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TWO SISTERS ARTS CENTRE
Two Sisters Arts Centre can be found in the old St Marys Church, Trimley. It was opened in April 2019 and is run by Felixstowe Creative Arts Trust.
The aim was to be a community based and led arts centre for the Felixstowe peninsula – giving a platform to both local arts practitioners and to bring nationally & internationally acclaimed performances to the local community at a reasonable cost.
From March to December there are regular events every week including jazz, folk, indie and classical music, drama, poetry, spoken word and craft workshops.
We are also a home to Folk & Roots & Felixstowe Poetry Café, offer rehearsal space to local groups, and partner with Felixstowe Book Festival & WAMFest.
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Formed in 1973 when a few enthusiastic thespians got together to indulge their love of musical theatre and at the same time raise money for local charities and good causes that have specific needs of those that have a personal connection to the group.
Since 1980 they have presented a major musical very summer at the Wolsey (New Wolsey) Theatre and a review or concert in the autumn at a smaller venue.
Membership is open to anyone over the age or 16. Younger people are invited when called by the script.
The major production is cast by audition.
Contact Paul Lofts 5 Westminster Close Ipswich IP4 5EF home
Telephone: 01473 717727work
Website: www.coopjuniors.co.uk
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CulphoMusic
Between 2017 and 2019 Shingle Street Folk Band delighted audiences with their traditional and humorous folk songs and were joined on one occasion by members of the Suffolk Poetry Society to create a ‘Burns Night’ to remember.
In the spring of 2019, following a concert with Ipswich Choral Society, Gillian Keith (Soprano) and Tom Randle (Tenor) visited St Botolph Church. Both Gillian and Tom were charmed by the building and its acoustics and the rest … as they say … is history.
CulphoMusic offers music events from a wide range of genre – Early music, Traditional Folk, Jazz, Classical vocal and instrumental and contemporary music. Our collaboration with poets and painters provides the opportunity to create unique events to touch the heart and raise the spirit.
St Botolph Church Culpho
St Botolph Church, in the Hamlet of Culpho, is a Grade II* listed Building. Dating from around the early 13th century it was restored in 1884.
Much loved by its parishoners St Botolph, in addition to its regular Church services, has been host to many and varied Arts events over the years. We want to keep this lovely Church active and appreciated and CulphoMusic is one way of assuring its future.
Chris Pearce
CulphoMusic
Photos:
Top ~ © Chris Harrison @ http://www.aerialhawkdrones.com/
Lower ~ © Simon Knott @ http://www.suffolkchurches.co.uk/
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We are a performing company of 16 dancers aged from 55 to 80. Founded by DanceEast in 2007 as a workshop for older dancers, EncoreEast became independent in 2020.
Since then, we have taken live and Zoom classes with a wide range of dance artists, participated in dance films, and in site-specific dance research and creation projects. A choreographic project led by Russell Maliphant Dance Company and funded by Arts Council England culminated in a live and live-streamed performance, ‘Focus’, at DanceEast. We co-curated a celebration of dance and age, HOST, with DanceEast in May 2022, performing ‘It’s My Time’ created by Luca Braccia in the Courtyard behind DanceEast.
With funding from the Suffolk Community Foundation Let’s Create Jubilee Fund, EncoreEast is creating, embraces dances from the reign of Elizabeth 1 brought up to date to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. As part of this project, we held free open workshops in Tudor dance.
EncoreEast is self-organising. We manage projects, raise funds and publicise activities between us, and usually have a dance class on Wednesdays. Individual members attend other classes, workshops, performances, and events, sharing experiences, ideas and learning.
http://www.encoreeastdance.co.uk
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Essentially Swing Bio
From piccolo to trombone and from rags to rock ‘n’ roll Essentially Swing brings a unique sound to the music from around the great era of Swing. We will take you through a journey in time with numbers like Maple Leaf Rag, and great swing favourites like American Patrol and Sing Sing Sing to the early rock and roll era songs such as Rock Around The Clock. You are in for some foot-tapping fun.
We usually play at fund-raising events for charity. However, we are also available for hire at private functions.
