On the occasion of the joint musical venture with the
Nicosia Municipality Orchestra in Bellapais with Orchestral Works and Faure’s
Requiem on 25 October in Bellapais Abbey
By Heidi Trautmann
Music – the tool to unify people
The October evenings are already dark and cool when
the members of the Kyrenia Chamber Choir meet in the Church Hall of St. Andrew for
their weekly rehearsal on Wednesdays from 18:00 to 19:30 hrs.
27 members in total, 19 female voices and 8 male
voices. They all gather around George Ward, the choral director and Rauf
Kasimov, piano accompanist. The rehearsals for the upcoming event on 25 October
are becoming more intensive as time progresses. Extra part rehearsals on some
days, and for the soloists for their separate training on other days. They are all
excited and in high spirits in-spite of the hard training.
When did it all begin, I wanted to know so I
approached Bridget Kerr, one of the choir members and also responsible for
publicity.
The choir was founded in 2001 by Maggie Woolcock, who
brought together some likeminded musical spirits to sing. I still remember their first concerts in the
Crypt of Bellapais Abbey. When Maggie left the Island in 2007, George Ward took
over as Musical Director. It is fully appropriate to deviate somewhat from my
narrative to shine a light onto his path of life because people often ask ‘what
motivates people like him to give their time readily to a cause such as The
Kyrenia Chamber Choir.
GEORGE WARD was a keen amateur
musician throughout his life receiving voice training from his teens. He studied Music and Mathematics in
Birmingham and there followed a 40 year career in education where being Head of
Music in a boys school in Warwickshire meant choirs, bands and school
productions.
Involvement in the latter continued for the next 20
years. Solo work with church choirs,
summer recitals in North Norfolk and part singing with small ensembles became
the heart of his music making after he shifted his teaching allegiances to
mathematics.
Sport was always in competition with music and as
the sporting body gave up, the voice remained and more energy went into
training a benefice choir in Nottinghamshire.
Since 2007, the choir has grown and a significant
work was mooted and this led to the production of the Armed Man in 2009 joined
by the Gloucester Choral Society.
(See my review on my
website on a) the rehearsal and b) the performance under Cyprus art news Nr. 93
and 93a) http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=6677278735 (http://www.heiditrautmann.com/heidi/category.aspx?CID=3355148747)
Four years later he is
still training the choir. On this
occasion the decision to perform Faure’s Requiem without outside chorale
support came from his belief that Kyrenia Chamber Choir has come of age and is
quite able to stand alone and give a grand performance of this timeless work.
Bridget Kerr continues:
“He is a deeply committed teacher and leader who will not accept anything but
the best from his choir. He achieves
this with a lightness of touch, a sense of humour and a profound understanding
of what is required. In return, the choir believe totally in him and respect wholeheartedly
his musical decisions. We consider ourselves to be democratic in the choice of
music, discussing the pros and cons of such and such a work. Ultimately, it is extremely important that
the choir understands and enjoys the pieces selected in order for them to
perform at their very best thus giving the audience a magical musical
experience.
How many members are
currently in the choir, I asked.
“For the concert we have
27 members, six alto voices (Eileen Kipling, Sue Özcicek, Lee McHugh, Maxene
Shailer, Bridget Kerr, Chris Ward) 13 sopranos (Rae Tilley, Jenny
Worton-Griffiths, Linda Smith, Svetlana Krupovich, Sandy Oram, Jan
d’Oliveira-Parkinson, Sue Cowley, Josephine Black, Christine James, Ann
Iverson, Susan Carling, Jane Griffiths, Annie Mockridge), five tenors (Don
Attwood, Philip Ephraim, Alan Carling, Fikri Toros, Keith Robertson) and three
bass voices (Keith Lloyd, Edward Barrett, Malcolm Davies). But we are always
looking for new voices, wherever they come from, as long as they can sing and
are prepared to be part of a team.”
A couple of the names are
familiar from theatre productions with the former Lambusa Theatre now RBL
Theatre.
