienne Campbell* for 25 years or more year-round dual role in the opera house and concert hall. Joanna Wesling Brian Kingsley* It has important relationships with Leeds International Timpani Concert Season and the region’s choral societies, and Cellos Paul Philbert is the resident Orchestra for the Leeds Conductors Jessica Burroughs Competition, the National New Composers Forum and Andrew Fairley* Percussion the orchestral concert seasons in Kirklees. Zöe Long Christopher Bradley* Sally Ladds The Orchestra has a strong commitment to education Will Renwick work and many of the players are outstanding teachers Basses with several holding professorships at the Royal Northern Harp Genna Spinks College of Music and at Universities within the region. Anna Christensen Claire Sadler It has received international recognition for its Piano recordings, with releases on Chandos, Collins Classics, Flutes Philip Voldman ‘The First Noel’ is thought Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Hyperion and Naxos, Kevin Gowland David Moseley* to have originated in and has toured abroad both with the whole Company Bass Guitar France during the fifteenth and independently to many European countries and Oboe Harrison Wood century. In the 1800s it regularly performs at venues throughout the UK. Richard Hewitt* was brought across the Kit Catherine Lowe* channel to Cornwall by Matt Dabbs wandering troubadours Clarinets and transformed into the Colin Honour* carol we recognise today. Andrew Mason Philip Voldman trained at the National Opera Studio, Liz Green is a multi-award winning journalist and PHILIP VOLDMAN London supported by the Leonard Hancock Memorial LIZ GREEN broadcaster. She currently presents the Breakfast INSPIRATION Trust Bursary. Born in New York, Philip went to the NARRATOR Show on BBC Radio Leeds. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing ACCOMPANIST Liz is just back from New York where her radio Arts in New York (otherwise known as ‘The Fame School’). documentary ‘Moon and Star, the journey to He moved to the UK following graduation in 2003 and gained a BMus (Hons) from the Royal College of Music in Auschwitz’ won an award at the New York London. During this time he met the tenor Dennis O’Neill, International Radio Festival. who appointed him repetiteur at the Cardiff International A proud Yorkshire woman, Liz is looking forward Academy of Voice (now Wales International Academy of to celebrating Christmas with Inspiration and The Voice). While at CIAV, he has played for such artists as Orchestra of Opera North. Richard Bonynge, Kiri Te Kanawa, Nuccia Focile, Ileana Cotrubas, Della Jones and Rebecca Evans. Since then he Liz says, “I know it is Christmas when the lights go has been in demand as an opera and recital accompanist. down, the orchestra strikes up and that glorious wave In the last few years, he has assisted Pavilion Opera on of sound which is the combined voices of Inspiration the 2009 production of Tosca and with New Devon lifts the roof off Leeds Town Hall. I can guarantee I Opera, productions of La bohème and La traviata. Philip shall cry, smile and want to get up and dance ! I am has also been Music Director and Pianist for Scarlet You can follow Liz on honoured to narrate this very special concert. Have For more information and Opera’s production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, the Twitter @lizgreenlive a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!” upcoming events, please visit Musical Theatre Project with the Royal Welsh College You can hear Liz 6am – 9am weekdays on BBC www.philipvoldman.co.uk of Music and Drama and with Scottish Opera’s Essential Radio Leeds. Scottish Opera Tour. In July 2010, Philip completed the Opera Repetiteur MMus course with distinction at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where he was assistant conductor to Clive Timms on Massenet’s Chérubin and Britten’s Albert Herring. Following this he was appointed Repetiteur Fellow at the Guildhall School of Music Would you like and Drama and has since worked with Chelsea Opera Group on Belisario conducted by Richard Bonynge, Das to perform with Liebesverbot with Anthony Negus, Stiffelio with Brad Cohen and Le roi de Lahore with Renato Balsadonna. Inspiration or Echo? Engagements in the last few years include Il Tabarro, Pelleas et Melisande and Werther with the Grimeborn We believe that singing in a large group is life-affirming Festival directed by Aylin Bozok, Suor Angelica with and fulfilling in a way that few other activities can be. Our Talent Unlimited Hansel and Gretel, Orfeo ed Euridice ethos is simple – anyone can sing. We have no auditions and Macbeth with English Pocket Opera Company, to join, you don’t even have to read music, you just simply ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Die Zauberflöte with The Complete Singer directed by have to enjoy it. Rehearsals are great fun, with a very Gentlemen’ is referred to in Jenny Miller, Der Ring des Nibelungen at Longborough friendly atmosphere, but we do work hard. Dickens’ A Christmas Carol... Festival Opera conducted by Anthony Negus and Turn Recruitment for our spring concerts is now in progress “at the first sound of ‘God of the Screw with Opera Holland Park. with rehearsals starting in January. We are particularly bless you, merry gentlemen! Recent engagements include Samson et Dalila at interested in hearing from singers in the tenor and May nothing you dismay!’, Grange Park Opera and The Rake’s Progress at Teatro bass voice ranges. Scrooge seized the ruler Municipal de Santiago de Chile. with such energy of action, For more information or to download a registration Philip is currently Music Director of Clapham Opera Festival form, please visit www.inspirationuk.com that the singer fled in terror”. and from October 2015 to May 2016, Scottish Opera Emerging Artist - Repetiteur and Assistant Conductor. JOY TO THE WORLD JOY TO THE WORLD ACT ONE ACT TWO Shout For Joy Joy To The World Ricketts Mason and Watts Listen out for… pure energy. The horns have a strong leaping Listen out for… the special effect from the ladies of the choir. figure that cuts through the fanfare-like singing from the choir. The tintinnabulation of the ‘Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy’ is pure Disney.