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Programme Details:
THE
COTSWOLD
SAVOYARDS
40th ANNIVERSARY
GALA CONCERT
Cheltenham Town Hall
Saturday 16 March 2002
Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra
Guest Conductor:
Barry Wordsworth
A WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COTSWOLD SAVOYARDS:
Ladies and gentlemen, the Cotswold Savoyards are pleased to welcome you to this, their 40th Anniversary Gala Concert. Since the foundation of the society in 1962 it has grown in strength, and today we enjoy a membership in excess of 100 talented people who come from all over the Cotswold region. Tonight we are joined on stage by the Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra and many past members who have come to sing with us on this special occasion. Other past members, our families, patrons and friends make up a large part of our audience, and we welcome them all most warmly.
We are very privileged that our President, Barry Wordsworth, is also here to share in these celebrations with us. Barry is in great demand world-wide as a renowned orchestral conductor, and we are delighted that he has found time in his very busy schedule to be here in the Town Hall this evening. The programme has been chosen to reflect our 40-year history, and we hope that not only will you find its contents enjoyable, but that some of your particular favourites have been included. We wish you a very happy evening.
MARGARET CRAVEN
THE COTSWOLD SAVOYARDS has a well-earned reputation for the excellence, flair and variety of its productions which, in recent years, have also included works by Leh?r, Offenbach and Johann Strauss. This autumn, Julian Slade's Salad Days will be added to its repertoire. In addition to twice yearly costumed productions, the society gives several concerts each year, helping to raise many thousands of pounds for various charities, churches and other worthwhile causes. The Savoyards have sung with professional soloists from D'Oyly Carte and other opera companies on many occasions, most recently in 1997, when they shared the Town Hall stage with Valerie Masterson, Gillian Knight, David Fieldsend, Donald Maxwell and the BBC Concert Orchestra in a live presentation for BBC Radio 2. Highlights of this concert were also released on a CD. Other highlights of recent years include a costumed performance of Trial by Jury in Gloucester Crown Court and the Arthur Sullivan Centenary Concert here at the Town Hall, the latter their first joint venture with Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra.
PROGRAMME
(See main concert page for details)
BARRY WORDSWORTH is the Principal Conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra as well as a frequent guest conductor with many of the major British orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, the Hall? Orchestra and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. In 1989 he made his first televised appearance on the BBC Proms and has continued to conduct during every Prom season since with both the BBC Concert Orchestra and the New Queen's Hall Orchestra. In addition to his symphonic career, Barry has also conducted opera at Covent Garden. He was Music Director of the Royal Ballet until 1995 and regularly conducts key performances with them and the Birmingham Royal Ballet where he continues as Music Director. He has a large catalogue of recordings and has made commercial releases for all the UK-based companies.
ALLAN GILLESPIE was born in Scotland and educated at Madras College, St Andrews. He trained at the Royal Manchester College of Music, studying singing with Gwilym Jones and Patrick McGuigan before moving to Cheltenham in 1971. After a long career as a civil servant, he now teaches singing At several schools throughout the country and also runs a flourishing teaching practice in partnership with his wife, Karen. As well as appearing on stage for various local societies in productions ranging from Cosi Fan Tutte to Paint Your Wagon, he has conducted many shows for the Cotswold Savoyards, Cheltenham Operatic & Dramatic Society and Promenade Productions. Tonight's concert gives Allan the rare opportunity of working with orchestra and chorus, free from the tight confines of the theatre orchestra pit.
CHELTENHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA was
founded in 1969 and consisted of only a small ensemble of about 20 players. Known
initially as the Cheltenham Sunday Players, the group has since developed into
a full symphony orchestra which gives many concerts each year. Its members
include several professional musicians, as well as instrumentalists from other
walks of life who enjoy playing the symphonic repertoire. In recent years,
the orchestra has raised, over £25,000 for various charitable organisations. It
is supported by the Friends of Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra, a body dedicated
to supporting the orchestra and helping to finance the work of taking live music
to places that seldom have the opportunity of hearing symphony concerts. In
1999, the orchestra appointed David Curtis as its Principal Conductor.
THE COTSWOLD SAVOYARDS
Soprano: Kate Bennett, Sue Black, Tessa Champion, Maureen
Cornborough, Ann Evans, Rosemarie Evans, Lesley Hendrie, Gwen
Hewlett, Fran Hobbs, Iris Holland, Janet Honeywill, Susan
Honeywill, Julia Kearsey, Sarah Keen, Penny Lewis, Jo Llewellyn,
Sarah Lowe, Christine Manifold, Janet Mann, Pat Moulds, Sally
Palmer, Sarah Roberts, Sue Rowe, Geraldine Rowley, Jo Scriven,
Angela Walker
Alto: Kate Badge, Jeanette Behenna, Mavis Boulton, Dot Burnell,
Ann Cox, Margaret Craven, Sarah Eliot, Helen Hooper, Gill
Klapper, Rosalind Loveluck, Fiona McNaughton, Patricia Manifold,
Pauline Mills, Catherine Newman, Liz Organ, Belinda Ricketts,
Margot Sey, jean Wells, Jean Wilson
Tenor: David Barker, Ron Behenna, David Bennett, Peter Boulton,
David Churchill, Jonathan Dyer, Gerald Harris, John Larmour,
Simon Lewis, David Manifold, Roger Palmer, Richard Schofield,
Paul Scott, Keith Swinford, Reg Tull, Eric Tyler
Bass: Jim Abraham, Anthony Brown, Bernard Cox, Geoff Craven,
Dave Fisher, Allan Gillespie, John Honeywill, Duncan Hooper,
David Johnson, Howard Johnson, Anthony Jones, Gordon Jones,
John Pringle, Geoff Ramshaw, Gerald Ricketts, Des Rowley,
Philip Wenham
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
David Curtis & Chris Sturdy of Cheltenham Symphony Orchestra
Christine Kennedy, D'Oyly Carte Opera Music Librarian
Gloucestershire Music Library
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