Next Concert:

A Christmas Cracker

Saturday 14th December 2019 at 7pm (doors open 6.30pm)
Venue: Stanton Harcourt Village Hall, 0X29 5SB
Tickets from choir members, St Andrew`s Bookshop, High Street, Witney,
and Rapture, Woolgate, Witney, and on line: ticketsource.co,uk/lowerwindrush
Cost: £10 (£12 on the door) under 18s free

Start your festivities with a cracker of a concert. Come along to Stanton Harcourt Village Hall
to enjoy drinks and nibbles while listening to the choir perform Christmas music through the ages,
directed by Terry McNamara.

Spring Concert

May 30th 2020
Bach`s St John Passion
at the Methodist Church, Witney
details to be confirmed

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Our Background:

Lower Windrush Choral Society was formed in 1991 and since then has sung a wide range of choral works from early and baroque music through to classical and contemporary. Our singers come from a wide ranging area, mostly in West Oxfordshire. We perform two or three concerts a year in local venues, venturing as far afield as Abingdon as well as Witney and the Lower Windrush parishes. Our professional Music Director is Terry McNamara, who is known for his patience and has been with this choir for over 10 years. Terry now lives in the area after spending some of his music career in France.

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New Members September 2019 Term Dates: 9 September - 16th December inclusive

Are you interested in singing in our Christmas Concert this December 14th? Please call our Chair Jenny MacDonald on 01865 300625 to let her know you would like to come
to rehearsals.

Singers for all voice parts are welcome and we offer a reduced price membership for under 30`s. We practice on Mondays 8 - 10 pm at Stanton Harcourt Primary School during term time. We are a friendly, non auditioning choir, numbering around 50 singers. Currently we would especially welcome those who sing Tenor (the tenor section currently includes 2 ladies). We are fortunate in having a well developed bass section and more are welcome. During the past few years we have absorbed a number of enthusiastic singers, some of whom also sing with another choir. There are occasions to get to know fellow singers, as we sometimes break early to chat over a glass of something warming. There is an opportunity to sing for two sessions before making any commitment to LWCS. Those in full time education or in receipt of job seeker`s allowance have free membership. Full fee for the year is £120,

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Our Earlier Events

Autumn 2019

The Lower Windrush Chamber Choir sang J.S. Bach: Cantatas 106 and 131
directed by Terry McNamara at St Mary`s Church, Bampton
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Spring 2019

Handel`s Messiah was sung in St Mary`s Church, Witney with St Mary`s Singers to
celebrate the 775th Anniversary of the church.

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Winter 2018 A Celebration of Parry

This concert of gorgeous melodious music by Parry, including his exquisite Ode to the Nativity
(a completely new challenge for the choir under Terry McNamara`s direction) kept us on our toes
and hopefully we gave the audience in the Methodist Church, Witney a lovely lead in to the
Season of Goodwill.
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Summer 2018 - Judas Maccabeaus - Handel.

We were joined by an invited orchestra, conducted by Terry McNamara. Our soloists
Aileen Thompson, Sophie Kent, Deryck Webb and Quentin Hayes wowed the packed audience
with this stunning piece and the choir held their own!
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Our Winter 2017 concert Love from Byrd to Bernstein was new style for us - a
cabaret style and as it was a sell out it seems the audience liked this venture and so did we!
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"Jubilate" on May 7th, at St Mary`s Church, Church Green, Witney.

The programme included Handel The King Shall Rejoice, Vivaldi Credo,
Monteverdi Beatus Vir and Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor (for choir and 4 soloists
including Aileen Thomson soprano, Sam Mitchell, counter tenor, Matthew Keighley, tenor and Quentin Hayes, baritone)).
Music Director Terry McNamara. Organist Francis Rumsey.
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Our concert in our 25th Anniversary Year - European Baroque Music, November 20th 2016, included music
by Purcell (My Heart is Inditing), Pergolesi (Confitebor tibi, Domine) as well as excerpts from Handel`s Messiah.
Directed by Terry McNamara, with soloists Anna Shackleton, soprano, Ellie Edmonds, mezzo soprano, Deryck Webb, tenor
and Alex Jones, bass, we performed at St Mary the Virgin Church, Witney to a packed audience.
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On May 15th 2016 we performed Brahms German Requiem
at St Mary the Virgin Church, Witney. Musical Director: Terry McNamara
with Soloists Anna Shackleton, soprano, and Quentin Hayes, baritone.
Our young and brilliant Pianists were Michael Pandya and Keval Shah.
It was a wonderful celebratory concert on a May evening for both the
choir and audience.
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Summer Sing 2016. We met twice during summer for a relaxed singing session at St Denys, Northmoor and had fun learning some G&S including When a Wooer Goes A-wooing, Hail Poetry (Pirates of Penzance), I`m Called Little Buttercup (HMS Pinafore) and Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day (The Mikado).
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Oxfordshire County Council Education, Employment and Training Team encourages all young people aged 13-19 (up to 24 with learning difficulties or disabilities) to participate in learning until 18, and to take part in regular, positive, organised leisure-time activities to support their wellbeing, healthy development, and successfully transition to employment and adulthood. Responsible officers within the authority include Jeremy Day and Jessie Dobson. Work includes:

