Pakefield Singers – Together in Harmony
Opera Favourites
Saturday 15th April 2023 7.30pm,
St Mary’s Church Halesworth IP19 8LL
Conductor Vetta Wise
Come and enjoy an evening of Popular choruses and solos from the world of opera, with guests Soprano Katalin Prentice, Tenor Evan Ruth and Organist Tim Patient.
Well known items will include Verdi’s Anvil chorus and chorus of Hebrew slaves, the Easter Hymn from Mascagni’s Cavalieri Rusticana and the duet from Bizet’s The Pearlfishers, with some Johann Strauss for good measure and a couple of organ solos which we guarantee everyone will recognise.
Tickets – £12.50 (age 16 and under free) from The Halesworth Bookshop 42 Thoroughfare, ‘Take Note Music’, 11 Grove Road, Lowestoft, and on the door or
BOOK NOW at www.ticketsource.co.uk/pakefield-singers
Unreserved seating – doors open 6.45pm.
Information line – 07800 927494 and follow on Facebook
To celebrate their 20th Anniversary Pakefield Singers were delighted to be performing Handel’s Messiah at 7.30pm, Saturday 29th October in St Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft with players from Norwich Baroque, leader Jim O’Toole, and soloists from Trinity Laban Conservatoire. The performance was conducted by Vetta Wise, founder and Director of Music for Pakefield Singers.
Here’s what the audience said:
- I went to the concert last night at St Margaret’s Church. It was wonderful. I’ve attended the Royal Albert Hall , and enjoyed the Messiah there in the past but the intimacy of the church and brilliance of all concerned was way beyond my expectation. Well done to you all.
I bought two tickets, lost them so bought another two! It was money well spent 😊 - So many of the audience were on their feet as we finished last night which said it all.
- A most enjoyable evening
- That was wonderful last night, really enjoyed it
- “Such a special 20th Anniversary to be transported by the wonderful music of Handel’s, ‘Messiah’. The close collaboration of Conductor, four young and upcoming soloists, the professional instrumentalists in Norwich Baroque and the commitment of the Pakefield Singers, all helped to make the ‘notes leap out of the pages’ with the performance being thoroughly memorable and enjoyable. Very many congratulations to everyone.”
Here’s a press report from the latest in a series of highly popular Come and Sing days.
REVIEW OF OUR SELL OUT AUTUMN CONCERT
Mozart Requiem and Laudate Dominum – Pakefield Singers
St Mary’s Church in Halesworth, Saturday, November 13
The typically seasonal weather seemed to set the scene on the evening of November 13, as we headed out to Pakefield Singers’ concert in the delightfully brightly lit and welcoming St Mary’s Church, Halesworth.The weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the large audience however – turning out in their hundreds to support this popular local choir. Standing-room only and the complete sell out of tickets was a good indication of the reputation that Vetta Wise and Pakefield Singers have in the area.
The programme started with Mozart’s Laudate Dominum sung by Katalin Prentice. Having not heard this extremely talented soprano before, her pure tones soaring to the lofty heights of the church presented a perfect hors d’oeuvres for the mighty Requiem which was to follow and was thoroughly deserving of the enthusiastic applause following her performance.
From then on, you could have heard a pin drop. Tackling a work of such magnitude as the Requiem is no mean feat for any amateur choir. However, from the opening bars of the Requiem aeternam, through the exquisite Lacrimosa (never fails to draw a tear), to the final chords of the Communio, what struck most was the mastery in the blend of the voices. Beautiful lines emerged in the fugal entries like silk, pianissimos hung magically suspended in the lofty heights of the church, contrasting with, and anticipating those dramatic climatic moments, punctuated by Latin diction you could cut with a knife.
The choir, soloists Katalin Prentice, Shirley Smith, Krenulla Curzon, Evan Ruth and Christopher Upton, accompanied by the sympathetic and highly skilled organist Tim Patient, presented a performance of a calibre that would not be out of place on the professional stage.
This, all under the baton of Choral Director Vetta Wise – whose professional reputation and pedigree (local and international) is widely recognised – and whom we are lucky to have as a member of our local community.
Review by Stella Calver LTCL, LLCM, PGCE (music teacher)
Click on these links to watch:
The Light Returns – First Light Festival – Winter Solstice https://youtu.be/1WK6DxaaxDc
Lockdown Video – Gloria – Vivaldi https://youtu.be/WHLRj7xfgJU
Lockdown Video – Fish Gotta Swim https://youtu.be/yGTErQU4PNp0
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You can hear extracts from previous performances at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi7TPglGyYiRZV_NsRddpWQ
To hear the final chorus from Beethoven’s “Mount of Olives”, recorded by Paul Johnson at the concert on Palm Sunday14th April 2019 click here
https://youtu.be/f2i7uTLVbU0
Pakefield Singers is an amateur choir based in Pakefield near Lowestoft, Suffolk. We are a unique choir with an extensive and varied repertoire and performance history, spanning all types of music
We rehearse at Pakefield Church on Wednesday evenings throughout the year, with a short summer break, and perform up to five concerts a year across the region, both by ourselves and in conjunction with soloists, other choirs and orchestras.
Join Us
If you would like to join the choir please email Megan pakefieldsingers@gmail.com
You can find out more about our history, performances and our extensive and varied repertoire within the pages of this site.