Join us / get in touch
We rehearse one Monday morning a month currently at All Saints Church Hall, Kesgrave. The group is very friendly and relaxed. If you would like to join us or would like us to play at your event please contact Carolyn via carol.a.goates@gmail.com
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Felixstowe choir, Felixstowe Harmonies, is a keen and enthusiastic group of ladies who love to sing light classical songs, folk, jazz and blues, pop and golden oldies.
Under the leadership of Musical Director Chandra Grover, our aim is to inspire creativity, encourage people to enjoy singing as part of a group and make the best sound we can.
We hold 2 to 3 fundraising concerts a year in aid of Suffolk charities, perform at Art on the Prom and other smaller events in the town and often joined by instrumental ensembles or singers to bring variety to our concerts. We are also delighted to welcome talented pianist Harrison Cole as our accompanist.
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I’ve always lived in Suffolk. After leaving school to study graphic design in Ipswich, distractions of early career building forced me to shelve the practice of fine art but I never lost the appreciation for it. I was very privileged to be part of a varied group of graphic design and illustration students at the Ipswich High Street Art School, some I still see many years later. Being with that creative group revealed how enjoyable the creative process can be.
As my career progressed, the introduction of the Apple Computer into the printing industry held my attention. I grew with it. From early basic versions of software to the sophisticated Creative Cloud Industry Standard product we have now, I explored its limits with fascination only to finally tire of it. I’ve found that particular creative process to be a skill, but not a craft. It no longer holds the reward for me.
So now as I approach the end of my carreer, those shelved quite voices of appreciation that gently whispered, are still too loud and intrusive to ignore. Thankfully they never abandoned me.
Thank goodness for those tenacious whispers.
Robert Garnham.
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In 1972, Geoff Lavery who was teaching at Ipswich School, founded a small chamber choir and called them the Gippeswyk Singers. He conducted them until he left Suffolk in 1986, to take up and appointments in Lancashire and Bedfordshire
Barry Salmon next took up the baton and conducted the choir until 2010, arranging a great deal of music especially for them – a tenure of nearly 25 year! Alan Loader conducted the choir in 2010 for just over a year.
Coming full circle, Geoff Lavery returned to Suffolk in January 2012 upon his retirement as Deputy Head in Bedford, and once again occupies the position of Musical Director of the choir he founded 40 years previously!
We are a friendly group with about forty members, whose repertoire includes a wide range of genres from the sixteenth to the twentieth century.
Under the musical direction of Geoff Lavery rehearsals are at Bantoft Vestry, St.Augustine’s Church Ipswich every Monday at 7:30pm
We are a non audition choir.
Our repertoire includes Classical, Madrigals, Carols, Comic, Folk, Spirituals.
Our venues while we rehearse at St Augustine`s Church Ipswich, we perform at many venues throughout Suffolk
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There has been a music society in Hadleigh for over 130 years who performed ‘Special Services’ (i.e. concerts) in St Mary’s Church during the late nineteenth century, with chorus numbers reaching ninety. In 1919 the choir became the Hadleigh Operatic and Dramatic Society and then, in 1950, Hadleigh Choral Society. Since 1950 the choir has thrived, apart from a couple of years in the mid-1980s. In 1988 it was reformed and continues to this day.
The present musical director, Christopher Phelps has been with the choir since 1991. In recent years the society has had two notable past presidents, Sir Charles Groves, followed by George Malcolm. The current honorary president is John Lill CBE who has a special relationship with the Society, having performed with it on several occasions, including at Snape Maltings Concert Hall.
The choir now numbers over 90 members. We enjoy singing mainly from the established choral repertoire when we perform with the Colchester Symphony Orchestra and professional soloists.
We have two main concerts each year which take place in the centre of Hadleigh at St Mary’s Church. We also perform a mix of lighter music at Christmas and two summer concerts.
Our aim is to promote and develop music in all its aspects.
We are a friendly but committed group of singers and we welcome new members. There are no auditions but some ability to read music and some singing experience are useful as well as a commitment to practice!
Find out more at: http://www.hadleighchoralsociety.org.uk
Contact Robert Neal 15 Chandos Drive Martlesham IP12 4ST home
Telephone: 01473 610951home
Email: nealrbrt@aol.comINTERNET
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Ipswich Bach Choir has been in existence for over 75 years and has a wide repertoire
of choral works, It has about 25 members. No auditions are held but the ability to read music is desirable.
The Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 19.30 – 21.30 at Northgate Arts Centre Ipswich between September and June for concerts and singing days.
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Since its formation in 1984 by Martyn Bagnall, now our President, Ipswich Chamber Choir has established a reputation for a high standard of performance. We employ a professional Music Director Benedict Collins Rice, and Assistant Music Director Caroline Finlay, and we engage professional soloists and instrumentalists to perform at least three concerts a year in and around Ipswich.
We are a friendly choir of around 40 voices and rehearse on Tuesday evenings 7.15 – 9.30 pm, from September to June at St Mary-le-Tower Church, Ipswich.
If you would like to join us we would be pleased to hear from you. Membership is by application to ipswichchamberchoir@gmail.com, with a voice check carried out by the Music Director after one or two rehearsals.
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Our Society was founded in 1925 and has functioned continuously since, even through the war years. We are promoters not performers.
Our concerts are put on four times a season in the winter months on a Saturday evening, using the Great School at Ipswich School, which has an excellent acoustic for chamber music.
To enable local people to experience the best we engage groups of the highest quality, mostly of national and international fame (see our website).
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Founded in 1976, Ipswich Children’s Book Group is a member of the Federation of Children’s Book Groups, a network of groups across the UK whose aim is to bring children and books together. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in children’s books. Over the past thirty years the book group has organised a wide range of book related activities. These have included book fairs, author visits, picnics, talks on all aspects of children’s books and competitions.
The world of children’s books has changed greatly over the years, with a huge range of titles available. Such a wealth of choice can be confusing and the group aims to offer advice on selecting children’s books, as well as introducing children to the fun of reading through its activities
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IpswichCBG
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ipswichcbg/
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Ipswich Choral Society is a friendly, open choir of over 80 members with a wide range of singing experience and have entertained the public with performances across a varied musical repertoire. Contributing to the rich musical heritage of Ipswich since 1824, we are the second oldest choral society in the UK. Hosting concerts at venues such as Ipswich School, Ipswich Corn Exchange and Snape Maltings Concert Hall, the Society has also performed abroad in countries including France, Belgium, Austria, Turkey and Italy. In addition we perform at Ipswich Music Day each year, and accept invitations for performances in aid of local charities.
The Society is pleased to have as its President the international conductor Cem Mansur, who has conducted the choir five times in the UK, most recently at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, and twice in Turkey when members of the choir were invited to perform at the International Istanbul Music Festival and Izmir Festival.
Whether you want to meet new friends or develop your singing skills, you’ll receive a warm welcome from Ipswich Choral Society. We meet on Tuesday evenings at Northgate Arts Centre and further details about the choir, rehearsals and events can be found on our website ipswichchoralsociety.org.
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Ipswich Gilbert and Sullivan Society was founded in 1929. Our musical scope is vast for we perform a range of classical and modern choral music during the Spring and Summer, as well as an Autumn production of one of the Savoy Operas. In addition, we perform original musical works written by former Musical Directors Bernard Reader and Andrew Burke. We are very pleased to have conductor Sue Wightman to direct our concerts and conduct the show.
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The Ipswich Hospital Band
The Ipswich Hospital Band, was formed in 1976 with 4 musicians who worked at Ipswich Hospital. The motto of the Band is Music for Health and this still stands today – as we promote music as a healthy and enjoyable activity and continue to raise money for local health related charities. The Band has grown from strength to strength over the last 40+ years and has become one of the most sought after bands in the local area.
13 years ago the Band successfully applied for a lottery grant of £750k and took over the lease of the redundant St Peters Church in Ipswich, from the Historic Churches Trust. The money was used to convert the church to a rehearsal and concert venue for the Band, and is also hired out to many other groups and users for various clubs, functions and plays and concerts. 9 years ago St Peters Band was formed from our then Intermediate Band. We now have a third working band, the Saints Community Band, born out of our Beginners Band.
Over the years the Band has raised thousands of pounds for local health related charities, either through its own concerts or playing at other local charitable events to help them raise money. Each year we hold many concerts, including a Remembrance Concert, Christmas, Spring and Autumn Charity concerts, concerts for the Firefighters Charity, and a Children’s Concert.
