LEISURE | 29
Friday, November 27, 2015 THEWOKINGHAMPAPER
REVIEW
Elijah
Heavenly chorus uses energy to retell Mendelssohn’s Elijah Elijah Wokingham Choral Society, The Great Hall, University of Reading November 21
A
HEAVENLY chorus of voices rang out around the University of Reading’s Great Hall last weekend as the Wokingham Choral Society performed the highlight of their 2015 programme. Tackling Mendelssohn’s epic Elijah as the first performance of the society’s new musical director Patrick Allies was no mean feat, but after months of rehearsals and a last-minute change it all came together beautifully. Supported by the Orchestra Vitae, a relatively new outfit which debuted at the Royal Albert
Hall in March this year, and joined by soloists William Morgan (tenor), Michelle Daly (mezzosoprano), Alice Privett (soprano), Edward Grint (baritone) and Zoe Farrow (soprano), the 100-strong society performed to hundreds of classical music connoisseurs, including Wokingham Town Mayor Philip Mirfin and the High Steward of Wokingham Lady Elizabeth Godsall at the Reading town centre venue on Saturday night. A spokesperson for the society, Julie Primarolo said: “We all felt it went very well and was a great start to our 2015-2016 season with Patrick. We were also very pleased with all the soloists who managed to accommodate the last minute changes seamlessly.” Patrick said: “We've only been working together for a couple of months, but I already feel quite a strong musical connection to the
by Felix Mendels sohn
Wokingham Choral Society
Alice Privett, Sopra no Michelle Daly,
M ezzo-soprano
Andrew Dickinson
, Teno r
Edward Grint, Barit one as Elijah
Patrick Allies, Cond uctor With Orchestra Vitae The Prophet Elijah in the Desert by Dieric Bouts the Elder
Saturday 21st
November, 2015 at 7:30
Great Hall, Unive London Road Camp rsity of Reading, us, Reading RG1 5AQ
Tickets: Available from:
£15 (£5 under 18s & studen
p.m.
ts)
tickets@wokingham Information Centre -choral-society.org.uk , Wokingham Town Newbury Buildin g Society, Wokin Hall gham Bookends, Wokin gham www.wegottic kets.com
Bar available from
6:45 pm
R egiste red Charit y Num ber 27485 3
@WokChoralSoc
choir and I was so pleased with the commitment and energy they displayed. I didn’t want the evening to end.” n Wokingham Choral Society’s next performance will be a Christmas Carol Concert at All Saints’ Church in Wiltshire Road, Wokingham on Saturday, December 19. Tickets are £10, £5 for students and under 18s, free for under fives, and are available from the Information Centre at Wokingham Town Hall, Newbury Building Society in Broad Street, Bookends in Peach Street or by emailing tickets@wokinghamchoral-society.org.uk. Gemma Davidson
AT THE THEATRE Basingstoke – The Anvil
Didcot – Cornerstone
www.anvilarts.org.uk 01256 844244 Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Fri. Basingstoke Symphony Orchesta. Sat. The Four Seasons by Candlelight. Sun. So This Is Christmas. Wed. Jack and the Beanstalk. Dec 10-Jan 3.
www.cornerstone-arts.org 01235 515144 Disco Pigs. Sat. Up In The Attic. Sun. Festival of the Spoken Nerd. Thurs. Flights of Helios. Fri 4. Stephen K Amos: The Laugh Master. Sat 5. Stringfever. Sun 6.
Basingstoke – The Haymarket www.anvilarts.org.uk 01256 844244 Grease. Until Sat. Katherine Ryan. Sun. The Snow Dragon. Wed-Dec 12, relaxed performance Dec 10.
Bracknell – South Hill Park www.southhillpark.org.uk (01344) 484123 Cross The Shifting Sands. Fri. Comedy Cellar. Fri. Sleeping Beauty. Sun until Jan 3. Rob Beckett: Mouth of the South. Wed. Beverley Craven: Live in Concert. Thurs. Bracknell Jazz: Gareth Lockrane in Support. Fri 4. The Comedy Cellar. Fri 4. Father Christmas’ Grotto. Dec 5-Christmas Eve (not Mondays). FILMS: The Intern. Fri-Sun. Legend. Fri. Macbeth. Sun. The Treatment. Mon. The Second Mother. Tues. The Martian. Wed. The Mikado. Thurs. Pan. Fri Dec 4-Sun Dec 6. High Society. Fri Dec 4. The Martian. Sat, Dec 5-Sun, Dec 6.