- Listing organisations which offer positive activities to support wellbeing on the Family Information Service/Service Finder/Activities Oxfordshire
- Promoting arts activities accessible to younger age groups
- Encouraging young people to take part in activities

Find out more at www.activitiesoxfordshire.info and www.oxme.info

Jeremy Day is Digital Safeguarding Lead within the team and oversees the websites and associated social media presences. Free promotion provided for all activities suitable for children and young people.

**CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN**

Britten was one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth-century. To this day he remains one of our most performed British composers with a catalogue of work ranging from opera and song to orchestral and chamber music.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Britten’s birth, Oxford will play host to an exciting year long programme of concerts, workshops and study days as well as provide a platform for regional artists to promote their own Britten events.

So, whether you are an ensemble, an educator or you simply wish to explore Britten’s work for your own pleasure then Britten in Oxford is the place to start. Details of all events can be found on the Britten in Oxford website.

Becky is a professional singer who has worked with major British Opera companies and performed widely across Europe, USA, Japan and Hong Kong.

Currently she teaches, conducts and researches. She is close to finishing her PhD at University College London, on the functionality of the mature female voice and the primary evidence collected during this study underpins her teaching methodology. She lectures and gives workshops on maintaining the functionality of the voice and she has a large voice studio in Kidlington specialising in teaching and rehabilitating the mature voice.

Her workshops on vocal technique teach the singer how to exercise the voice appropriately in order to keep it functioning effectively, and that the singer is both the musician and the instrument in one body. Both require effective training.

Becky is Chair of Education of the British Voice Association who promote vocal health and science, she is an adjudicator for the British and International Federation of adjudicators and she continues to perform regularly as a solo recitalist.

Singing is good for your health and self esteem, so keep singing regularly!

From youth orchestras and brass bands to 30,000 seater stadium tours in America with the band ‘BRONZ’. Shaun’s musical career started at the age of 6, at school he learned both the flugel and tenor horns to a level that took him to the National Brass Band final at the Royal Albert Hall London by the age of 10. At 18 he joined the Army as a musician, attended the Army school of music, and having – as the advert said – ‘ seen the world ‘ Completed his military career with 2 weeks in the Royal Tournament at London’s Earls Court playing a fanfare for the Queen.

In the early 80’s, as a founder member of the rock band ‘BRONZ’ who were one of the first British bands to feature heavily on the newly launched M.T.V. The first album ‘Taken by Storm ‘ written by Shaun, and two others In the band, they went on to achieve a very creditable and impressive top 100 position in the States and top 10 (rock chart) in the UK. The single ‘ Send down an Angel ‘ featured extensively on Radio 1 in the mid 80’s. Achieving no 8 in the U.K. Rock singles chart.

Despite the demise of the original line up founder member Shaun Kirkpatrick found himself in a very enviable position. With a top producer Max Norman (Ozzy Ozbourne’s producer) and full record company backing Shaun set out to completely re-define the sound of the band, and with a completely new line up record the bands second album.

“Carried By the Storm” is the official follow up to “Taken by Storm”. Recorded in London’s “Roundhouse” and “Power Plant” studios.

Shaun having worked and gained experience in many top studios around the world, with many top producers / engineers prior to setting up ‘THE KIRK’ (which was located in a converted 19th century chapel in the depths of Somerset), Shaun moved more into freelance production and engineering for independent bands and labels and has many respected and successful commercial releases to his credit.

Also working with such artistes as Van Morrison on the ‘ Enlightenment ‘ album, Huge Cornwell of the Stranglers on ” Footprints in the desert ” album, Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy, and Phil Lanzon of Uriah Heep, to name but a few.

Shaun now has his own state-of-the-art digital studio – a room full of technical wizardry for professional music productions both in film and T.V., and being consistent with his musical roots, believes that playing live music is not only integral but crucial to staying in touch with the creative spark and, as a consequence, has his own band ‘THE TRUTH’ which continues to play throughout the UK.

It follows from so many years in the business that Shaun, who is both a member of the P.R.S. and M.C.P.S. and has a huge pool of professional musicians that can be called upon to enhance any project. whatever the demand.