During the Spring and Summer the Bands are very busy playing at local fetes and shows, including the Suffolk Show, Heveningham Hall Country Fair, Art on the Prom, Henham Steam Rally, and other local fetes, garden parties and outdoor picnics and many more. We have played on Eastbourne Bandstand and several times on Colchester Castle Park Bandstand and Gorleston Bandstand. We have had 2 trips to Ireland in 2006 and 2009 and should have been on tour in Belgium this July.
Every December small groups from all 3 Bands play carols at various venues in and around Ipswich, including outside Debenhams, in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Morrisons and Tesco, as well as at some smaller private functions. We have collected over £42,000 over the last 7 years from our carol playing, half of which has been donated to various local health related Charites – such EACH, local Children’s Hospice, Heartbeat, East Anglian Air Ambulance and MENCAP and Marie Curie.
And finally on Christmas Day morning the Band again divides into small groups and plays Christmas Carols around the Wards at Ipswich Hospital, a tradition that started nearly 43 years ago, and still continues today.
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As a registered educational charity the Ipswich Institute is open to all who choose to join. For a moderate annual subscription, members have access to a programme of over 60 different leisure learning courses each term as well as one-off workshops, lectures, trips and a well-stocked lending library. The Institute’s café and restaurant are great places for making and meeting friends. All evening classes and many other events are open to non-members – see our website for details.
Support is also given to other local arts & educational projects. A member of the Association of Independent Libraries, the Institute has links with similar establishments across the UK. The Institute is housed in two historic buildings, at 15 Tavern Street and 13 Tower Street, Ipswich – both worth visiting in their own right.
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Ipswich School offers a broad range of musical opportunities and aims to give pupils a rich and satisfying experience of music. Girls and boys are encouraged to take part in practical music making, which ranges from class singing and keyboard playing to joining one of the school’s many choirs and instrumental ensembles.
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Ipswich Light Organ Music Society
August 2007 was the fortieth anniversary of the formation of Ipswich Light Organ Music Society (ILOMS). We acquired our Christie Theatre Pipe Organ in 1967 from the Century Cinema (later Essoldo) Clacton In July 1936. After a final concert there, the Christie was placed in storage until an agreement was reached with the United Reformed Church at Castle Hill, Ipswich. The organ was opened in November 1971 by Len Rawle, John Mann and veteran organist Sydney Gustard. Since then the Society has prospered, holding regular Sunday afternoon concerts from October to April. To celebrate the 40th Birthday of ILOMS and the 70th of the Christie, a double CD has been released, one of Len Rawle playing at Castle Hill and the other taken from live concert recordings of Len playing the Wurlitzer Organ, which was in the ABC Ritz Cinema in the Buttermarket, Ipswich.The cost is £10.00 plus £2.50 p&p.
Annual Membership of the Society is £4.00 per person.
Concerts start at 2.30pm.
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Martlesham Brass was formed on 13th September 1996. In response to a great demand from brass musicians in the Martlesham area an organisation was set up with an original membership of 26 musicians and three Bandleaders. The idea behind the group is to provide an opportunity for people in and around the Martlesham area to learn to play brass instruments at minimal cost.
Since our formation, we have grown very quickly. We now have six Bandleaders, several Assistant Bandleaders and a very strong training structure. The band is run by its main committee which meets once a month. The band also has a fundraising committee who organise events to help raise funds to support the band’s activities. The band holds an AGM each year at which the band administrators, bandleaders, and committee members are elected.
Martlesham Brass is split into 4 bands (beginners, preliminaries, intermediates and main). Most people play in one band only, with new entrants being placed in a band depending on musical ability. No previous experience is required to join Martlesham Brass – all we ask for from our members is enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. Beginner players are admitted as and when we can accomodate them. Through careful management of our resources, we try to ensure that new players are provided with an instrument within a few weeks of joining. The average age of the band is about 16, although we do have members as young as six and few over 60s (reaching into the 90s too).
