ORCHESTRA.
Amberley Orchestra.
The Amberley Orchestra regularly accompanies the Folkestone Choral Society and provides additional instrumental pieces to enrich the concerts.The orchestra consists largely of professional players and instrumental teachers living in Kent. They are administered by Kenneth Tee - Concert Manager and Imogen Taylor, both Kenneth and Imogen sing for the Society. Margot Rusmanis (violin) is the orchestra`s regular leader.
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Margot Rusmanis - Lead violin.
Margot is the Amberley Orchestra`s regular leader. Margot is a daughter of a former director of music at St. Leonard`s Church (Frederick Skinner) and was a pupil of the Folkestone Girls Grammar School. She studied violin at Trinity College of Music before pursuing a playing career in the BBC Radio Orchestra and as a freelance violinist in London, appearing in concert halls, theatres, recording studios and broadcasts. She combines this with teaching the violin in Buckinghamshire. Margot has led orchestras for the Folkestone Choral Society since 1976 and also appears with Ashford Choral Society and Stour Music.
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RECENT SOLOISTS - include.
Huw Rhys-Evans - Tenor
Born in Tregaron, Wales, Huw Rhys-Evans won the Blue Riband prize for the `Singer of the Year` at the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales and on three occasions the Tenor Solo Award. Following studies with Kenneth Bowen at the Royal Academy of Music, he was awarded the Tenor Prize at the 1990 Great Grimsby International Competition for Singers and completed his studies at the National Opera Studio.
He is particularly celebrated as a singer of Rossini; his engagements include Carlo/Goffredo in Armida; the title role Le Comte Ory and Torvaldo e Dorliska at the Wildbad festival; Count Almaviva from the Barber of Seville for Opera North and Spier Opera, South Africa; Pilade from Ermione; Idreno from Semiramide for the Chelsea Opera Group and Belfiore from Il Viaggio a Reims at the Palace of Versailles. Other operatic engagements have included Harris from Uncle Remus for Pegasus Opera, Flute from a Midsummer Night`s Dream, Brighella from Ariadne auf Naxos for English Touring Opera, Don Ottavio from Don Giovanni for Perth Festival Opera, Belmont from Die EntfuhrungausdemSerail for Opera Project, Nadir from The Philosopher`s stone for Collegium Music 90 (broadcast on Radio 3), Pang from Turandot for Lyric Opera Dublin, Brighella for the Norwegian State Opera and Young Servant from Electra at the BBC Proms. He has recently performed with English National opera in their performances of Wagner`s The Flying Dutchman and Bitten`s Billy Budd.
He is particularly celebrated as a singer of Rossini; his engagements include Carlo/Goffredo in Armida; the title role Le Comte Ory and Torvaldo e Dorliska at the Wildbad festival; Count Almaviva from the Barber of Seville for Opera North and Spier Opera, South Africa; Pilade from Ermione; Idreno from Semiramide for the Chelsea Opera Group and Belfiore from Il Viaggio a Reims at the Palace of Versailles. Other operatic engagements have included Harris from Uncle Remus for Pegasus Opera, Flute from a Midsummer Night`s Dream, Brighella from Ariadne auf Naxos for English Touring Opera, Don Ottavio from Don Giovanni for Perth Festival Opera, Belmont from Die EntfuhrungausdemSerail for Opera Project, Nadir from The Philosopher`s stone for Collegium Music 90 (broadcast on Radio 3), Pang from Turandot for Lyric Opera Dublin, Brighella for the Norwegian State Opera and Young Servant from Electra at the BBC Proms. He has recently performed with English National opera in their performances of Wagner`s The Flying Dutchman and Bitten`s Billy Budd.
Paul Young - Tenor
Paul Young`s singing career started as a treble chorister in the choir of Hythe Parish Church. He read for a degree in music at Exeter University, during which time he was also a member of the Cathedral Choir. After graduation he moved to the teaching staff of Ampleforth College, Yorkshire, singing in the Schola Cantorum and the choir of York Minster, touring Europe and North America. In 1992 he was appointed as Director of Music at Kings Junior School, Canterbury and sang as tenor in the Cathedral Choir. With these several professional choirs he has extensive experience of the choral repertory, of recording, broadcasting and touring, particularly in the US. In 2007, following a period in Spain, Paul became Director of Music at Dover College, a post he still holds. After a period of deputising, he has now rejoined the choir of Canterbury Cathedral as a tenor and Lay Clerk. Paul also pursues a solo career that has taken him to King`s College, Cambridge and concerts throughout England and abroad.
