The Isle of Man Choral Society, under the direction of Julian Power, has started rehearsals for its next concert on 25th March 2018 which is again being held at the Royal Hall, Villa Marina, Douglas.
This year’s work is the Verdi Requiem which IOMCS has performed several times before, the last occasion being in 2008 when Julian Power took over as Director of Music from the late Pam Duchars.
At this first rehearsal Tim Graham, CEO of Manx Wildlife Trust, was present to receive a cheque from IOMCS as MWT was the chosen charity to receive the net profit from the 2017 concert.
In addition to the Verdi Requiem concert, fifty members of IOMCS are taking part in the world premiere of Sing! The Music is Given written by Sir Karl Jenkins CBE in the Isaac Perlman Auditorium, Carnegie Hall, New York on 18th January 2018. The premiere is to be performed in the presence of the composer and our members will make up a third of the singers of Distinguished Concerts International New York Choir under the direction of its Artistic Director and Conductor, Dr Jonathan Griffith. Other choirs from Hawaii, North Carolina, Eire, Netherlands and Germany will make up the choir of about 150.
It is a great honour for IOMCS and for Julian as its Director of Music, to be invited to sing in New York and at a world premiere too. Those 50 members and five supporters from Isle of Man are travelling to New York and staying for four nights at their own expense and, if any reader wishes to support this group not only representing IOMCS but also Isle of Man, please write to Brian Holt, Secretary at choral@manx.net for further details.
New members, returning members and ex Youth Choir members will be most welcome to join the choir to sing one of the greatest and most thrilling choral works ever written.
The next rehearsal is on Thursday 28 September, in the Assembly Hall at St Ninian’s Upper School Hall at 7:30pm.
Photo - left to right, Margaret Kelly [member of IOMCS and MWT], Julian Power, Tim Graham and Brian Holt [IOMCS Secretary].
