This sounds like a good evening

This marks the inaugural concert for Choeur du Noble Val, with a traditional Christmas programme on 23 December at 6pm in the church at St Antonin Noble Val.
A half hour of sacred music in the church is followed by more eclectic Christmas music in the Salle des Thermes and a cup of mulled wine. Please dress warmly for the church! 
The concert is organised by Musicaval. All funds will be donated to Les Amis de l'Orgue Puget de St Antonin Noble Val to support the organ restoration project.
Please bring your friends and lend your support.

Men in demand

Men! We need you. Can you sing? The Parisot Choir is currently recruiting tenors and basses. The musical programme up to Christmas is Handel’s Messiah and general Christmas carols. Due to work and travel commitments the male section needs some new blood. The programme for 2019 has not yet been finalised. If you are interested please get in touch with celia.berry@orange.fr The choir meets on Tuesday evenings from 19h to 21h in the Salle des Fetes in Parisot.

Thanks

Celia

Two choirs concert

Baroque concert today in Varen

16h15 this afternoon in the lovely parish church of Varen is the rendez-vous for a concert by the students of Diane Charriere-Latour's baroque music classes.
The choir includes local singers and judging from previous years' performances it is a date not to miss.

Choir members

comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Beautiful Christmas CD

Mark Opstad, director of the Maitrise de la Conservatoire de Toulouse posted yesterday that the choir's new CD was being featured on France Musique at 8.40 am as their coup de coeur. Not having been able to listen at the time Malc listened to a podcast (the whole broadcast is worth listening to - but the best is at the end). Three Christmas songs from France, including one Basque carol arranged by Mark, were featured. The presenter said that the Maitrise, founded in just 2006 under Mark's direction, was now the equal of many of the famous English choir schools. Praise indeed and a testimony to Mark's demanding but enjoyable leadership. We spoke to some of the children's parents at a concert and they all agreed that the kids loved Mark's personality and methods.
A cheque will be off tomorrow for the 15 euros (plus 3.50 postage) as an extra Christmas present - you could do worse if you need a surprise gift for a "melomane".
http://www.francemusique.fr/emission/sacrees-musiques/2015-2016/js-bach-cantate-bwv6-bleib-bei-uns-denn-es-will-abend-werden-12-20-2015-07-00
The link will take you to the broadcast (and there is a link to order.

Concert at Parisot

The Résonances Choeur Féminin and the Résonances Instrumental Ensemble, both conducted by Jérémy Costes, will be giving a concert in the church at Parisot on Sunday 7^th June at 17h00.

The Choeur Féminin will sing a varied programme, including Monteverdi, Fauré, Poulenc, Norwegian traditional folk songs and more modern pieces.

In the second half of the concert, the Instrumental Ensemble will play a number of pieces by British composers, including Holst, Elgar, Britten and…Henry VIII!

Soprano, Tenors and Basses needed at St. Antonin

Soprano, Tenors and Basses needed

The Restoration Consort performed its inaugural concert in St Antonin in July this year, which raised 425 euros for the organ restoration fund. The consort is now looking to recruit local tenors and basses so that it can continue running concerts on a more frequent basis.

To enjoy singing with this consort you will need to be able to either read music, or to learn the repertoire fairly quickly. The group specialises in Renaissance music, but sings a broad program from early 1400s through to jazz. The singers in the consort come from France, England, Belgium and Sweden.

There are no fees to join the choir. If you think this might be for you, call Geof Cryer on 0777 232 772. You can be assured of a warm welcome.

 Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Parisot choir welcomes new members

Hi Val,

 would you mind putting this on TAG for us please. Thanks in advance.

The Parisot Choir directed by Jeremy Costes is welcoming new members.
The ability to read music is preferable but not obligatory. Rehearsals
are held every Friday between 7.15pm and 9pm in the Salles de Fêtes in
Parisot. Membership fees, to be paid by cheque before the end of October
are €60 per year (20 per term) or €110 per couple.

