Our excellent local choir, the Ryesingers, led by musical director Lesley Brownbill, entertained an audience of about forty people at the Methodist Church on Saturday evening, October 14. Making a welcome donation from the proceeds to the Friends of St Mary’s, a really entertaining and tuneful programme of Italian music was presented, including Verdi, Puccini, Vivaldi and a selection of Neapolitan songs. Some were familiar, some not so, and all performed with verve and musicality by the choir and soloists. Verdi’s “Gloria” opened proceedings sung by the whole choir followed by “Laudamus te “, performed as a duet between Lesley Moore and Wendy Swain. This was followed up by two solos ,” Dominus Deus” from Lesley Moore and “Qui sedes” from Ann Whiteman.
Two madrigals were then sung by the choir, one of which, by Banchieri, “Contrappunto bestiale alla mente”, included the very realistic sounds of dog, dove and cat, fun for the listeners and singers alike. Resetting the mood after this, some pieces of sacred music from Pergolesi and Verdi were performed, with the well known tunes of “Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” and “Anvil Chorus” to round off the first half.
Following a short interval, so the singers could rest their voices and the audience stretch its legs, Puccini’s graduation composition, “Gloria” from “Messa di Gloria” which he wrote when he was only 18 years old, was given an outing, and the wonderful sounds of the “Humming Chorus” from Madame Butterfly rang out.
The final part of the evening was much enlivened by a series of Rossini works, including Carole Osborne and Anne Whiteman as a very musical and endearing pair of cats! “Duet for Two Cats” only has “Miaow” to sing, but what inflections and different volumes!
Andy Rivett gave a performance of “O Sole Mio” with Dennis Farnsworth, standing in for Andrew J Daniels, and greeted with enthusiasm, singing “Santa Lucia”. A thoroughly entertaining evening was finished off with a rousing “Funiculi, Funicula” from the chorus and soloists Dennis Farnsworth and Roger Moore.
Richard Eldridge played the piano throughout, an excellent accompanist in this setting for Lesley Brownbill and her singers. Lois Benton presented very efficiently, as Lesley Brownbill had virtually lost her voice, but was well able to conduct, and the delicious refreshments at the end were provided by Ann Foot and Susie Bower. Thanks also to John Newick of Chandlers of Rye for tuning the piano, a vital task for such a programme!
Photos: Gillian Roder