Paul has appeared with the Folkestone Choral Society on a regular basis since returning to Kent and remains one of our favourite soloists.
Paul has appeared with the Folkestone Choral Society on a regular basis since returning to Kent and remains one of our favourite soloists.
Cara Curran - Mezzo Soprano
Since completing postgraduate study at Trinity College of Music, where she was awarded the Paul Simm opera prize, Cara has been pursuing a busy performing career in and around London. 2012 sees her perform with the consort group Stile Antico in concerts in England and Europe, at the Barbican with Britten Sinfonia in Elijah, and a world premiere of a work by Steve Potter with London Sinfonietta. This summer she will reprise the role of Marcellina in Portugal`s Marriage of Figaro at Buxton Festival. Opera roles include Florence Pike in Britten`s Albert Herring, Giustino in Handel`s Giustino, the Leader in Weill`s The Tsar Has His Photograph Taken, Ragazza in Donizetti`s Linda Di Chomounix (ROH), and a soloist in Le Fanu`s Light Passing for Radio 3. Cara also created the title role in Hughes` Antigone at the National Centre for Early Music. Concert performances include Handel`s Judas Maccabaeus (London Handel Festival), Beethoven`s Symphony No. 9, Bach`s Magnificat, St John Passion, St Matthew Passion and Rossini`s Petite Mess Sollenelle.
Cara has performed in master-classes with Dame Janet Baker, Dame Emma Kirkby, Stephen Varcoe and Susan Bullock. She studies with Hazel Wood.
Cara has performed in master-classes with Dame Janet Baker, Dame Emma Kirkby, Stephen Varcoe and Susan Bullock. She studies with Hazel Wood.
Juliet Schiemann - Soprano.
Juliet started singing as a Choral Scholar at Cambridge and continued as a post-graduate at the Royal Acedemy of Music where she won the Helen Eames Prize for Early Music. Since then \Juliet has gone on to make a dynamic and varied career as a soloist, ranging from working with some of Europe`s top opera companies.to singing the soprano solo on the soundtrack of Star Wars Episode II. Juliet`s wide concert experience includes premieres of both Jonathan Harvey`s Passion and Resurrection in Westminster Abbey and James MacMillan`s Busqueda in the Royal Festival Hall, the latter with the Philharmonia. Juliet has also performed more classic repetoire such as Brahms Deutsches Requiem at the Queen Elizabeth Hall with the City of London Sinfonia and Mozart`s Requiem at the Library Studio Covent Garden with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.
Juliet has been a solist on radio in Radio`s 2`s Friday is Music Night and was in the finals of the Richard Tauber competition on BBC Radio 3. She made her international debut as the Shperdess in Blow`s Venus and Adonis at De Vlaamse Opera for Renee Jacobs and she has a wealth of experience in the field of Baroque music in performance and on recording. Juliet has also appeared on a European tour as Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with the New London Consort under the direction of Philip Pickett
At home in the UK Juliet is in demand both on the concert and opera stage. At the Royal Opera House she has sung a Prentice in Wagner`s Meistersinger and understudied Papagena in Die Zauberflote and Pepik in Janacek`s Cunning Little Vixen. Juliet has also sung Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Pousette in Manon and First Lady in The Magic Flute for English Touring Opera, Speranza and Prologue in Monteverdi`s Orfeo for Kent Opera and at English National Opera she has understudied Despina in Cosi fan tutti. Juliet recorded the role of Amore in Goehr`s Arianna for NMC. Juliet sung at the Folkestone Choral Society`s 2014 Good Friday concert at the Leas Cliff hall at Folkestone and at the Society`s performance of Handel`s Messiah in November 2013 at Holy Trinity Church in Folkestone.
