Mozart Requiem Concert at St Ignatius

18 Jun 2022

Celebrating its tenth anniversary (though two years late due the pandemic), the New Tottenham Singers, in partnership with Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra, present a performance of choral music, at the centre of which is the Mozart Requiem.

The Requiem, Mozart’s enduringly popular final work, is said to have been commissioned anonymously, leading the composer, when he became sick some weeks later, to develop the belief he had begun writing a requiem for his own impending death. Indeed, Mozart never finished the piece, and the scores were completed by a pupil of his, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, based at least in part on the composer’s written notes. Full of emotion and pathos, and written in the midst of illness, it is regarded as a beautiful expression of Mozart’s enduring faith and hope.

The venue for the concert is the 120-year old St Ignatius Church, a prominent Tottenham landmark with a Grade II listing, and one of the area’s most noteworthy buildings. The vivid mosaic glass decoration and the glittering high altar and sanctuary, as well as the striking acoustics should provide a dramatic and striking location in which to enjoy the event.

Programme
PARRY I Was Glad
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Serenade to Music
MOZART Requiem
CHRISTOPHER WILSON Alleluia*
*World Premiere performance of this piece written by the late local composer

Choir: The New Tottenham Singers
Orchestra: Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra
Conductor: Tom Fowkes

The “Book Tickets” section below links to special tickets for use by members of the church choirs at St Ignatius. If you are not associated with these choirs, please use the ticket booking facility at https://discover.london/event/mozart-requiem/

Founded in 2010, the New Tottenham Singers has a diverse musical repertoire, and while their concerts can feature programmes of Jazz, Gospel or Musical Theatre, they also perform traditional choral works such as the Rutter and Vivaldi Glorias, and sing English Sacred Choral Music including works by Stanford, Wesley, Brewer and Stainer. They sang Choral Evensong at Merton College, Oxford to celebrate the college’s 750th anniversary.

This performance continues a tradition of the choir singing at St Ignatius. In November 2018 it presented a Concert of Remembrance for an audience of nearly five hundred in commemoration of the centenary of the First World War Armistice Day, and it performed a concert of work by Gabriel Fauré last year. This next performance takes place eight years after the choir last sang the Mozart Requiem at St Ignatius in 2014.

The Covent Garden Chamber Orchestra has a history of collaboration with musical arts organisations across the capital, and values working with different conductors and artists. The impressive venue of this concert may feel familiar to them as they frequently give concerts at the similarly grand grade II-listed St Peter's Church in Notting Hill.

Conductor:

Tom Fowkes underwent his musical training at Trinity College of Music where he obtained his degree in Composition and Conducting. As well as being the Musical and Artistic Director of the New Tottenham Singers since 2010, he has held Director of Music posts at a number of large London churches. His portfolio extends beyond traditional choral and ecclesiastical music, and he has a particular interest in musical theatre, a field in which he has taught and lectured, as well as served as Musical Director in multiple stage productions.

Soloists:

Soprano:	Gillian Keith
	A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Gillian has performed with major opera companies including the English National Opera, Welsh National Opera and Opera North, and her work has taken her to stages around the world, including Sydney, Hong Kong and Tel Aviv. Described by Gramophone Magazine as "gloriously instinctive", her singing is recorded on many published albums. https://gilliankeithsoprano.com/
Mezzo-Soprano:	Thalie Knights
	Thalie is an alumna of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and received further training with the English National Opera. She has performed at multiple music festivals and with opera companies throughout the country. London engagements include appearances at St John's Smith Square, Cadogan Hall and the Royal Albert Hall, where she performed in front of the Queen. https://www.thalieknights.com/
Tenor:	Leonel Pinheiro
	Leonel's musical training has included study at the University of Aveiro, Portugal, the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama and Guildhall School of Music & Drama. He has performed in opera across Europe and beyond and has previously been tenor soloist in the Mozart Requiem alongside the English Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Chorus at London's Royal Festival Hall. https://www.leonelpinheiro.com/
Bass:	Trevor Eliot Bowes
	Canadian-born Trevor studied at the University of Toronto and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland before making London his home. He has performed regularly at the ENO, as well as at Glyndebourne, Grange Park Opera and Opera Holland Park. He has appeared on professional recordings including in the role of Benoît in La Bohème, which was broadcast live on Sky Arts. https://www.trevoreliotbowes.com/