Find out more:
Website: http://www.martleshambrass.co.uk
Email: mail@martleshambrass.co.uk
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St Andrew’s Church, Rushmere St Andrew, Ipswich organises and/or promotes a number of concerts and other musical events every year under the banner of Music at Rushmere, including a spring and autumn series of Sunday afternoon concerts. The latter are now an established feature of Ipswich musical life, and feature a wide variety of music from organ recitals to jazz and folk music, performed by a mixture of local talent and performers of national (and sometimes even international) renown. Admission to the Sunday afternoon concerts is free, with a retiring collection in aid of a local charity (which changes from series to series), and each concert is followed by refreshments. There is ample car parking available at the church.
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The New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich is a vibrant 400 seat theatre in the heart of Suffolk’s county town. Throughout the year, our audiences enjoy an eclectic mix of productions and participatory events that are accessible, diverse and of the highest possiblequality within a programme that combines our own productions, co-productions, collaborations and visiting work.
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Orwell Connection Choir is formed of four part harmony from bass to soprano. We sing a range of classical pieces through to popular and musical songs!
The Choir originated over 30 years ago as parents, friends, staff and pupils of Orwell High School in Felixstowe. Since then the choir has been going from strength to strength, performing at a variety of locations across Suffolk. To this day we still regularly rehearse in our hometown of Felixstowe. It is our mission to share our love of music with our community and to promote the soulful wellbeing of song.
Currently, the choir performs concerts in the Spring, Summer and Christmas for local venues in Suffolk raising funds for local causes. We also host our own concerts at well-known venues in the local area.
We are always welcoming of new members. Come along to a free rehearsal and meet our friendly choir!
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RHS
The school is well-known for its musical excellence and music is embedded in the school’s wider culture and ethos. The facilities offered through the Music School are outstanding, with a concert hall, recital rooms, practice rooms, live rock rooms, a vocal booth and a cathedral-proportioned chapel.
We deliver over 400 one-to-one music lessons each week with everything from singing to the drum kit on offer! Our pupils have a choice of 19 different choirs and bands they can join.
HCS
RHS has a longstanding association with the Holbrook Choral Society, a large and dedicated group of singers from Holbrook and further afield that sings three major annual concerts in the chapel and concert hall at RHS. Recent performances have included Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, Verdi’s Requiem, and the UK premiere of Howard Goodall’s Christmas Cantata.
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The Civic Church of St Mary-le-Tower, Ipswich, is the venue for 30 or more concerts a year promoted by the church. These include the Summer Series of some 24 to 25 Tuesday Lunchtime Concerts running from May to October and the Winter Series of 5 Lunchtime Concerts in the weeks before Christmas. Artists of national and international stature include organists and also a wide variety of other instrumentalists and singers. Some concerts are occasionally given by groups from Suffolk schools.
Further concerts are given by the Tower Chamber Choir, a group of 36 experienced Suffolk based singers. These include a concert for the evening of Good Friday and a concert for early autumn. These concerts include orchestra, as appropriate to the programme.
The concert programme runs alongside the regular three choral services sung every
Sunday by the two church choirs, the Choir of Boys and men and the Tower Singers.
There are also weekday services as follows:
Monday Evensong – with the Girl Choristers
Tuesday Evensong – with the Boy Choristers
Friday evening Compline – with the adult singers and choral scholars.
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A 12th Century Church, St Peter’s by the Waterfront is an arts and heritage centre featuring the history of Ipswich’s past. Once the chapel of Cardinal Wolsey’s proposed college, the centre houses a number of artifacts, including a rare Tournai marble font and more recent Ipswich Millennium Charter Hangings.
The centre hosts live music, theatre, arts and crafts events throughout the year with local, national and international acts and organisations booked and hosting their own events. Latest events details can be found on our website.
The heritage centre is open Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am to 4pm and Wednesday 10am to 2pm between May and September and Tuesdays and Wednesdays 10am to 2pm during the winter months.
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Welcome to the Stour Choral Society.
The Stour Choral Society celebrates four decades of choral singing and aims to provide a stimulating time where good music and friendship co-exist.
We are a friendly, mixed-voice choir (SATB) who enjoy performing works from a large and varied choral repertoire including Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Mass in C minor, Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Rutter’s Magnificat, as well as lighter classical pieces.
We usually give three concerts a year, within Manningtree and the surrounding area bordering Essex and Suffolk.