Dorchester Abbey Education is happy to welcome groups of schoolchildren and adults to the Abbey to share the religious, spiritual, historical and architectural heritage that it offers and plan an individual programme or tour for each group. We also are a venue for a wide variety of art and cultural events from our own Dorchester Festival and the acclaimed John Piper and the Church exhibition to the annual English Music Festival.

We largely focus on educational visits and each educational visit to Dorchester Abbey will be tailored to the specific requirements of the teachers and to the age and ability of the pupils. Many aspects of Key Stage 1 and 2 can be covered singly or in combination as the Abbey offers considerable scope for cross-curricular studies, adding extra dimensions to the topics studied. Popular topics for study include: Baptism, Awe and Wonder, Pilgrimage, Colour, What is (in) a church?, Prayer, Architecture, Dissolution of the monasteries, Dorchester as a site of spiritual and religious significance for over 4000 years, Using historical evidence, Village Study, Dorchester as the cradle of Christianity in Saxon Wessex, Treasures of the Abbey - to name but a few. Subjects covered can be Maths, English and Drama, History, Geography, Science, RE, and Art and Design.

For Key Stage 3 and 4 the Abbey offers many opportunities to explore, experience and discuss themes from the History, RE and Citizenship programmes, and the locality provides Geographical investigation and the link between location and settlement. The award-winning Cloister Gallery tells the story of the Abbey and its former monastic buildings through a collection of medieval stonework, offering both an artistic display and an academic study.

Seahorse Promotions Ltd is an active promoter of music and community events UK wide - but mainly based in Oxfordshire and Dorset. Our clients range from small concerts (promoting new artists) to large festivals spanning all music styles and varieties. We also work with community and charity events from the tiny to the large, with budgets to suit all.

Modern Art Oxford is one of the UK’s most exciting and influential contemporary arts organisations. Founded in 1965, it is the only public institution dedicated to contemporary visual arts in Oxford and is free and open to all.

Shaped by a longstanding commitment to education and inclusion, Modern Art Oxford is renowned for its bold and progressive artistic programme that promotes diversity and internationalism and aims to be accessible to the widest possible audience.

Its acclaimed exhibitions, artist commissions, events and participatory activities encourage public engagement with creativity and the arts, and celebrate the relevance of contemporary visual culture to society today.

The Jam Factory is a safe haven for the art enthusiasts and fresh food lovers of Oxford. Located in the heart of the west end, just a stones throw from Oxford train station, bus station, city centre shops, the Saïd Business School and Oxford's dreaming spires, Jam Factory Arts champions an unrivalled commitment to providing high-quality temporary exhibitions in the light and airy space of an old Victorian Marmalade Factory with a laid back and welcoming ethos.
Operating since November 2006, from the historical landmark of Frank Cooper's Old Marmalade Factory the Jam Factory has grown to include, an intimate dining room, bar, two galleries and a private dining space know as the 'Boiler Room'.

Stagecoach Witney: still the largest Theatre Arts School for children between the ages of 4yrs-18yrs, the one that other schools copy. Has now been running successfully in Witney for 9 years! We are now taking bookings for the New Spring Term which starts on Saturday 17th January to Saturday 4th April at The Kings School, New Yatt Rd, OX29 6TA

We have 2 Main Schools (7-18yrs of age): Sat 10-1pm and Sat 2.30-5.30pm. We also run Early Stages Classes (4-6yrs) every Sat Morning 9.30-1pm.

We create a safe environment for your child to grow and develop all the skills needed for performance and indeed for life. You will see their confidence grow as they acquire New Skills and push their own boundaries in social interaction, imagination, music, singing, drama and dance. They will learn to coordinate their bodies as a means of expression learning many different performance styles with the very best tutors. Don't take our word for it come along and have a FREE Taster Session at the above times depending on the age of your child and your preference. Have a look at our website (www.stagecoachwitney.co.uk) read our parents comments.

Come and be part of a great group, a real family where we will make you feel most welcome. Meet our dedicated tutors, all receive ongoing training and who are regularly inspected by Ofsted inspectors. Two of our tutors are Special Needs trained. Stagecoach opens its doors to all children regardless of experience or ability. Every child is important to us and you will see the difference in your child after only a matter of weeks. Stagecoach is run by professionals to ensure that your child gets the best tuition and the best opportunities possible as well as links to 'SPOTLIGHT' and the Stagecoach professional casting agency with its own commercial network. Now featured on TV!

Call Robin or Evie ANY TIME! They will be happy to answer any questions and help with your enquiry: 01993 830313 or 07890 948122 witney@stagecoach.co.uk