Chichester City Band in concert in a busy week of arts events ahead
Round-up
Huw Thomas, a former director of music at Bishop Luffa School, Chichester has been appointed accompanist and deputy musical director of Solent Male Voice Choir.
Born in Llanelli, South Wales, Huw studied music at the local grammar school where he played piano, organ and trumpet and sang in the choir. Huw emerged from Bath University with a BA honours in music and then did his teaching certificate at Bristol University. As a tenor Huw took on many leading roles in operas, operettas and musicals.
Moving to London, he gained his diploma as Associate of the Royal College of Music. A teaching post at Tiffins Boys School, Kingston led to promotion as director of music at Bishop Luffa School, Chichester. Regular performances followed at Chichester Festival Theatre and Chichester Cathedral as Huw directed school concerts, recitals, recordings and music tours. In his career to date he has also conducted choirs, big bands and orchestras.
Huw joined Solent in September 2018 and has enjoyed playing the diverse range of music in the choir’s repertoire.
“It reminds me of my younger days listening to dad singing with the Llanelli Male Voice Choir!” he says.
Round-up
Chichester City Band is now busy rehearsing for this year’s season of competitions, concerts and other events.
Spokesman Jim Hurdwell said: “For our first concert this year, we are delighted to have been invited to share in the 60th-anniversary celebrations of our city’s twinning with Chartres, France. The band and our MD Rom Stanko have put together an exciting programme of French and British musical favourites for a special concert on Saturday, March 2 in Chichester’s Assembly Room.
“In association with The Friends of Chartres, we shall be treating visitors from our French twin city to a taste of one of Britain’s finest amateur music-making traditions.
“Tickets are now available from band and association members or online from www.eventbrite.co.uk. The price (£10) includes interval nibbles and wine and the concert starts at 7.30pm.”
See www. chichestercityband.co.uk, or the band’s Facebook
Page and or Twitter feed @ Chichesterband.”
Round-up
An evening of cabaret will be performed café style by Michael Mates and William Godfree at The Norfolk Hotel, Arundel on Friday, March 8 at 7pm. Tickets are £25 (to include a welcome drink and canapés) and are available from St Nicholas’ parish office on 01903 882262.
The night is a Friends of St Nicholas’ Church event.
Following their acclaimed Memories of Flanders and Swann, the duo has produced an evening of cabaret for café with songs by Noel Coward, Tom Lehrer, Stilgoe and Skellern, Kit and the Widow, Victoria Wood and others. Round-up
Wemsfest’s second Comedy Night of 2019 on Friday, March 8 features no fewer than five top comedians plus host, curator and MC Jeff Lane.
Spokesman Mark Ringwood said: “Comedy at The Club on Friday, March 8 at Emsworth Sports & Social Club includes the Bath Comedy Festival New Act 2017 Winner Sunjai Arif and the multi-talented Linda Larkin, aka Sam Savage who sticks on a wig and becomes Linda, finds herself with a husband called Terry, and a Guinea Pig called Dougal…..
“It also includes Gosport’s Nathan Eagle, reputed to be the funniest thing to come out of the town in many years, South Coast Comedian of the Year finalist Graeme Collard, and Keith Platt, a Yorkshire Al Murray whose food is laughter. Comedy at The Club starts at 8pm and tickets are just £10 available from the Club, Bookends (Emsworth), and www.wegottickets.com.”
Entry rules clarified
Bognor Regis Write Club has clarified the some of the finer points of its first-ever short story competition.
After sending out lots of marketing materials and press releases in January, organiser Julia Macfarlane realised there was a mistake. Some of the eligible postcodes had been omitted from the rules.
So she has a special plea:
“If you want to enter a short story in the competition, you still have until March 31. If you had already checked and decided your postcode was not among them, please check again. Residents from Emsworth to Littlehampton are eligible.
“First prize is £100+, 2nd prize £50+ and 3rd prize is £25+. The 20-25 shortlisted winners will have their work produced in a book to be launched at the prize-giving ceremony in the Summer. Family and friends will be invited to the event where the shortlisted writers will receive a free copy of the book, and guests can buy further copies at a discounted price.”
Full terms and conditions can be found at www. bognorwriteclub.com.
The competition is open to residents over 18 years old in the West Sussex area and includes the postcodes: PO9, PO10, PO11, PO18, PO19, PO20, PO21 and PO22, BN16, BN17 and BN18.
Art talk
On Wednesday, March 6, The Arts Society South Downs welcomes Colin Davies to give a talk on
Zaha Hadid, “architectural superstar, one of the most important architects of the early 21st century” who died recently.
Meetings are at Fittleworth Village Hall, coffee from 9.50am; talk at 10.45pm. Members, guests (£5) warmly welcomed. www. theartssocietysouthdowns. org.uk.