Serenata ready to serenade us

CLASSICAL singing group Serenata will be joined by the talented young singers from ReJoySing! in their annual matinee Christmas concert.

The event will be at Christ Church, Woodhouse, Fartown, tomorrow, Saturday, December 9, at 2.15pm.

The programme will include The Christmas Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Let it Snow. The audience will hear solos, duets and trios from Serenata and delightful Christmas songs from ReJoySing!

ReJoySing’s Christmas menu includes the Evening Prayer from Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel, the beautiful Italian carol Caro Gesù Bambino and Richard Rodney Bennett’s Away in a Manger.

Serenata’s soloists – Janet Cowley, David Heathcote and Mike Templeton – will perform the classic song The Holy City, vocal fireworks with Sì Ritrovarla Io Giuro from Rossini’s opera Cinderella and Gordon Balmforth’s arrangement of Ave Maria.

The operatic group will perform other arrangements by Huddersfield’s Gordon Balmforth – who is musical director for both groups – including The Prayer (a favourite of Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion) the poignant Neapolitan Lullaby and the majestic O Holy Night.

Whatever their individual performing schedules, Serenata always make a special effort to perform their now annual Christmas concert at Christ Church Woodhouse.

Gordon is continuously in demand, particularly in this concert, while mezzo soprano Janet Cowley is rehearsing for new production, Her Benny, which opens at The Royal Court, Liverpool, in January.

Tenor David Heathcote will perform with The 3 British Tenors for their Christmas concert in London in December.

Serenata brings together a group of classical singers to perform opera, music theatre and classical repertoire for charitable and corporate events and other special occasions. After years of touring professionally and singing locally, they combine their musical talents and lasting friendship to create the performance you see today.

ReJoySing! is a singing group for youngsters aged eight to 18. They help raise money for benevolent organisation Caritas (www.caritasuk.com) as well as supporting charitable organisations. The group meets weekly at the United Reform Church at Moldgreen to rehearse. Tickets for Saturday’s concert are £5 and are available at Christ Church Woodhouse on the day.