The Penyard Singers were delighted to give the first performance of a work specially written by one of their members Chris Renfield. Her 'Minimas' was performed at the Longhope Baptist Church on Saturday, June 14th, as part of a fundraising concert in aid of orphans in the Philippines. The Choir was thrilled to be asked to bring Chris' wonderful work to life and look forward to presenting this carefully crafted work to new audiences in the future. The year so far has been very busy for The Penyard Singers who gave their Spring Concert in aid of HELP on April 26th at St Mary's Church, Ross. The Penyard Chamber Orchestra with soloists Sarah Hall and Joanne Sparkes (sopranos), Debra Blake (contralto), Patrick Briddon (tenor), Colin Copestake (bass) and Fiona Crawley (flute) presented ever popular baroque works by Vivaldi, Handel and Bach as well as Charpentier's Te Deum with its well- known Eurovision signature-tune Prelude, to the delight of the audience. In May the New Dean Music Club invited the choir to sing in aid of the Orchard Trust at Coleford Baptist Church. They presented a wide range of songs from Elizabethan Madrigals to Jazz by George Shearing and a miscellany of familiar tunes from 'Londonderry Air' to 'Goodnight Sweetheart'. Accompaniment by Giles Turner on piano and Christina Fox on double bass with solos from Sarah Hall and Patrick Briddon provided a jam-packed evening. Singing at summer weddings in the picturesque Wye valley churches of Hoarwithy and Brockhampton this June has rounded off the first part of the year for the Choir who now take a well earned Summer break. The Penyard Singers look forward to meeting again on September 3rd to begin their Wednesday evening rehearsals for the autumn and winter performances in aid of charities and community projects across the county. Anyone interested in joining the choir to explore this exciting range of music should call 01989 565 338 and of course they would be delighted also to hear from any charities who believe they could help in raising some funds. Further information can be found on the website: http://www.penyardsingers.org.uk">www.penyardsingers.org.uk.
