Anyone for an evening of Opera?

On an evening in mid June at Downes House, Crediton, some well known Opera favourites floated through the air to raise money not only our fund, but Exeter Leukaemia Fund (ELF) too.

Despite the weather leading upto the event and on the evening itself, no rain fell during the musical performances. Crediton Town Band played some well known tunes as people were arriving and more than 170 people brought along their picnics, chairs, rugs and umbrellas to enjoy the concert by Staircase Opera. A rain shower during the interval didn't dampen anyones spirits and it ended in a most spectacular double rainbow.

Thank you to Henry and Susan Parker, for allowing us to use their garden for this event and allowing the performers room inside the house to change.

We raised £3,213 to share between both charities and we are very grateful to the trustees and volunteers who helped make the evening run smoothly.

No Hosepipe Ban in Holy Cross

Holy Cross was treated to a Talk and Recital with Alistair Mackie on various Trumpet- like instruments with accompaniment from Andrew Millington on piano and solo Organ pieces.

Alistair regaled us with the history of the trumpet and demonstrated how the instrument worked by pursing his lips to blow into a hose pipe with a funnel (as a bell for the sound output) and played Jeremiah Clarke’s Trumpet Voluntary, followed by the same piece on a very tantalising teapot.

The mellow tones of the Flugelhorn were displayed in 2 movements from Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto. The natural trumpet, cornet and piccolo trumpet were all given their own solo spots. It was interesting to hear the differences and how the music became more intricate and florid once valves were introduced, doing away with the necessity for long tubes.

Andrew Millington excelled in the huge Fantasia in G, by Haydn which filled Holy Cross with the majestic sound of the Harrison and Harrison organ.

Full House for Autumn Afternoon Concert

It's not often that you have to ask people to give back their programmes and share, so that everyone could get sight of what was to come! The box office exceeded all expectations and the audience of over 100 were entertained royally and amusingly with music from The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba to Little Polly Flinders.

Returning to Crediton to retire and perform for us were Rev Prebendary Nigel and Tina Guthrie, along with local Canon and Organist of this Parish, Peter Gilks. They treated us to duets, songs and flute solos. The hauntingly beautiful Syrinx flute solo by Debussy was a real highlight played in the distance, as though off-stage to evoke real mystery and emotion. The acoustics in Holy Cross were perfect for this and the enormous crescendo that came later from the Harrison & Harrison organ during the Georgi Mushel Toccata.  

Quick thinking puts concert back on track

Little did I know that when I entitled our recent concert “Expect the Unexpected” I was putting our fate in the hands of jeopardy!

Recently, I had seen my old friend, Anne Wilkins on the Michael McIntyre Big Show as his ‘Unexpected Star of the Show’ singing alongside Bryn Terfel, so I invited her to sing at Holy Cross in September.

Not only did she sing beautifully, but she also treated us to 20 minutes of piano music by Brahms and Beethoven in the second half and I surprised everyone and myself by coming out of retirement to sing a Fauré song and the Rossini Cat Duet with Anne to finish off the programme. It was lovely to sing with my old coach Jeanette Massocchi as my accompanist again after so many years.