The first half of the concert is devoted to the music of Brahms. The choir will sing the first set of Liebeslieder Waltzes (love song waltzes) Opus 52, arranged for female voices and piano duet. Although every one of these eighteen brief songs is a waltz, each of them is distinct in character. These will be interspersed with other Brahms songs sung by Martin Roche.

In the second half of the programme the choir and Martin will perform a variety of songs from the most successful Broadway shows. The choir's selection of songs includes some from Bernstein's West Side Story, based on Shakespeare's timeless love story, 'Romeo and Juliet'. This popular musical with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim includes such famous songs as; America, I Feel Pretty, One Hand, One Heart, Tonight, and Somewhere.

The programme ends with four songs from Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, which in 1997 became the longest running show in the history of Broadway. It is based on T S Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats as it follows the exploits of a variety of feline friends. The choir's selection includes the famous song Memory.

To the top of this page

In the twelve years since the choir was formed by Mary Bradshaw, membership of the Saddleworth Singers has grown from three to forty-five ladies. Over the years the choir has had many successes in local music festivals and taken part in joint ventures with other choirs. A regular pattern of two main concerts a year, in July and December, is supplemented with concert invitations from many charities and other musical groups.

The choir sings a variety of music from madrigals to more modern pieces both accompanied and a cappella.

To the top of this page

Wendy Andrew trained at the Royal Manchester College of Music, specialising in Singing and Piano. She has had a varied career as a soprano soloist, teacher, lecturer and choral director.

Under her direction the Oldham Choir, a mixed voice a cappella choir, sang on television and radio and won many competitions including the BBC Radio 3 "Let the People Sing" competition. Before moving to Scotland in 1994, where she worked with the Garnock Choral Society and the Queen Margaret Academy Ensemble, she was musical director of the Saddleworth Musical Society.

As well as conducting choirs, Wendy has also been an active member of several, including the Huddersfield Choral Society and the Hallé Choir.

To the top of this page

Peter Mallinson has been the Choir's accompanist for many years. He is joined this evening by Judy Lund, a regular member of the choir, who he met at a musical Summer School where they were in the same master class given by John Barstow. Both started their working lives in non-musical careers. Judy as a radiographer and Peter as an accountant, a profession which he still practices. Judy went on to study for London College and Royal Academy external diplomas and built up a large teaching practice and accompanied many singers and solo instrumentalists. Peter also gained an external piano teaching diploma from the Royal Academy of Music and his main musical activities for many years have been concerned with teaching and accompanying.

To the top of this page

Martin Roche first began singing and acting in secondary school in Middleton. Since then he has sung with many operatic, choral and opera groups and has also performed across the North of England in concert and recital performances as Principal Tenor.

He has won a number of awards for his performances in operetta and modern musicals, but in recent years he has been primarily concerned with a diverse repertoire of opera and oratorio work. This has led to Martin singing principal tenor in a wide range of pieces including Verdi's Requiem, Handel's Messiah, Haydn's Creation, Beethoven's Choral Symphony, Mozart's Requiem and Coronation Mass, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Orff's Carmina Burana, Vaughan Williams' Serenade to Music and Rossini's Messe Solennelle.

His opera roles have included Radames in Verdi's Aïda, Don José in Bizet's Carmen, Bastien in Mozart's Bastien and Bastienna and Kaspar in Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors.

Martin has a busy concert schedule, including performances of Haydn's Maria Theresa Mass, Beethoven's Mass in C, Verdi's Requiem, Beethoven's 9th and ". . . the odd Messiah or three . . .!" as well as being guest soloist with The Phoenix Show Band.

To the top of this page