Le Chœur de Parisot sous la direction Jeremy Costes accueille les
nouveaux membres. Lecture de la musique préférable mais pas obligatoire.
Les répétitions sont les vendredi 19.15 a 21.00 dans La Salle de Fêtes a
Parisot. Cotisation: a régler par chèque, avant la fin d'octobre 60€ par
an (20 par semestre) 110€ par couple.
Renseignements:Information : www.choeurdeparisot.choralia.fr
President: Francoise Lagarrigue 05 63 65 71 82
Vice President: Elaine Morgan 05 65 81 91 57
Secretary: Tilly Caborn 05 63 31 56 85
Secretary: Pierre Lopinet 06 11 15 61 33
Treasurer: John Ratcliffe 05 82 92 54 32
Vice Treasurer: Annick Galy 05 65 45 44 20

Chef du Chœur Jeremy Costes 06 89 52 57 57

Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Concert at Eglise Saint Corneille at Puycelsi

dear Val

Both Ross and I would like to thank all the TAG readers who joined us in the brilliant sunshine last weekend to listen to the Puycelsi Choir conducted by Mark Opstad sing the Puccini Missi di Gloria and the Monteverdi Beatus Vir, two works separated not only by time but the very different styles of the composers who wrote them. The church was packed and our team of "costaud" men were rushing around at the last minute producing extra  chairs so that we could fit everyone in. We managed to raise nearly €3,500 and are on target to raise €10,000 this year. Mark has given us his organ on permanent loan so we have already spent some €3,000 buying the highest quality speakers to give us the best sound reproduction possible. 

This will have been a really phenominal year for the restoration on Puycelsi's church. With the help of the Mairie and the Roman Catholic church, we have finally got the money to restore the Baptismal chapel and the Mairie hopes to get a grant to restore the west wall which lost a huge chunk of plaster in the sping. Replacing many square metres of lime plaster 15 metres up a wall will not be cheap and it also has a trompe d'oeil window to be restored. As a result of the assistance we had from the other sources we have enough money now for another project - will it be the cleaning of the pictures on the west wall if the wall is replastered or will it be the chapels on either side of the altar or something else. We hope to be in a position to let you  know in the spring.

As well as saying thank you this is also to announce that bookings are now open for the final concert of this year on Saturday 18 October at 18.00. In memory of all those who died in the first world war, the Maitrise of Toulouse, a choir which was established by Mark Opstad at the Conservatoire and is now rapidly becoming one of the best in France will be singing the Fauré requiem as well as that  of a Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria . Tickets are priced €15 adults, €12 students and under 18s and under 12 free. Tickets can be reserved by email on arc.puycelsi@gmail.com (prefered)  or tel 05 63 33 15 84

Thank you

Ginny

Val says  there will now be a frenzy of ticket buying. I had better get my order in
Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

A fun, young, French choir at Verfeil sur Seye

When we were at Charlie's party at Verfeil sur Seye we were introduced to a fairly new chorale, a so far French choir group. The group meet in the Salle des fetes in Verfeil on Tuesday evenings, it maybe that they are " en vacance" now as many groups are for the summer. Our neighbour Magali is in the group and I will go and ask for the choir leader's  telephone number for interested parties. The choir sang songs probably chosen for the " hippy" sort of event it was and I really liked two African songs they sang which were African folk songs. The choir leader was later the leader of a band playing and was animated playing the accordian.
 I wish I could sing it was a friendly group I would love to join.
I now have the number and if you are interested contact me and I will give the tel. number. As it is a personal number we would prefer not to give it on TAG without asking.
Comments to taglines82@gmail.com

Puycelsi Choir Sunday 27th April

Puycelsi Choir Sunday 27^th April 2014 – an invitation to come and sing

Each September there is a very popular choral concert in Puycelsi which has been completely 
sold out for the last 3 years. As a result of demand by the singers this year we are holding the 
first spring concert and there are a few places left especially for sopranos. 
The choir will be led by Mark Opstad who is fast becoming one of the best choral 
conductors in France. He is  the nephew of Paul Spicer who is 
undoubtedly the best choral conductor in the UK which perhaps explains Marks skill’s.

The programme will include

Handel                                                            Halleluja chorus (Easter)       

Haydn                                                             Missa Sancti Joannis de Deo

(soprano solo)

Brahms                                                           Geistliches Lied                      

Mendelssohn                                                  Hear My Prayer                                                                                                                      (soprano solo)

Fauré                                                              Cantique de Jean Racine       

Encore:  Mozart                                             Ave Verum Corpus            

 

The organist will be Nicholas O’Niell of St Mary Abbot, Kensington and the soprano 

will be Zena Baker of Toulouse Opera.

There day will start at 10.00 am and there will be two separate blocks of rehearsals separated by 
lunch before the performance at 6.00pm. The cost for the day is €25.00 including lunch and afternoon 
tea. As you will see the music to be sung will include a mixture of well known and some slightly 
less so. Performances of the pieces can be heard on U-tube and most if not all of the music downloaded.

If you would like to join in what some call masterclass and othes just say is a day of real singing 
pleasure please contact Ross Jenkins atross.jenkins@orange.fr.   

comments to taglines82@gmail.com