Author: citysounduk

 

 

CitySound Voices will be featured on

BBC Radio 3 The Choir programme in Meet My Choir.

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Tune in on

Sunday 24th January 2016

4.30pm

to hear us!

Click here to listen to our performance on BBC Radio 3 after the show.

We are delighted to be sharing this concert with KES Soul!

KES Soul – Conductor Mark Boden

James Brennan, Will Denny, Mathew Chapman, Emma Jones, George le Coyte, Molly Phillips, Isabella Tann, Theo West, Benji Heffer, Adam Dudley-Friar, Charlotte Ghali, Bella Antcliff, Max Antcliff, Billy Harman, Bea Jones, Alba Hubbard, Edward Satterthwaite, Sophie Mayhew, Holly Davies, Gemma Roper, Lottie Phillips, Alasdair Meehan, Louis Miltion, Fran Barrett, August Pemberton, Jack Morgan Alex Llewellyn.

We are CitySound Voices, around 30 singers who decided in 2012 that we wanted to form ourselves into a new choir. It has been an exciting journey. We knew that we wanted to sing as varied a repertoire as possible – everything from Monteverdi to Bohemian Rhapsody. We hope that our name CitySound shows that we are not rooted in any particular musical tradition.

We also knew that we wanted to be as good as possible, and were prepared to work hard at our rehearsals. We were lucky to persuade Australia-born Ruth McKibbin, now an enthusiastic resident of Somerset, to take us on. As our Musical Director she brings together her own experiences as chorister, operatic soloist and teacher, and insists on wasting no opportunity to develop our vocal technique and our musical sensitivity.

Joining together to make music is surely one of the finest things a community can do. We like to perform with other choirs, especially young musicians.

CitySound Reviews

Ben Cullum – CitySound Review

“CitySound was formed 3 years ago and their repertoire consists of a wide range of songs. From Billy Joel, Mercury to Mancini, Carol King to Jamie Cullum, Pucini, Verdi to Lauridsen – they certainly sing from an impressive and varied songbook.

I was very happy to be part of the audience at two Christmas concerts where I heard them perform secular pieces and even pop & jazz in the first half, followed by traditional and more unusual seasonal items in the second. I was extremely impressed by their ability and range. Though a relatively new choir they always strive to deliver a professional performance, whilst their ultimate desire is to entertain. And entertain is certainly what they do!”

CitySound are accomplished singers with many years’ experience of entertaining, both nationally and internationally.

CitySound has a wide range of music and our repertoire ranges from Mozart to Bohemian Rhapsody, Opera Choruses to Gospel and African songs.

Since making Somerset her home in 2006, Australian soprano and choral conductor Ruth McKibbin established a reputation for musical and stylistic sensitivity which has been in demand by local choirs and in opera productions. Ruth has collaborated with international musicians such as Baka Beyond and Jamie Cullum.

Ruth describes herself as a “singer’s conductor”. Her rehearsal methods bring together her experience and expertise as a chorister, soloist and teacher. Ruth is delighted to be invited to conduct CitySound and is committed to performing challenging and diverse repertoire and developing excellence in technique and interpretation.

Ruth holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Music (1992), Postgraduate Diploma in Education (1995) from The University of Queensland and Master of Music Education degree (2005) from James Cook University, Australia.

Take a listen to ‘Deep River’ performed by CitySound Voices:

Courage Youth Choir

C.Y.C (Courage Youth Choir) is a youth Glee Choir that rehearses on Friday afternoons at the Wiltshire Music Centre. With conductor, Felicity Courage, the group of 12-18 years olds learn to perform every style of music, whilst putting their own twist on harmonies. C.Y.C sing in four part harmony and there are some incredible voices in the group.

This is a new musical venture for young and local singers and C.Y.C. are looking for new members and performing opportunities to increase their experience. 

