Amici Choir

Prom in the Park

Following the brilliant success of last year’s Concert as a triumphal ending to the Taunton Flower Show, OrchestraWest and Amici will be on hand once more with music old and new.

Apart from the usual ‘Last Night of the Proms’ favourites, the concert will contain Tchaikovsky’s overture ‘1812′ in an unusual arrangement incorporating the choir, the triumphal scene from Act 2 of Verdi’s ‘Aida’ and some well-known film music. Joining OrchestraWest and Amici will be the world-famous Rossendale Scouts Brass Band who will augment the big numbers as well as playing some items of their own.

Sunday 8th August 2010 at 7:30 p.m.
Watch this space and the Taunton Proms in the Park website (www.tauntonpromsinthepark.co.uk) for more details.

Future Performances

He'll Be Back!

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY, 14th November 2010
In November 2004, Amici performed the stunning Mass for Peace, “The Armed Man” by Karl Jenkins. This work has lost none of its impact since then – indeed the conflict in Afghanistan has only served to remind us that we still ask young men and women to put their own fragile bodies in harm’s way for our sake. Amici and OrchestraWest will present this work again on Remembrance Sunday, 14th November 2010 – one of the features of the earlier performance was the projection of visual images to complement the music. An updated version of this will be a part of the new presentation. 

CHRISTMAS 2010
Our Christmas offering will be on Saturday 11th December. The programme will comprise old favourites alongside Benjamin Britten’s ‘A Boy Was Born’. Written when the composer was only 17, this is a set of choral variations of great originality and we are looking forward to presenting it. More details will be published here when available. 

EASTER 2011
It may seem odd to be talking about Easter 2011 already, but Amici has to plan its performances well in advance in order to secure the best soloists. In Holy Week 2011, Amici and OrchestraWest will scale even greater choral heights by presenting the monumental ‘St. Matthew Passion’ by J. S. Bach. It is the longest-running of all of his choral output and requires the largest choral forces. Soloists dread this piece. In some arias, the vocal line shoots up and down like a heart monitor. The role of the Evangelist requires a tenor who can slide and twist his voice around sadistic ornaments while still being able to float boyishly to the top of his register. No wonder world-class Evangelists are as rare as Wagnerian Heldentenors. Watch this space – we’ll announce the final date and the ‘cast list’ as soon as possible!

Amici and the Beeb!

Amici has joined in partnership with the BBC Performing Arts Fund, a scheme designed to help promote all forms of music and to assist young people to participate. As a result, Amici is offering financial assistance to up to four young singers this year, in the form of help with their tuition fees. The only ‘condition’ is that the recipients undertake to become temporary members of Amici and sing with us in our next two concerts. Two of the places have already been taken up and we are pleased to welcome sopranos Jennifer Atkinson and Cat Carter to our ranks. These two young ladies will be in the chorus for the Good Friday concert and we are delighted to have them with us.