We have about 50 singers and welcome new members. Please browse through the site to find out more about us. We normally rehearse in the Methodist Hall, South Street, Manningtree on Monday evenings from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.
For more information please contact us or visit our website. http://www.stourchoralsociety.co.uk
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Stowmarket Chorale has been based in the town for over 100 years although the name has changed. With about 40 members we attract singers from a wide area of mid Suffolk, and perform
at least 3 times a year. Weekly rehearsals (during term time only) take place at Chilton Community Primary School, Violet Hill Road, Stowmarket, IP14 1NN on Wednesday evenings between 7.30pm and 9.30pm.
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The Suffolk Concert Band is a wind band based in and around Ipswich and is a registered Charity. The band was formed in 1967 and descends from the Suffolk Regiment. The red and yellow colours used by the band are a reminder of these roots. The band is directed by Mr Roger Jones, and currently has 61 members, of all ages and from diverse range of backgrounds.
Journalist Mr Martin Bell OBE is the president of the band.
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If you love singing anything from Bach to Bacharach, Folk, Spirituals, Sea Shanties, Swing, Musical Theatre, Rock and Pop then why not come and join us?
Our members come from all over Suffolk and all walks of life. You don’t have to be a policeman to join us.
You don’t have to be able to read music and there are no auditions. A love of singing is the main ingredient! We have the facility of practice tracks so that we can learn our parts at home. And our musical director will see to it that we achieve a high standard in concert. Come along for a couple of rehearsals and try us out. We would love to see you.
http://www.suffolkconstabularymalevoicechoir.co.uk
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Suffolk Open Studios is a collaborative organisation and community of artists, makers and galleries to help promote art across Suffolk for artists and art lovers. Artists from around the county join up to create an annual month-long event in June, which aims to give visitors the chance to meet and talk to artists and galleries, discover new artworks and explore artists’ work in the setting of their own studios. Membership for artists and galleries open in November each year for the following June and there is no selection process for artists. Any artist who lives/works in Suffolk is eligible for membership as long as they create the artworks themselves.
Suffolk Open Studios aim to:
- Promote and support multi-site open studios events
- Promote and develop the market for high quality, locally created original art, craft and design.
- Encourage a wider public recognition and engagement with working artists.
- Promote the importance of local artists to the economic, educational and social well-being of communities.
- Support in association with local events, the career development of artists.
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The Suffolk Organists’ Association, which is affiliated to the Incorporated Association of Organists, was founded in 1934. It welcomes members of all ages, whether players or not, who share an enthusiasm for the instrument and its music.
It has regular events throughout the year.These include organ recitals and concerts, which are open to all members of the public, as well as visits to churches and other venues to hear and play organs.
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Suffolk Poetry Society
Suffolk Poetry Society is believed to be the oldest poetry society in the UK, being formed in 1952. The purpose of the society then and now is to promote poetry throughout Suffolk by holding events and live workshops and finding original ways of presenting poetry.
As well as an e-newsletter which provides immediate promotion of events, the society publishes Twelve Rivers magazine twice a year which summarises our poetic year, prints articles, reviews and new poems from our members. There is also an additional Members Postal Portfolio providing critical feedback by post.
Membership: Single Membership £18 Joint Membership £23 18+ and in full-time education £5
Membership forms are available on our website: http://www.suffolkpoetrysociety.org
or from the Membership Secretary: membership@suffolkpoetrysociety.org.uk
Members Postal Portfolio, £20 per year critical feedback by post.
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Suffolk Singers
Founded in 1991 by Andrew Piersenne with a handful of singers, Suffolk Singers has evolved into a choir much appreciated for beautiful blended singing, thanks to fantastic direction and guidance from our Music Director, Claire Weston. We perform a wide variety of music, both sacred and secular, mostly a cappella.
In 2021, we celebrated our 30th anniversary and in doing so, we looked back on a history of performances at many prestigious venues ranging from regular concerts in our wonderful Suffolk churches to singing in magnificent cathedrals, both in the UK and abroad in Ireland and Belgium. In March 2022, we were delighted to give a recital in the Chapel of Trinity College, Cambridge, whilst in May of the same year, we performed concerts in Lincoln Cathedral and Southwell Minster.