 

 

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Watch CitySound Voices:

Ben Vleminckx Trio

Saxophone
Julien Alenda was born in Normandy, France in 1985. He started learning clarinet at 8, but soon moved to alto saxophone and started to play jazz in local clubs. After graduating from the conservatoire in Toulouse in 2008, he spent one year in San Diego, US where he had the great opportunity to study with alto sax master Charles McPherson. In 2009, he played and recorded original songs in Brazil with local musicians. His travel experience continued the following year, aboard a cruise ship where he played in the jazz band, before moving to Bristol in 2012. His playing is influenced by his love for Cannonball Adderley, Kenny Garrett and John Coltrane among others.

Drums
Ben Vleminckx studied at Bath Spa University with tutor Robert Brian. Working with players including Greg Cordez, Adam Biggs and appearing at regular jam sessions across Bristol/Bath jazz scene. Festivals include guest soloist at Brecon Jazz 2012 with Cardiff Uni Big Band and supporting Pee Wee Elis at the Bath Cooler Festival 2010. Ben has recently performed with Jason Rebello at the Wiltshire Music Centre as part of their Jazz Facotry programme. Ben endorses Sonor drums, Bosphorus cymbals and Bopworks jazz drum sticks.

Double Bass
Pasquale Votino, originally from Bonea, Italy where he studied for his diploma under Rino Zurzolo. Pasquale is now working in Bristol and has played with Andy Sheppard, James Morton, Craig Croften, Ian Matthews as well as workshops with Jerry Bergonzi,Buster Wiliams,Benny Golson. Pasquale’s high energy and exciting playing adds to the smelting pot perfectly in this band.

Watch CitySound Voices:

KES 16

KES 16 is King Edward’s School’s auditioned chamber choir and we are very honoured to have been asked to support this special concert tonight to launch a new choir in Bath, CitySound. KES 16 was formed by Rupert Drury in 2007 in order to stretch the top vocalists in the school and to train them in the art of choral singing in a wide variety of styles but with a particular focus on challenging contemporary pieces and extended vocal harmonies and techniques. The name KES 16, does allude to the world famous vocal group led by Harry Christopher’s, but the number of singers is very much more to do with creating a good balance between the parts. In our experience there is usually one vocal absence at performances due to illness so we actually run with one in reserve at 17, so if you lucky enough to have all of them tonight, the flu jabs must be working! The group is re-auditioned every September.

Their yearly programme includes close-harmony Jazz numbers; unaccompanied madrigals; contemporary choral works; including world premières of pieces specially commissioned for the group (KES 16 has a resident composer – Mr Mark Boden), and great choral masterpieces for use in Choral Evensongs and services in Bath Abbey. They regularly bring back trophies from the Mid-Somerset Festival competition in Bath including last year, the much sought after Edward Lilley Memorial Cup for the un-accompanied madrigal class. Last year they also got through to the regional round of the Music for Youth national music festival and competition.

King Edward’s has a growing and important link with Bath Abbey and many of the choristers at the Abbey attend the school and sing in KES 16.

Take a listen to CitySound Voices:

Enceladus

Enceladus is a small Chamber Choir which performs regularly in and around the Bath area.  Founded by its conductor, Tom Whitfield, the choir consists of 12 members, all of whom are professional musicians.  The experience and commitment of the singers allows the choir to concentrate on musical interpretation to capture not only the notes of the music, but also its meaning.

The choir performs an eclectic range of music and tries to encompass every genre of music in its repertoire. Baroque Masses, classical Requiems, African-American spirituals, modern Minimalism and even Disney tunes have all been present in previous concerts.  Our current focus has been on late Romanticism and early Modernism, giving us the chance to perform works from composers such as Debussey, Finzi, Whitacre and Stainer.

The choir recently took part in the CHaOS music festival, as well as performing at the Old Theatre Royal and Bath Abbey in 2012. Its members regularly join with other choirs to perform joint performances, as well as performing as soloists themselves in concert.

Soprano:
Gemma Hildred
India Gilborsen

Alto:
Holly Adams
Rosie Cook

Tenor:
Mike Arias
Sam Young

Bass:
Ben Collings
Theo Frazer
Ruari Metcalfe