Fringe Concert Sell-out!

For the second year running, Cadenza’s Fringe Concert was completely sold out – and this was after the Greyfriars staff managed to squeeze in an extra 40-50 seats on Saturday morning!

Our capacity audience gave us a wonderful reception, appreciating our programme of exciting new music counterbalanced by more familiar crowd pleasers

“The Jean Langlais “Messe Solonelle” was absolutely magnificent, with tremendous attack and vast dynamic range – we were truly spellbound!”

There were many compliments afterwards for the choir, the soloists and the orchestra too.

We were all, choir and audience alike, mesmerised by Alexander Robin Baker’s beautifully resonant baritone, and we fell in love with our magnificent young treble soloist, Duncan Hughes. Organist Morley Whitehead was exhilerating, and Canadian cellist Christian Elliott gave us a beautifully gentle opening to “Panis Angelicus”, while Robert Dick’s violin solos soared above us in the “Requiem”.

Our programme for 2011 includes another audience favourite – Vivaldi’s “Gloria” (RV588 in Dmaj) – so book your tickets early to be sure of a seat!

Posted: Sunday 29 August 2010 at 12:48 pm

Fringe Concert Tickets Limited!

Due to immense demand, tickets for the Fringe Concert on Saturday 21 August are selling fast.  So much so, that the Fringe box office has completely sold out and tickets are now only available through the choir. 

If you are still mulling over whether or not you would like to attend the concert and experience Fauré’s Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine, Langlais’ Messe Solennelle and Franck’s Panis Angelicus with Cadenza, professional soloists and accompanied by orchestra and organ you must act now!  Please contact us via this website or your local friendly choir member before it is too late!  We look forward to seeing all those who have managed to get tickets on Saturday.

Posted: Saturday 14 August 2010 at 9:01 am

Rising star to be baritone soloist for Fringe 2010

Cadenza has been very fortunate in securing a rising star of the opera and classical world as Baritone soloist in the Fauré Requiem for our 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Concert in Greyfriars Kirk on 21st August.

Winner of the Second Prize in the prestigious Kathleen Ferrier Memorial Competition only a year after graduating (1st Class Hons), Alexander Robin Baker is now undertaking Postgraduate studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, supported initially by the Maidment Scholarship, and now by the Countess of Muster Trust and the Lauren and Arthur Glaze Trust.
He has taken part in many Masterclasses, most notably with Dame Ann Murray, and his concert engagements have taken him across the UK, including the BBC Proms, and overseas.
Alexander Robin Baker is managed by the James Black Management agency.
More information about Alexander Robin Baker, and the complete 2010 Fringe Concert programme can be found on our Concerts page.

Posted: Sunday 6 June 2010 at 5:38 pm

Hear a BBC podcast featuring Cadenza now!

As mentioned in an earlier post, Cadenza could be heard on BBC Radio 4 recently. You’ve missed your chance to download a copy of the podcast, but you can still listen online.

To hear excerpts of the choir performing Sleep, composed by Eric Whitacre with Charles Anthony Silvestri providing the words, we encourage you to listen to the whole show. However, if you prefer to skip to the parts pertaining to the choir directly you’ll find details of when to listen below:

To listen to the show as it was broadcast, go to the BBC iPlayer page for iPM:

• 15.50 – hear what one of our Tenors had to say about Cadenza warm-up excercises
• 21.20 – hear a excerpt of Sleep, as performed by Cadenza, at the end of the show.  There’s some voiceovers on this excerpt, but also bits of singing directly heard also.

Posted: Tuesday 25 May 2010 at 11:27 pm

Hear Cadenza on BBC Radio 4

Cadenza were approached by the BBC recently to record a song – and, strangely, a yawn – for an upcoming edition of iPM on BBC Radio 4. Being no stranger to odd requests, we duly agreed – and you will be able to hear the results yourself this Saturday (22 May) at 5.30pm.

iPM is a news programme which involves it’s listeners to drive the content of the programme. You can listen to Radio 4 on FM (92.5 ~ 96.1 and 103.5 ~ 104.9 MHz), LW (198kHz), DAB Digital Radio, live online at the BBC website, or later on BBC iPlayer. The show will also be available as a podcast for download after transmission – we’ll provide a link to the correct episode once it’s available.

Update: See our latest news for information on how to hear the choir on the BBC website.

Posted: Friday 21 May 2010 at 6:46 am

Fancy a Ceilidh?

Cadenza are holding a ceilidh to help raise funds for the choir – and would be delighted to see you there!  The ceilidh takes place on Saturday 17th April at St Peter’s Church Hall, Lutton Place, Edinburgh, starting at 7.30pm.

Cadenza are pleased to welcome the Thunderdog Ceilidh Band to provide the music, and invite you, your family and your friends to come and provide the dancing and enjoy the bar!  If you’ve thought about joining the choir and want to meet some of it’s members, or if you just fancy a fun evening, tickets (£6) are available via ‘General’ on our contact page or simply turn up on the night – tickets will be available on the door.

Posted: Wednesday 31 March 2010 at 9:56 pm

Cadenza helps raise £1400 for Music for Malawi

Cadenza performed to a packed St Andrew Blackadder Church in North Berwick on Saturday 13 March in aid of Music for Malawi. This initiative was created by North Berwick High School to send 20 senior pupils to Malawi to work with Mary’s Meals and to share music and culture between the two nations. All proceeds from the concert – a tremendous figure of £1400 – will go directly to this good cause. Well done North Berwick – and well done Cadenza! Friends of the Choir can look forward to a full report in the next newsletter.

Posted: Wednesday 31 March 2010 at 9:41 pm

First Concert of 2010

Cadenza will be performing for the first time in 2010 in North Berwick this Saturday, 13 March. Cadenza will be taking part in the concert series Music for Malawi 2010 which will fund for 20 senior pupils from North Berwick High School to go to Malawi and support Mary’s Meals. For more details, please see our Concerts page. We look forward to seeing you there!

Posted: Monday 8 March 2010 at 9:21 pm

Cadenza now on Facebook

Cadenza is delighted to announce that we now have a presence on Facebook!

If you are a member on Facebook already and would like to ‘Become a Fan’ of Cadenza, you can find our page by clicking on the ‘Find us on Facebook’ icon on the right side of this page. From here you can simply click on the ‘Become a Fan’ button, which you will be kept up to date with the latest news direct from your own Facebook profile.

We hope you will find this new method of staying in touch with news on Cadenza a useful addition. Should you have any comments about the Facebook page, or indeed any part of our website, please contact web site queries via out Contact page.

Posted: Friday 5 March 2010 at 12:08 am

Cadenza “Sings a New Song” at carol competition final

To celebrate its 21st birthday year, Waverley Care, Scotland’s leading HIV charity, recently launched Sing a New Song - a Christmas Carol Writing competition open to all composers, new or established. Initial shortlisting will be undertaken by a team of musicians, including Cadenza’s Musical Director, Jenny Sumerling, and Scottish Composter, Tom Cunningham.

The judging panel – composers Bob Chilcott and James MacMillan and Chief Executive of the RSNO, Simon Woods – will choose the final shortlist of six, to be performed by Cadenza at a concert in Edinburgh on Saturday 27th November 2010.

The winning composer will receive a cheque for £500 and their carol will be included on Cadenza’s forthcoming Christmas CD.

Watch this space for more news….

Posted: Thursday 18 February 2010 at 9:07 pm