Camberley – Theatre www.camberleytheatre.biz 01276 707600 Camberley Comedy Club. Fri. Aladdin. Mon Dec 7, until Jan 3.
Guildford – Yvonne Arnaud www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk 01483 440000 Flare Path. Until Sat. Jack and the Beanstalk. Dec 4-Jan 3.
Henley – Kenton Theatre www.kentontheatre.co.uk 01491 575698 The Wizard of Oz. Until Sat. The Snow Queen Ballet. Sun. Christmas Classics with Blake. Wed. Ben Portsmouth: The King is Back. Fri Dec 4-Sat Dec 5.
High Wycombe – Wycombe Swan www.wycombeswan.co.uk 01494 512000 Jesus Christ Superstar. Tues-Sat Dec 5. Peter Pan. Dec 11-Jan 3.
Maidenhead – Norden Farm www.nordenfarm.org 01628 788997 One Snowy Night. Nov 24-Dec 27. Adam Long’s Dickens Abridged. Fri. All Things Considered. Fri. Nish Kumar: Long Word … Long Word … Blah Blah Blah … I’m So Clever. Sat. Gimme Gimme Gimmie. Sat. Storytelling. Sun. Jewel Tones: Sing, Sing, Sing. Sun. Exhibit This! Tues. Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two with June Carter. Wed. Danny Buckler’s Magic Salon. Fri 4. Friday Night Flamenco.
Fri 4. The Karen Sharp and Nikki Illes Group. Fri 4. Christmas Ceilidh. Sat 5. Song of the Season with the Thames Valley Gay Chorus. Sat 5. Storytelling. Sun 6. FILM: Macbeth. Tues. 99 Homes. Tues-Wed. Suaffragette. Sun 6.
Newbury – The Corn Exchange www.cornexchangenew.com 0845 5218 218 Handel: Messiah. Sat.
Newbury – The Watermill www.watermill.org.uk 01635 46044 Alice in Wonderland. Until Jan 3.
Reading – South Street www.readingarts.com 0118 960 6060 Darklands with Fawn Spots. Sat. Matt Forde: Get the Political Party Started. Thurs. Sarah Nicolls: Moments of Weightlessness. Thurs. AF Harrold’s Lovely Cabaret. Sat 5.
Duffy and John Sampson. Dec 6.
Shinfield – Shinfield Players www.shinfieldplayers.org.uk 0118 975 8880 Youth Group Review Evenings. Dec 4-5. Mother Goose: A Pantomime. Jan 15-17, 22-24.
Sonning – Mill www.millatsonning.com 0118 969 8000 Stepping Out. Thurs-Jan 16. Tim Valentine. Fri, Sat. Storytime: One Snowy Night. Wed, 10.30am. An Evening With Abba. Sun. The Rat Pack at Christmas. Dec 6-7.
Windsor – Theatre Royal www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk 01753 853888 Blood Brothers. Until Sat. Cinderella. From Wed until Jan 10.
Woking – New Victoria
www.readingarts.com 0118 960 6060 Dick Whittington with Justin Fletcher. From Sat Dec 5-Sun Jan 3.
www.ambassadortickets.com 0844 871 7645 It’s a Wonderful Life. Fri. So This Is Christmas. Sat. An Evening with Noel Fielding. Sun. Glyndebourne: Die Entfuhrung aud dem Serail. Tues-Sat 5. Glyndebourne: Don Pasquale. Wed-Fri 4. Sleeping Beauty. Fri Dec 11-Sun Jan 10.
Reading – Progress
Wokingham – Theatre
www.progresstheatre.co.uk 0118 384 2195 Insert Title Here: A Devised Play. Dec 8-12.
www.wokingham-theatre.org.uk 0118 978 5363 Next show: The Flint Street Nativity. Dec 2-12.
Reading – St Barts
Woodley – Theatre
www.stbartstheatre.org 07737 477193 Silver Moon. Dec 5. An Evening with Carol Ann
www.woodleytheatre.org 07939 210121 Bell, Book and Candle. Until Sat.
Reading – The Hexagon