The Leconfield Singers - Handel Messiah

About

The Leconfield Singers are delighted to be returning to the majestic Arundel Cathedral to perform Handels Messiah .

Messiah needs little introduction and is arguably the most popular of all Oratorios. Handel composed it in just twenty-four days, a remarkably short space of time but not exceptional by his own extraordinary standards. It is nevertheless incredible that he was able to create a work of such sustained inspiration, power and seemingly inexhaustible invention in that time.

More than 250 years have passed since its first performance, yet Messiahs status as one of the great icons of European music remains undiminished, and it continues to speak to millions of people of many cultures and faiths around the world. We shall be accompanied by the English Philharmonia orchestra, conducted, as always by our Musical Director, Graham Wili.

We are also delighted to announce that we will be performing with a superb group of professional soloists:

* Clara Orif, an award-winning soprano who currently performs with Royal Academy of Music Opera and is an Oxford Song Emerging Artist. She was a semi finalist in the 2023 Marmande International Song Competition in France and runner-up in the 2023 Pavarotti Prize Competition.
* Francis Bamford, a British counter-tenor currently studying for a Master of Music in Voice at the Royal College of Music. Francis read Music at the University of Cambridge, where he was a Choral Scholar in the Choir of St Johns College, studying singing with Andrew Watts. Whilst
* Ben Johnson, much acclaimed tenor, has worked with some of the greatest conductors in opera and concert, including Sir Colin Davis and Sir Andrew Davies. He has made several appearances at the BBC Proms, performing at the Last Night in 2017, and has performed in most of Europes great concert halls as well as Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall in the USA.
* Simon Thorpe, an award-winning baritone, was born in Tasmania and studied at the Guildhall School of Music where he was awarded the Harold Rosenthal Prize. He sings regularly in concert at major venues throughout the country including the Barbican Hall Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Royal Albert Hall (including the BBC Proms).

Tickets, which include the cost of the programme, range from 15 - 30 (children under 18 are half price).

There will be a short interval where drinks will be served and the retiring collection this year will be in aid of Waves Music Therapy, a charity whose mission is to provide accessible therapeutic music for children, young people and vulnerable adults facing social, emotional, and mental health challenges.