The group acts as a friendly and informative forum for those interested in English ceramics from 18th century porcelain to modern pottery.
Regular monthly meetings are organised with talks by international experts.
The City of Canterbury Chamber Choir, Music Director George Vass, gave its first concert in 1995 and in the eighteen seasons since foundation has made regular appearances at the Canterbury and Presteigne Festivals, and also at the English Music Festival, and for the Sittingbourne Music Club and has performed regularly with Orchestra Nova, both in concert and on disc. A recent highlight was its appearance at St John’s, Smith Square, London for Cecilia McDowall’s 60th anniversary concert. The choir has presented Good Friday concerts at the Shirley Hall, King’s School, Canterbury, for the Lady Mayoress' Charities and sings frequently at many of the beautiful churches in and around the City – and throughout Kent. New Music is always a feature, the choir having premiered numerous compositions by, amongst others: Cecilia McDowall, John McCabe, David Matthews, Bob Chilcott, Tarik O’Regan, John Tavener, Peteris Vasks, Adrian Williams, Rihards Dubra, Morten Lauridsen, Michael Berkeley, Celia Harper, James Macmillan, Paul Patterson, Deborah Pritchard, Arvo Pärt and Gabriel Jackson. CCCC has also hosted Choral Workshops – for choirs throughout East Kent, to encourage a mix of young inexperienced and more experienced singers, involving Music Director George Vass, and guests John Rutter, Rachel Nicholls and Bob Chilcott. Accompanist: Edward Kemp-Luck. Honorary Patron: The Right Worshipful The Lord Mayor of Canterbury and President: John McCabe CBE
Canterbury Choral Society (CCS) is one of the most accomplished symphonic choirs in the South East and is admired for its quality of sound, ensemble and intonation. The CCS Youth Choir (started in 2007) is a platform of excellence for younger voices, tackling works in many languages, including German, Latin, Russian (and occasionally, English). CCS performs four major concerts in Canterbury Cathedral every year, hosts Family Carols at Christmas, and has been invited to perform in Canterbury Festival every year since the Festival’s launch in 1984. CCS has performed Verdi’s Requiem in Boulogne, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony in Lille and Mahler’s 8th and Berlioz’ Grande Messe des Morts (with the RPO) in the Royal Albert Hall. In 2005 CCS made a live recording of Elgar’s oratorio The Apostles (available on Amazon) with the Philharmonia Orchestra. CCS undertakes challenging programmes alongside the more regular choral repertoire. These have included Bartok’s Cantata Profana (in the presence of the President of Hungary), Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Bruckner’s Masses in E and F minor, and Britten’s Spring Symphony and War Requiem. The performances of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Haydn’s Creation and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky with Rachmaninov’s The Bells were all acclaimed as highlights of their respective Canterbury Festivals. Significant Baroque works with period orchestras such as The London Handel Orchestra and the Hanover Band have included Bach’s two main Passions, B minor Mass and Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Messiah and Israel in Egypt, and Monteverdi’s Vespers.
A membership society formed as a registered charity to celebrate Canterbury's history. Its first successful project has been the statues of King Ethelbert and Queen Bertha unveiled in 2006.
The Canterbury Guitar Society meets monthly from September to July. Twice a year, we have public professional concerts of a very high standard, the other meetings we perform to and learn from each other. We welcome (classical) players of all standards.
OUR LAST CONCERT SOLD OUT
Our next concert is on Monday July 15th 7.30pm at the Friends Meeting House (by the Marlowe Theatre) and will be a LUTE RECITAL by DAVID MILLER, playing works by the great English lutenist and songwriter, John Dowland, and Leopold Sylvius Weiss, an almost exact contemporary of J. S. Bach – whom he challenged in an improvisation contest! Bach thought highly of Weiss, and transcribed some of some of his lute pieces for harpsichord.
David Miller is a long established soloist, accompanist and continuo player on lute, theorbo and early guitars, performing with all the principal English period instrument orchestras and opera companies, and with many of the finest ensembles, in Britain and abroad. He maintains a busy recital schedule, enjoying creative collaborations with other solo artists, including singers, harpist Frances Kelly, violinist Elizabeth Wallfisch.
David's recent disc with soprano Elin Manahan Thomas entitled Ravish'd with Sacred Extasies - devotional songs by Dowland, Campian, Humfrey and Purcell, as well as lute and theorbo music by John Lawrence & John Wilson, received the coveted Supersonic Award by Pizzicato Magazine in Luxembourg. David has over 150 recordings, and he can be heard on the soundtracks of Francesco da Mosto’s Venice, The Canterbury Tales, Bob the Builder, the recent Samuel Pepys diaries serialised on Woman's Hour, Dr Who and Harry Potter!
David is professor of lute at the Guildhall School and Trinity Laban, and tutor for the European Union Baroque Orchestra and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and takes master classes at Dartington International Summer School.
NOTE: This concert's tickets only; ring 01227 458063
Our next concert will be on Nov 18th, Allan Neave (Professor of Guitar and Harp at Scottish Royal Academy)
