Leconfield Singers offer Chichester Cathedral fund-raiser

The Leconfield Singers are offering a fundraising concert for the roof restoration project now underway at Chichester Cathedral.
JeannieJeannie
Jeannie

Their spring concert will be in the cathedral on Saturday, May 12, in collaboration with the Chichester Cathedral Restoration Fund, when they will perform The Creation by Haydn.

Singers spokeswoman Jeannie Whitman Esdaile said: “Under the direction of Graham Wili, the Leconfield Singers have built an amazing reputation for their concerts in only six years. They have already performed at the Royal Festival Hall, Arundel Cathedral, and have undertaken several tours to Europe, singing in the Cathedrals of Bruges, Ghent, Lucca, Pistoia and Rouen amongst other beautiful churches.

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“The orchestra, English Philharmonia, is drawn from the finest musicians in the UK and is in demand both nationally and internationally. The featured soloists are tenor Colin Judson, Gail Pearson who is one of this country’s finest sopranos and baritone Dyfed Wyn Evans.

“The Creation is an oratorio written between 1797 and 1798 by Joseph Haydn and considered by many to be Haydn’s masterpiece.

“As one of the most popular choral works even today, The Creation is a favourite of musicians and audiences alike. Taken from the Book of Genesis the story is written into a glorious musical characterisation of the story. A delight to audiences, Haydn created a masterful instrumental setting for solo virtuosity and choral grandeur. It is an inspiration to perform and a masterpiece to enjoy!”

Jeannie added: “Chichester Cathedral is an outstanding Grade I listed building whose history and architecture spans more than nine centuries.

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“The cathedral roof is no ordinary roof. It is of national importance and extremely rare. Beneath the current copper roof covering, the cathedral houses an exceptional example of original 13th-century medieval timber roofing which survives for the entire length of the cathedral from east to west. The scale of this project is enormous and unprecedented for the cathedral, which relies wholly on donations and self-generated income for its restoration needs.

“Along with a retiring collection following the concert, The Restoration Trust will be hosting a pre-concert reception at 6pm (for 7.15 seating) in the eastern arm of the cathedral for £10 per person per ticket. Proceeds from the sales of these tickets will be added to the evening’s collection buckets. Purchase your £10 pre-concert reception ticket when you purchase your concert ticket from Spriggs Florist, Petworth or online (www.theleconfieldsingers.co.uk). Concert tickets only from The Novium.”

For more stories by Phil, see: https://www.chichester.co.uk/author/Phil.Hewitt2

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