On Saturday March 14 the Rye Bay Ensemble gave a concert at St Mary’s Church entitled “Mainly Mozart”. The group consists of Rebekah Gilbert (mezzo soprano), Jonathan Breeds (baritone), John Twichen (tenor) and Helen Ridout (piano).
The Mozart pieces included arias from Cosi fan Tutte, Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, La Finta and Magic Flute. Other featured music was by Giulio Caccini, Kurt Weill, Sidney Ramin, Steven Sondheim and Rodgers and Hammerstein. In addition, Ridout played two of Mozart’s piano sonatas, K331 and K332.
Following International Women’s Day on March 8, the theme of the concert, fittingly, was “Women and their lot”: from Mozart’s Una Donna through to Ramin’s Music To Watch Girls By and Weill’s Surabaya Johnny. In the second half, besides women there were references to birds, with Papageno’s aria from Magic Flute and Green Finch from Sweeney Todd.
The evening finished with Shall We Never Meet Again? from Magic Flute sung by the three singers. It was all very enjoyable and the group’s next appearance at St Mary’s on May 16 is eagerly anticipated.
Photo: Ray Prewer