Juliet has been a solist on radio in Radio`s 2`s Friday is Music Night and was in the finals of the Richard Tauber competition on BBC Radio 3. She made her international debut as the Shperdess in Blow`s Venus and Adonis at De Vlaamse Opera for Renee Jacobs and she has a wealth of experience in the field of Baroque music in performance and on recording. Juliet has also appeared on a European tour as Belinda in Dido and Aeneas with the New London Consort under the direction of Philip Pickett
At home in the UK Juliet is in demand both on the concert and opera stage. At the Royal Opera House she has sung a Prentice in Wagner`s Meistersinger and understudied Papagena in Die Zauberflote and Pepik in Janacek`s Cunning Little Vixen. Juliet has also sung Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, Pousette in Manon and First Lady in The Magic Flute for English Touring Opera, Speranza and Prologue in Monteverdi`s Orfeo for Kent Opera and at English National Opera she has understudied Despina in Cosi fan tutti. Juliet recorded the role of Amore in Goehr`s Arianna for NMC. Juliet sung at the Folkestone Choral Society`s 2014 Good Friday concert at the Leas Cliff hall at Folkestone and at the Society`s performance of Handel`s Messiah in November 2013 at Holy Trinity Church in Folkestone.
Jon Williams - Baritone
Jon Williams is a Lay Clerk at Canterbury Cathedral. Jon spent his formative years in Manchester before studying for Bachelors and Masters degrees in music at Durham University (1986-90). Jon was a Choral Scholar of Durham Cathedral and Director of Durham University Chamber Choir. He moved to Kent during which time he has developed a particularly close musical association with the choirs of both Canterbury and Rochester Cathedrals, as well as appearing regularly as a soloist both in recital, and with choirs and choral societies across the South East.
He has participated in numerous recordings and broadcasts and has performed in concerts and festivals throughout the UK, Northern Europe, the USA and Canada. He has also sung a number of principal stage roles including `Noye` in Bitten`s Noye`s Fludde. He is also and organist, pianist, sometime music columnist appearing in religious and music press and a jazz enthusiast. He is also a qualified classroom teacher and is Head of Music at Sir Roger Manwood`s School in Sandwich and Simon Langton Girls School, Canterbury.
He has participated in numerous recordings and broadcasts and has performed in concerts and festivals throughout the UK, Northern Europe, the USA and Canada. He has also sung a number of principal stage roles including `Noye` in Bitten`s Noye`s Fludde. He is also and organist, pianist, sometime music columnist appearing in religious and music press and a jazz enthusiast. He is also a qualified classroom teacher and is Head of Music at Sir Roger Manwood`s School in Sandwich and Simon Langton Girls School, Canterbury.
Suzanne Fischer - Soprano
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A Britten Pears Young Artist, soprano Suzanne Fischer recently won the Forder-preis for most promising young artist at the prestigious Das Lied: International Song Competition 2015 as well as the Pavarotti Prize at the 65th Viotti Competition in Italy. In Summer 2015 she joined Glyndebourne Festival Opera and sang the role of Katja in "O.H.I.O" at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin. She recently performed the role of Ginevra/Ariodante for Tristan and Associates, the Countess/Figaro for Britten Pears, Konstanze/Die Entfuhrung for Deutsche Oper and Gilda/Rigoletto at Berlin`s Konzerthaus. An avid interpreter of lied, Suzanne works extensively with pianist Jonathan Ware, their repertoire together includes over 150 songs from Franz Schubert to Oliver Knussen.
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Felicity Hope - Soprano
Felicity Hope was educated at Coloma Convent Girls` School and went on to study music at the University of Surrey, studying voice under Heather Keens and cello under David Burrowes. She graduated in 2009 after a recital of German Lieder and English 20th Century song. She has performed at numerous venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Fairfield Halls, Arundel Cathedral and St. Mark`s Basilica in Venice, alongside artists such as Dame Felicity Lott and Sir William Willard White. She has also been a member of the Philharmonia Chorus, working with world famous conductors and producing commercial recordings. She acts as guest conductor to several choirs in the South East and runs the Sussex Festival Choir, producing large scale choral concerts, tours abroad and raising money for hospices.
Recent and future highlights include Saint-Saens` Oratorio de Noel with Basildon Choral Society and West Sussex Philharmonic Choir, Haydn`s Nelson Mass and Vivaldi`s Gloria with Brackley Jubilee Choir and Requiems by Philip Ledger and John Rutter with Folkestone Choral Society. Felicity is currently Director of Music & Performing Arts at The Duston School in Northampton.
