Discover the...

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase

Press Office


Recent Press Releases

▶ 'Music On A Spring Evening' - A Celebration of English Composers (2013-05-03)
Wednesday 15th May at 7.30pm, Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, Marlow
Part of the Wycombe Festival
As part of the Wycombe Festival, the Marlow Community Choir at Borlase (MCCAB), under their conductor Gillian Dibden, will be performing a celebration of English choral music entitled 'Music on a Spring Evening' with full orchestral accompaniment, at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School, Marlow on Wednesday 15th May at 7.30pm.

The main work of the evening will be John Rutter's charming folksong cycle 'A Sprig of Thyme' but the concert will also include works by Benjamin Britten (celebrating the centenary of his birth), Edward Elgar and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The orchestra will be led by Marilyn Vanryne.

Tickets are available at £12 each (£10 concessions) either on line at www.mccab.org.uk/box-office.php or by telephone: ☎ 07746 307218.

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]

▶ Viva Verdi (2013-02-04)
This year is the bi-centenary of Verdi's birth, and on Saturday, in the splendid setting of the Eton College School Hall, Marlow Community Choir at Borlase (MCCaB) performed Verdi's 'Requiem' to a packed house of over 400 people, which included two audience members who had flown in especially from Poland.

Under the baton of conductor Gillian Dibden MBE, and accompanied by a full orchestra (led by Marilyn Vanryne), the 130-strong choir produced a commanding performance of this complex choral work, which featured soloists Claire Seaton (soprano), Jeanette Ager (mezzo soprano), Daniel Joy(tenor) and Michael Bunday (bass).

Commenting after the concert, which was the first one the choir had given in this particular hall, Gillian Dibden said: ”It was a fantastic evening - this choir brought Verdi's master piece to life with wonderfully committed and confident singing and many exciting moments. The soloists were stunning and the orchestra was the icing on the cake. The audience showed there appreciation in tumultuous applause.”

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]

▶ Performing Verdi's 'Requiem' On Saturday Will Bring Back Boyhood Memories For Marlow Community Choir's Jeremy Stevens (2013-01-29)
The Beatles had just released Sgt.Pepper when he first sang the work in 1967 as a teenager.

When Marlow Community Choir's Jeremy Stevens first sang Verdi's Requiem it was the swinging sixties and Flower Power was at its height. This Saturday (February 2nd), 46 years from when he first sang this major work as a teenager, Jeremy will be singing it again at Eton College School Hall with the Marlow Community Choir at Borlase (MCCAB).

Jeremy's introduction to the Requiem came when he was a pupil at Wrekin College in Shropshire. He has sung it three times since, and he is looking forward to this coming fourth performance on Saturday. After school Jeremy sang this major choral work in 1977, 1984 and 1985, the last of those three times in Eton College School Hall, so it's a venue he will be familiar with on Saturday.

Jeremy was a founder member of the Marlow Community Choir at Borlase, which he has seen grow from modest beginnings to now being around 100-strong under the guidance of its conductor Gillian Dibden.

Times may have changed since Jeremy first sang the Requiem in 1967, but one thing that remains constant is his love of singing and performing. Both of which he will be able to enjoy on Saturday evening at 7:30pm.

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]

▶ Juliet Travels Back 36 Years To Sing At Eton College (2013-01-27)
Marlow Community Choir singer to perform Verdi's Requiem at Eton College 36 years after first singing it there - and with the same chorus mistress.

When Marlow Community Choir at Borlase (MCCaB) member Juliet Pleming takes her place on the stage of Eton College School Hall this coming Saturday (February 2nd) for the choir's performance of Verdi's Requiem, she could be forgiven a certain feeling of ‘deja vu’.

Because it was on the same stage 36 years ago that she first sang this large choral work. Although It was with a different choir, she was prepared for that first concert by her present chorus mistress, Gillian Dibden, who is now the conductor of MCCaB.

The year was 1976 and Juliet was a 13 year-old pupil at St.Bernard’s Girls School in Slough. Gillian was Juliet's choir mistress there. Juliet remembers performing that joint concert of the Verdi Requiem with the boys from Eton College in their School Hall, with Gillian preparing the girls half of the combined boys' and girls' choir, which was conducted at the concert by Graham Smallbone, the Director of Music at Eton College at the time.

Even then Gillian was winning national prizes in her work with the St Bernards’ choir. She has continued her magnificent work in the choral world, becoming well known in choral circles for her work, and receiving an MBE for her services to music.

Juliet’s parents, Margaret and Paul Pleming, both sing in the Marlow Community Choir and when Juliet heard that they would be doing the Verdi Requiem in this, the bi-centenary of the composer's birth, she leapt at the opportunity to take a trip down memory lane and sing again in this powerful and dramatic piece. Having Gillian at the helm as the Marlow Community Choir’s Conductor, guiding the 100-strong choir, makes it all the more special.

Saturday's performance will truly be a family affair, as Margaret, her mother, and Paul, her father, also sing in the choir in the soprano and tenor sections respectively. Both Paul and Margaret have been very active in fundraising for the choir in recent months.

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]

▶ From The Cinema Box-Ofiice Hit 'Quartet' To Verdi's 'Requiem' At Eton College School Hall (2013-01-25)
From The Cinema Box-Ofiice Hit 'Quartet' To Verdi's 'Requiem' At Eton College School Hall, Marlow Community Choir's Marina Takes It All In Her Stride.

Singer swaps her role on the silver screen for Verdi at Eton College School Hall this coming Saturday, February 2nd.