We have enjoyed performing on many different occasions including singing at the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate at Ypres, being part of a Sky Arts programme on Constable, competing at the Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod, joining a massed International choir in Carnegie Hall, New York and performing with the group G4. We also host an annual choral workshop open to the wider community.
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The Orwell Singers
The Orwell Singers were established in Ipswich in 1993. They are a ladies choir of twenty-four members who enjoy singing a wide variety of music ranging from madrigals and light classical pieces to easy-listening numbers and folk songs.
The choir performs two concerts a year, one in December and one in July, at St Michael’s Church, Martlesham Heath. The choir also performs at weddings, festivals, charity concerts and parties. Over the years the choir has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Wales.
The choir’s Musical Director is Lindsay Blay (also known as soprano Lindsay Gowers) who grew up in Suffolk acquiring her love of singing and music making from Olive Quantrill, the eponymous founder of the Olive Quantrill Singers, and benefitting from the expert teaching skills of Gloria Wilson, the former musical director of the Orwell Singers. She went on to study at London University and the Royal Academy of Music where she won the Mozart prize, received second prize at the National English Song Award, and also studied at the Britten Pears School.
She has worked as a singer for many years, performing in venues across the UK, and has also worked with the BBC Singers. More recently she is a member of the visiting music staff at Ipswich School. Lindsay has conducted several choirs and ensembles including a 70 strong girls’ choir and the ensemble Capella Nova, formerly of Amberfield School, directing them in performances at Snape Maltings, on BBC Radio Suffolk and Radio 4, and with the vocal group Blake on their UK tour.
If you are interested in joining the choir, or if you would like us to sing for you, contact the secretary: Debbie Sharman. Tel: 01473 635955 or email: d.sharman@btinternet.com
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Trianon Music Group was formed in Ipswich during 1959 by three Ipswich students, one of whom was Professor Christopher Green OBE, the Group’s Artistic Director.
Trianon comprises a symphony orchestra and choir with more than 200 members, many ofwhom are music students or teachers, but there are also many for whom music is not their profession but who simply love making music. The result is an eclectic mix of people of a very wide age range.
Trianon performs three major concerts each year at venues such as Ipswich Corn Exchange and Snape Maltings Concert Hall. Members also help to raise funds for local charities through ‘community concerts’ as well as taking part in other music related events.
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Wolsey Orchestra, a non-profit making charity, was founded in 1972 as a chamber orchestra. Committed to promoting concerts of the highest musical standards, it is now a full symphony orchestra in the forefront of orchestral music in Suffolk. The tradition of imaginative programming brings both new commissions and large-scale landmark works to Suffolk audiences. Working solely with professional conductors, and offering a concerto platform to locally born musicians, Wolsey Orchestra is one of the finest amateur orchestras in East Anglia.
The orchestra gives three concerts per season, two in Ipswich Corn Exchange and one in The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, each preceded by two intensive rehearsal Sundays. Professional conductors are invited to work on specific programmes, the orchestra having no ‘resident’ or regular conductor. The orchestra is managed by a small, dedicated committee, elected annually by and from its playing membership. Many of its players are also members of other local and regional orchestral societies which meet weekly, but who are drawn to the challenge of focused working on attractive programmes over a short timescale, at which the Wolsey Orchestra excels.
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Woodbridge Choral Society
Woodbridge Choral Society is a long-established choir of amateur singers, founded in 1883. We generally perform two concerts each year, in November/December and in March. Our regular concert venues are St Mary’s Church, Woodbridge and in recent years we have been fortunate to perform annually at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, with orchestra and professional soloists. Our performance of Britten’s War Requiem in November 2018 at Snape was highly acclaimed, and for those who took part, unforgettable. We welcome all singers, regardless of experience.
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Woodbridge Orchestral Society
The orchestra meets for 2 hours on Monday evenings seated for 7.30pm at the Methodist Church in St John’s Street, Woodbridge, IP12 1ED Autumn and Spring terms
The orchestra performs classical music from the sixteenth century to the present and from miniatures to full scale symphonic works.
We welcome new players able to join us for regular rehearsals and to play in our annual concert, subject to available places.
For more information please contact the secretary or visit our website.