Magdala Newsletter - Autumn 2011

Magdala's Year To Date

Here we are in autumn already, the year has flown by so quickly and the reindeer bells of Christmas are tinkling ever closer!

Things have been very busy in terms of working on raising funds and running Opera Start Workshops as outlined below as well as fitting in a few performances with Student Concerts still taking place and a couple of bookings where we did a concert to celebrate the restoration of the organ at St Peter's Church, Tollerton in July and then a special Opera in the Afternoon performance at Thoresby Hall in September!  That event was, in the end, a huge success, although Maria Droulou, our professional soprano soloist had to pull out the day before.   That led to a mad panic to find a replacement familiar with the repertoire and available!! 

Thanks to Neil Allen and his contacts we were very fortunate to get Julie Unwin, a very well respected, first class soprano to-step into the breach - Phew!!  It was great to see those of you who could make it at these events.

Our main activity this year was our third visit to Mulberry Bush School in Oxford to undertake another Opera Start Education Workshop.  This year we based the workshops around "La Cenerentola" and with an asian theme, costumed the performance wearing sari's and sherwani suits and collaborated with an Indian tabla player and dancer to give the performance a truly authentic and unique theme.  The children were fantastic and we had such an amazing time because of our ongoing relationship with Mulberry Bush and we look forward to continuing this in the future.

Another resounding Opera Start success story came with our collaboration once again this year with Ashfield District Council funding a joint project with 3 local schools, Kirkby College, Sutton Centre College and Quarrydale School.  Simon Taylor, Head Teacher at Kirkby College summed up the project when he wrote, "The Year 9 students from all 3 Ashfield schools involved in the production of variations on a theme of Carmen were thrilled to participate and their response has been, yet again, superb.  They have all made new friends and the whole project culminated in a wonderful, stirring community production which we were very proud to host.  Thank you again Magdala for your commitment to our students and allowing them the opportunity to enjoy what was a most uplifting and educationally enriching experience".

We also ran a new Opera Start project in Rotherham and are currently in talks about extending this further in the area!

So all in all I think we can be very proud of what we have achieved this year and it goes without saying that your continued support plays a huge part in enabling us this, and as a way of saying thank you we would like to extend a warm invitation to our Christmas Student Concert on Saturday 10th December, 7.30pm at Tollerton Methodist Church.  This event is exclusive to Friends of Magdala.                                                                      

Magdala Weddings!!

2011 seems to have been the year for Magdala weddings with not 1 but 2 taking place, involving 3 members of the chorus!

Sally Jordan married Jonny Fedrael on Sunday 17th July at Norwood Park, Southwell.

Sally has performed with the chorus for over 7 years now and also participates as a member of the Opera Start Workshop team.

Chorus members were in full attendance and performed various pieces, including the Cosi Trio, Brindisi from La Traviata and Sally walked down the aisle to Cantique de Jean Racine.

-oo0oo-

You will recall we announced the engagement of Ben Cahn and Sarah Buckman in the last newsletter and we're delighted to announce they tied the knot in Washington DC on Saturday 13th August. 

Unfortunately that was a little too far away for the entire Chorus to be in attendance but a few members did manage to make the trip over.

They were married in Ben's family home and the day went just the way they had planned it!  They say a picture tells a thousand words, and this one tells it all don't you think!?

A true match made in Magdala - Cheers!!

A Note From Michelle

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking forward to re-jigging things next year, having spent the last year waiting to see how things will settle and how our finances will go forward.

We have exciting projects on the table which are not committed yet.  However, the Train the Trainers programme is expanding rapidly.  I am looking at replacing the current format of student concerts with a more open platform for not only my own students, but those who are studying with the teachers I am training, who are part of or supportive of Magdala.

So watch this space!!