Felling Male Voice Choir

Barnaby Bear has a musical weekend (March 17th 2007)

At the concert designed to raise funds for Father Thomas’s mission in Gambia Barnaby, escorted by Rebecca Conway – daughter of the Musical Director FMVC – was pleased to be allowed to have its photograph taken as proof of attendance.  The bear which was on loan from school was pleased to be part of such a performance and whilst there was no picnic with the music he seemed to have a fun time.

It has to be said that such a small bear became rather afraid when FMVC started to sing ‘Tiger, Tiger’.  Armstrong Gibbs’ setting of William Blake’s poem( 250th celebration of his birth this year)  begins with an almost frightening explosion of the opening words.  He seemed more at home with ‘American Trilogy’, clearly a bear from across the Atlantic!

The two hour programme included the premier of a new setting for guitar and soloist performed by the composer, John Kerr and soloists Hewson Taylor and Norman Grainger adding to the very disparate array of music sung by the choir. 

Mayor’s Charity Concert at Sage Hall 2 (March 3rd 2007)

This year Felling shared a concert with the Felling Band: shared with a difference.  The band played for the first half of the concert and FMVC entertained the audience in the second half.  The stage is much too small to have a full band share the platform and we found ourselves not able to perform a joint item.

Our contribution was a 55 minute programme that included the accompanists, Tracy Dixon and Philip Chapman playing two of Moskowski’s ‘Five Spanish Dances’ for four hands on one piano, an eclectic mix of traditional male voice music such as ‘Arise O sun’ arranged by Doris Arnold, to spirituals, songs from the shows, opera choruses and folk songs from around the world.  The programme also included a performance of one of Dvorak’s pieces written for piano duet and male voices.  FMVC have not sung ‘Maiden in the wood’ for more than two decades and it was a welcome return to such a well conceived composition especially with the Steinway available for the concert.

This, sadly, will be the last Mayor’s concert to be held at the Sage but we look forward to taking part in the same concert next year wherever it is to be held.