Selsey Chamber Choir
"What Choirs can I join or see in Selsey over the next couple of months?"
Selsey Chamber Choir
The choir meets most Monday evenings to rehearse at the Methodist Church Hall, Selsey High Street
Autumn 2024 choir practice starts
September 16th
Sessions cost £5
The chamber choir was founded in October 2022 by Martin Elliott, to extend the vocal skills and music opportunities in our locality, and to provide an additional branch of entertainment to the ever-growing population on the Manhood Peninsula.
It recruits continuously for new members but aims to maintain its chamber-size proportions. Its repertoire is extremely varied, but designed to stretch the mental and physical aspects of singing whilst educating the members and its audiences.
Arts Dream Selsey offer support for the Choir's Performances
Martin Elliott is also the co-founder along with John Dickson of the Selsey Gramophone Society and was musical director of the town’s Jubilee contribution “Shifting Shingle” in 2022.
His ambition is to run an international music festival and masterclasses in Selsey’s very own Pavilion Theatre.
The choir has performed two well received concerts with a third coming up later in 2024
Singing Workshops July 2024
Monday 8th, 15th and 22nd
7:00 to 8:30 pm
Methodist Church Hall, Selsey High Street, PO20 0RD
Sessions cost £5
Martin Elliot ran 3 vocal workshops in July 2024 at the Selsey Methodist Church Hall, PO20 0RD. The sessions ran from 7:00 to 8:30pm and cost just £5 per evening.
These workshops were open to anyone, whether you are a member of the Selsey Chamber choir, or you’re interested in finding out if this is the right choir for you, or you’d just like to learn some new skills.
These sessions covered aspects of choral singing and vocal technique relevant to a small choir, without the pressure of preparing a set programme.
There were physical and vocal exercises, help with reading music, work on harmony singing, tips for singers, answers to questions from singers, and attempts to put these things into practice with a range of accompanied and unaccompanied music.
This was an excellent opportunity for potential new members to see how the Selsey Chamber Choir works and whether it is a suitable choir to join, and also for current members to express what they feel we can improve on in our rehearsals and performances.
The sessions were well attended and very enjoyable. Hopefully we'll see or perhaps that should be hear the outcome at the next performant
Selsey Chamber Choir
Below are some of our most notable Choral Productions
2024
Easter Serenade
Performed at:
St Peter’s Church, Selsey
13th April 2024
Directed by Martin Elliott
Guest Accompanist:
Simon Dinsdale – Organist
Additional Regular Member:
Janet Langford
Concert Programme:
Movements from the Gloria (RV 589) A. Vivaldi
Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Laudamus Te (soloists: Rebecca Grove and Louise Russell)
Gratias Agimus Tibi
Domine Deus, Agnus Dei (soloist: Hilary Platts)
Qui Sedes ad Dexteram Patris (soloist: Akiko Ross)
Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus
Cum Sancto Spiritu
Pastime with good company (1513) Henry VIII
Cantique de Jean Racine (Op.11 – 1865) G. Fauré
Sweet and Low (Lord Tennyson) J. Barnby
Fly me to the Moon (Bart Howard) Bart Howard
Easter Hymn from the opera, “Cavalleria Rusticana” P. Mascagni
Auld Lang Syne (attrib. R. Burns) Trad. Scottish
Choir Members:
Soprano:
Chris Butler, Chris Cole, Mary Field, Felicia Hughes-Freeland
Melanie Garrett, Rebecca Grove, Sue Ripley, Louise Russell
Alto:
Glenda Baum, Barbara Halfacree, Anna Meecham, Alex McDevitt,
Hilary Platts, Gillian Plowman, Akiko Ross
Tenor:
Paul Devonshire, Richard Day-Lewis
Bass:
Douglas Huxtable, Michael Jones, Chris Scott
2023
Summer Serenade
Performed at:
St Peter’s Church, Selsey
17th June 2023
Directed by Martin Elliott
At their debut outing the choir performed an eclectic mix of music delighting an appreciative audience.
Featuring classical numbers from popular composers such as Handel, Mozart, Purcell and Vivaldi along with some favourite folk numbers and some special numbers familiar to radio four listeners, Sleepy Lagoon by Eric Coates and The Weather Forecast from R. Ross.
Guest Artists:
Lesley-Jane Rogers – Soprano & Keyboard
Paul Thomas – Trumpet
Hilary Platts – Flute
Previous choirs
run by
Arts Dream Selsey
Selsey Community Choir
Launched in 2012 with the aim of bringing people together from all sections of the community to sing. Each year the choir performed one or two concerts attracting 100s of audience members. Since its launch many other groups have created choirs in Selsey and in 2023 Arts Dream took the decision to hand the reigns of this choir over to our good friend Sylvia Rota to run. This choir is now called The Joy of Singing. If you'd like more information contact Sylvia directly on 07811 643545
Members of the Arts Dream team still offer to help out on concert days.
2023 – July - Summer Concert Party
The last concert under the auspices of Arts Dream Selsey took place at The Selsey Centre on July 22nd 2023 and attracted a fantastic crowd.