Edinburgh choir Cadenza seeks Singers
Barbara from Cadenza has been in touch about their need for new singers. You can go tto an Open Rehearsal on Wednesday 1st October from 7.30pm at Broughton St Mary’s Church, Bellevue Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 6NE
Fresh from our triumphant, sell out Fringe 2014 concert in Greyfriars Kirk (4 stars BroadwayBaby, “perfectly performed”, “beautifully rich sound”), we will shortly begin our annual recruitment drive for new singers. To give potential recruits an opportunity to find out what it’s like to sing with one of Scotland’s most exciting and versatile mixed voice choirs, we are holding an Open Rehearsal Wednesday 1st October from 7.30pm Broughton St Mary’s Church, Bellevue Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 6NE
Cadenza was founded in 1992 and is now considered to be one of Scotland’s top amateur mixed voice choirs, attracting members not just from Edinburgh, where we are based, but from across the central belt. We have a wide age range within the choir, from students upwards, and we always welcome good singers of any age and of ALL VOICES.
The Open Rehearsal is an ideal opportunity for potential recruits to ‘try us out’ with no strings, no commitment and no charge, singing a representative selection of our repertoire – their chance to audition us, if you like. No advance notice is required either – they can just turn up on the night and join in, though everyone is welcome to contact our Membership Secretary, tel: 0131 662 8721 or membership@cadenza.org.uk if they have any questions.
We would be very grateful if you could publicise this to your readers.
Since Jenny Sumerling was appointed Musical Director in 2000, the choir has gone from strength to strength, with invitations to perform at a wide range of prominent events, including the Raymond Gubbay “Carols by Candlelight” in the Usher Hall and Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, and premièring the finalists in Waverley Care’s international Christmas Carol Writing Competition.
Jenny was recently appointed by the SQA as its principal assessor for Advanced Higher Music, and is taking a year’s sabbatical to concentrate on this important work. We are delighted that her Cadenza role will be filled during that time by our Interim Musical Director, Philip Redfern, who brings a wealth of experience in choral conducting. Philip has already revealed some of the exciting programme of music planned for the forthcoming year and we await the remainder of the programme with eager anticipation.
Cadenza performs throughout the year – at Christmas and fundraising concerts for charities during the spring and early summer, as well as the Edinburgh Fringe, covering a wide range of periods and styles. Critically acclaimed at our annual Fringe concerts, we have enjoyed capacity audiences for many years and audience feedback which ranged from shouts of ‘Bravo’, whistles and a standing ovation, to ‘best thing we’ve attended in the Festival’ and ‘hard to believe this is an amateur choir’.
Our most recent CD was highly praised by critics, choral directors, composers, arrangers and audiences, with play time on BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. We have also previously been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 4 and Scotland. Cadenza also performs several times a year to raise funds for charities and other good causes, both in the UK and overseas, which has raised thousands of pounds over the years.
We take no fee, so all proceeds from the concerts go directly to the charity. Not all our concerts raise the magnificent total of £11,000 (£4,000 on the night) at a concert in Edinburgh last year, but we have raised over £4000 this year alone.
Forthcoming fundraisers include the annual Erskine Christmas Service on 11th December (a Cadenza fixture since 2000 and probably our favourite charity) and Leuchie House in East Lothian on 25th April 2015.
If your readers need any further convincing, you can remind them that singing is good for you, particularly if the singing is communal – lowering stress levels, improving memory (couldn’t we all do with some of that!), increasing confidence, energy and self esteem, and contributing to general well-being and happiness. We are also a friendly choir with an active social programme. What more incentive does anyone need to come and join in the fun on 1st October?!
All best wishes
Barbara
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