Recent and future highlights include Saint-Saens` Oratorio de Noel with Basildon Choral Society and West Sussex Philharmonic Choir, Haydn`s Nelson Mass and Vivaldi`s Gloria with Brackley Jubilee Choir and Requiems by Philip Ledger and John Rutter with Folkestone Choral Society. Felicity is currently Director of Music & Performing Arts at The Duston School in Northampton.
David Walder - Tenor
David is a graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge where he performed both as a cellist and singer. He continued to sing with a number of choirs while pursuing a career in the computer industry before becoming a full time singer having studied with Lesley-Jane Rogers and with Neil Mackie, Head of Vocal Studies at the Royal College of Music.
For twelve years David was a Tenor Lay Clerk at Guildford Cathedral undertaking a busy schedule of services, concerts and recordings. He has performed on Classic FM, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 and appeared on recordings by the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras..
David is a regular soloist with choirs and choral societies throughout the UK and abroad including engagements in Greece, France, New York and Washington DC. Recent concert engagements have included Bach St John Passion (Evangelist) and Magnificat, Britten St. Nicolas, Gounod Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cecile, Haydn the Creation.
Also Handel Messiah and Dettingen Te Deum, Kodaly Missa Brevis, Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Mozart C Minor Mass and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Vaughn Williams On Wenlock Edge and Hodie.
He is also Musical Director of the Farley Singers, a Berkshire Chamber Choir.
For twelve years David was a Tenor Lay Clerk at Guildford Cathedral undertaking a busy schedule of services, concerts and recordings. He has performed on Classic FM, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 3 and appeared on recordings by the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras..
David is a regular soloist with choirs and choral societies throughout the UK and abroad including engagements in Greece, France, New York and Washington DC. Recent concert engagements have included Bach St John Passion (Evangelist) and Magnificat, Britten St. Nicolas, Gounod Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cecile, Haydn the Creation.
Also Handel Messiah and Dettingen Te Deum, Kodaly Missa Brevis, Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Mozart C Minor Mass and Vesperae Solennes de Confessore, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Vaughn Williams On Wenlock Edge and Hodie.
He is also Musical Director of the Farley Singers, a Berkshire Chamber Choir.
Louise Crane - Mezzo Soprano
Louise Crane has worked as principal Artist with Glyndebourne, ENO, the Monnaie (Brussels), Opéra de Lyon, English Touring Opera, Aldeburgh Festival, Chelsea Opera Group, OPera Factory, Opera East, the Irish Operatic Repertory Company, Kentish OPera, Grim`s Dyke Opera, Gawsworth Hall and Mid-Wales Opera. She regularly performs all the major oratorio repertoire including Verdi`s and Elgar`s Dream of Gerontius throughout the UK at such venues as King`s College, Sailsbury Cathedral and Bath Abbey. Louise has toured with the Bournemouth Symphony orchestra and made several appearances on BBC Radio 2`s Friday Night is Music Night.. She has given concerts at the Barbican and Birmingham Symphony Hall devoted to the music of Offenbach and has also broadcast for Classic FM and BBC Radio 3 and 4. She is a regular guest artist with Impropera, appearing on London`s West End and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Louis joined D`Oyly Carte as a principal contralto, singing the Countess (The Count of Luxembourg), Fairy Queen (Iolanthe), Hebe (HMS Pinafore), Edith and Ruth (The Pirates of Penzance) at London`s Savoy Theatre and on tour in Britain and the USA. For Opera della Luna, Louise`s repertoire includes Katisha (Mikado), Ruth (The Parson`s Pirates, Amanda (The Ghosts of Ruddigore), Alice (Lucia di Lammermoor), Orestes (Belle Helene),, Buttercup (HMS Pinafore) and The Marchioness of Market Harborough in The Burglar`s Opera. Recent engagements include Flora (La Traviata) for Co-Opera in Ireland and in Barbados for Holder`s Festival; Tessa (The Gondoliers) and the title role in Iolanthe at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival at Buxton Opera House where she will shortly return to play Ruth (Pirates of Penzance),. Her roles for Opera Holland Park include Praskovia (The Merry Widow) and Minerva (Orpheus in the Underworld), Louise has sung on many world cruises for both P. & O. and Cunard