Tag: Simon Lindley

Simon’s Golden date

Sheffield Telegraph Thursday 13 July 2019

Dr Simon Lindley always enjoys conducting Sheffield Bach Choir concerts, but is looking forward to their Broomhill Festival offering with special anticipation.

Simon Lindley 3‘It will be my 50th concert with Sheffield Bach Choir’ explained Simon, ‘My first concert was Mendelsson’s St Paul in 2009, full of show-stoppers but rarely heard, and a fine choice for what was the Sheffield Bach Choir’s 60th anniversary season. A marked contrast to my 50th concert with the choir, which features songs from the shows and John Rutter’s popular Feel The Spirit – always one to get people tapping their feet!’

Despite obvious expertise in church and choral music, Simon is equally at home with music from the USA, a familiarity augmented by regular trips to North Tampa, Florida to visit eldest son Nicholas, once a solo treble with the Bach Choir. ‘My two grand-daughters would feel right at home with the increasingly popular American Serenade by the late Donald Hunt, who wrote the orchestration specifically for the Sheffield Bach Choir’ said Simon. ‘It’s a celebration of the music of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter, with individual numbers for smash hit shows such as High Society, Porgy and Bess and Show Boat. We’ll also present new arrangements of American classic songs specially orchestrated by our President George Nicholson, Professor of Composition at Sheffield University – as well as the Rutter of course – an infectious suite of spirituals featuring mezzo soprano Joanna Gamble.’

Simon is a highly distinguished organist with a long list of national positions with church music or organ trusts and associations, along with numerous awards and honours. For many years the organist and choirmaster at Leeds Parish Church, organist at Leeds Town Hall and music officer for Leeds City Council, half of his life has been based in Yorkshire where he has conducted numerous choirs including Sheffield Bach Choir and St Peters Singers in Leeds.

LET’S GO STATESIDE! Is the Bach Choir’s offering in support of the Broomhill Festival, which this year runs from 14th to 28th June and includes open gardens, a car boot sale, talks, a book sale, poetry readings, a litter pick, various children’s activities, a garden party and much more, together with numerous musical events. These include two lunchtime concerts, a Come and Sing version of Karl Jenkins’ Armed Man in aid of ASSIST on Sunday 16 June, Music for a Summer Evening at Westbourne School on Thursday 20 June in aid of the Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, and the Sheffield Sinfonietta playing Bach and Vivaldi in a free ‘Concert for Nepal’ on Friday 28th June.

Tickets for Let’s Go Stateside are available online at https://www.wegottickets.com/event/443664 or from Sheffield cathedral shop, or at the door.

Information about Broomhill Festival is available at http://www.broomhill-festival.org.uk/ and at Broomhill Library

Read this article on the Sheffield Telegraph website

Thomas plays Poulenc

Sheffield Telegraph 19 September 2018

Sheffield Bach Choir is thrilled that Thomas Corns, Director of Music at Sheffield Cathedral, will play at their ‘French Connection’ concert on 6 October. “I’m very much looking forward to playing Poulenc’s Concerto” said Thomas. “It’s the first time I’ve performed with one of Sheffield’s major ensembles as a soloist since my appointment – and it’ll be in the Cathedral where I work!”

thomas corns 1Prize-winning graduate of the Royal Academy of Music, Thomas held organ scholarships at Cambridge and St Paul’s Cathedral and has performed on TV and radio. Thomas feels privileged to be nurturing the centuries-old tradition of choral singing in this wonderful venue. “I enjoy working with the talented boys and girls who come from across the city to be choristers, and with the professional musicians and students of the choir.”

The choristers will join the Bach Choir to sing Duruflé’s Requiem, Faure’s well-known Cantique and Poulenc’s exquisite Salve Regina, with mezzo soprano Joanna Gamble and baritone Thomas Asher. Singing with the altos will be Thomas’ wife Claire, who joined the choir shortly after their arrival in 2017.

As a child Thomas was inspired by the organ playing at Wells cathedral where he was a chorister. “Good organs often have a tremendous expressive range but they are also impressive instruments” he explained. “Playing a cathedral organ to thousands of people on an important occasion can feel like a big responsibility – but it’s also great fun!”

Staying with the organ theme, two days later the choir’s music director Simon Lindley presents a free recital at Nether Green Methodist Church on the magnificent Father Willis organ, which was almost certainly played at his grandparents’ wedding in 1916.  “Henry ‘Father’ Willis built organs in St Paul’s cathedral, the Royal Albert Hall and Windsor Castle, as well as the somewhat smaller but no less fine example now at Nether Green” said Simon. “My grandmother Elsie May lived on Gladstone Road, Ranmoor, but moved to Leeds after her marriage to Rev Francis Joshua Lindley”. Music and ministry run in the family; Simon’s sister Ruth was a singing tutor who sang in the London Oratory Choir, his late father was a minister and his cousin Lisa lives in Sheffield and sings with Sheffield Bach Choir.

The recital is organised by the choir with Sheffield & District Organists’ and Choirmasters’ Association, of which Simon is President-Elect, in commemoration of the Armistice Centenary, which the choir will also mark by presenting Karl Jenkins’ Armed Man at the cathedral on 17 November. “This recital includes works by Elgar, Butterworth and Vaughan Williams” explained Chris Walker, Chair of Sheffield Bach Choir. “It will be a wonderful evening rounded off by a free buffet. We hope readers will come to hear Simon play the organ that has such a special place in his family history – especially since it’s his 70th birthday two days later!”

The recital is free, with a retiring collection for choir funds; details from www.sheffieldbachchoir.org.uk.

Tickets for the cathedral concert from www.sheffieldbachchoir.org.uk, www.wegottickets.com, Sheffield Cathedral shop, or at the door.