For Marina Banfield, singing in the chorus of Marlow Community Choir's performance of Verdi's Requiem at Eton College School Hall will seem light years away from her role in the box office hit movie Quartet starring Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Tom Courtenay, Billy Connolly, Pauline Collins, Sheridan Smith, and Dame Gwynneth Jones, which opened in cinemas nationwide on 1st January 2013.

Marina spent a large part of the summer 2011 filming at near-by Hedsor House as a “Resident” of “Beecham House”, a retirement home for Opera Singers, and singing in the Gala performance as part of the choir, performing Brindisi from La Traviata. The film was directed by Dustin Hoffman, in his directing debut, and the film follows the build-up to the annual concert to celebrate the Italian composer Verdi's birthday.

All of which is very appropriate as Marina will be singing in the soprano section of the Marlow Community Choir in their performance of the Requiem which has been staged as part of the centenary celebrations of Verdi's birth.

No newcomer to the big stage and the big occasion, Marina is a highly experienced choral singer, having travelled Europe for 17 years with the renowned Choir Pro Musica Chorus of London, founded by Charles and Germaine Spencer, performing in Istanbul, Lyon, Barcelona, Paris, Orange and prestigious venues in London. Saturday's performance of the Requiem will be the fourth time Marina has sung the work during her career, and she has been a member of the Marlow Community Choir for the last four years, confiding that it's one of the nicest choral sections she has belonged to.

And Marina intends to just go on singing without a thought of retiring, unlike the characters in Quartet. “I just can't give it up,” she says.

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]

▶ Marion Proves You're Never Too Old To Sing! (2013-01-25)
Marlow Community Choir's Octogenarian to sing in Verdi's Requiem at Eton College School Hall this coming Saturday.

When the Marlow Community Choir at Borlase (MCCaB) performs Verdi's Requiem at Eton College School Hall this Saturday evening (2nd February), the most senior member of the choir in terms of age will be Marion Machen, who is 80.

A founder member of MCCaB, Marion has been singing in choirs since 1965 when she joined Slough Philharmonic Choir with whom she has sung the Verdi Requiem four times, each time at Eton School Hall.

A new venture 5 years ago was to embark on singing lessons, which led to taking, and passing, the ABRSM Grade 8.

Not just content with singing with MCCaB, Marion is also the choir's librarian, ordering and organising all the vocal scores for the 100-strong members, a task which requires a lot of organisation and more than a little patience at times.

MCCaB conductor Gillian Dibden is full of praise for Marion and her achievements. “Marion shows what can be achieved at any age in singing by improving your vocal technique.”

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]

▶ Marlow Community Choir Performs Verdi's 'Requiem' At Eton College School Hall On Saturday 2nd February (2013-01-21)
Local Choir's debut performance at historic Eton venue

To commemorate the bicentenary of the great Italian composer's birth, the Marlow Community Choir at Borlase (MCCAB), under their conductor Gillian Dibden, will be performing Verdi's 'Requiem' with full orchestral accompaniment, as their debut performance at Eton College School Hall on Saturday 2nd February at 7.30pm. The soloists will be Claire Seaton (soprano), Jeanette Ager (mezzo-soprano), Daniel Joy (tenor) and Michael Bundy (bass). The orchestra will be led by Marilyn Vanryne. Tickets are available at £12 each(£10 concessions) either on line at www.mccab.org.uk or by phone on 07746 307218.

This will be the very first time the 100-strong choir has performed at this historic venue, which was built in tribute to Etonians who lost their lives in the Boer War. The hall has undergone a major refurbishment and only re-opened a year ago. “In addition to its impressive architecture, this fine venue offers comfort both for the performers and audience, as well as having a very fine acoustic,” said Gillian. “I am absolutely delighted that this very friendly and happy choir, whose membership is growing all the time, has the opportunity to enjoy performing a magnificent work like this in such fine surroundings.”

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]

▶ Local Choir Offers You A Special Opportunity To Perform At Eton College School Hall (2012-10-01)
The Marlow Community Choir at Borlase (MCCaB) is inviting singers to come and join it in a performance of The Verdi 'Requiem' at Eton College School Hall on Saturday 2nd February next year. Rehearsals are now taking place at Sir William Borlase's Grammar School in Marlow every Wednesday evening. Singers interested in joining the choir for this performance should contact membership secretary Maria Aldridge on 07746 307218 for full details.

The choir, which has grown steadily since it was started seven years ago, currently numbers over 100 regular members. Recently it has successfully given performances of Hadyn's 'Nelson Mass', 'The Creation' and Faurė's 'Requiem'. “The Verdi 'Requiem' is a much larger work,” said the choir's conductor Gillian Dibden, “and in order to do it justice in such a magnificent setting and with its full orchestration, we need to have the maximum number of voices available.”

Gillian, who is well known for her work with local choirs such as the Taplow Youth Choir over many years and was awarded an MBE for her services to music, has worked with MCCaB since its inception. “This is an exciting opportunity for new and existing members of the choir to perform a major choral work at a venue which is such a part of our national heritage,” she commented, “and we look forward to welcoming all singers who want to share this musical experience with us.”

- ends -

Marlow Community Choir at Borlase,
Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
West Street,
Marlow,
SL7 2BR


[Top of Page]


PRESS ENQUIRIES: Ian Berrido, Press Officer, ☎ 01628 530662 (landline); ☎ 07770 685098 (mobile); or ✉ berrido@btopenworld.com.



Image 1 of 5 Image 2 of 5 Image 3 of 5 Image 5 of 5 Image 4 of 5 Image 5 of 5