“The choir has grown into
a cohesive team although they all come from different backgrounds and
professions; their love of music binds them together. As most organisations,
there is a committee led by our Chairman Fikri Toros, who is, in his own right
a talented pianist and a well-known business man in the TRNC. Obviously, George takes care of the music
side, Sandy Oram does finances, I do publicity and Malcolm Davies manages to
pick up the slack on all the other jobs which continually crop up.”
I heard that Rauf Kasimov
has joined the choir as accompanist - I had the opportunity to interview him a
couple of years ago and have witnessed his success with our young talents in
North Cyprus (see the interview on my website under Cyprus art news No. 169) http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=6147237163
“Yes, Rauf is a great asset,
very motivating, inspiring and very much part of the team. There are very few
choirs who could boast to having a world class pianist as their accompanist. The
choir held a fund raiser 3 years ago to buy an electronic digital piano. Digital meaning that it can be played as a
piano or various other keyboards including organ, Rauf is able to make it sound
like the grandest of any keyboards.”
On October 25, I
understand from your announcement, you will work together for the first time
with the Nicosia Municipality Orchestra, I said.
“Yes, it is very exciting
for us and we have just had our first rehearsal together. The first part of the
concert will be an orchestral programme directed by Oskay Hoca who,
incidentally, arranged the score for Faure’s Requiem to be played in the second
half of the concert, (see below) Oskay
Hoca, is one of the renowned musical
Hoca family. The orchestra will comprise of 17 strings, flute, oboe, bassoon,
trumpet and of course the famous keyboard.
Another pause here to turn
a light on Oskay Hoca:
OSKAY HOCA was born in Nicosia, and began his
studies at the Ankara State Conservatoire in 1977 with Oboist Çetin Yalçın. He
graduated in 1985, two years ahead of his year, with an Honours Degree. He
began his career at the TRNC State Symphony Orchestra and Choir in 1987, as an
Oboist. He taught solfeggio and oboe at the Anadolu School of Fine Arts, which
was founded in the same year, for 7 years. He performed in numerous chamber
music concerts, concertos and recitals. In 1995 he played his Composer brother
Ali Hoca’s Oboe Concerto with Izmir State Symphony Orchestra. Oskay Hoca has a
number of compositions and arrangements too, amongst which there are ones for
the choir and orchestra; “Dizeler” ( Lines of Poetry ) comprising of 3
movements for the Orchestra; Children’s Songs; and “Oyun” (Game) for Oboe and
Piano. Hoca is not only amongst the founders of the Cypress Classica Folk
Ensemble , but is the arranger of the pieces and the oboist of the Ensemble
too. Oskay Hoca is currently the Conductor of the Lefkoşa Municipality
Orchestra and the Deputy Director of the State Symphony and Choir.
Bridget Kerr continues: “The choir are also
immensely proud to be able to sing with two wonderful soloists. Erkan Dağli, who sang with
the Choir for the performance of the Armed Man.
I don’t think many people will have forgotten his wonderful and haunting
rendition of the ‘Call to Prayer’ and Lynette Elliott Oruç who is joining us
for the first time.”
LYNETTE ELLIOTT
ORUҪ was born on Westcliff-on-sea. Essex, England. She started singing lessons
at the age of 7, and gained valuable experience in local and London based
competitive musical festivals. She studied at the North East Essex Technical
College, Colchester and then went on to graduate from the prestigious Guildhall
School of Music and Drama in London, completing all her ABRSM Grade
Examinations with distinction.
After several
years of theatre, concert and oratorio work, life took off in a different
direction when she joined the Police Service, interspersing her duties as a
police officer with performances with the London Metropolitan Police Band,
which made a pleasant change from crime fighting.
Another change in
career took her to Bilkent University as staff welfare officer, during which
time she coached a young school girl, Sirin Soysal, who is now a well-known
jazz/cabaret singer in Istanbul. During
her time in Ankara she met and married Yıldıray.
Upon return to the
UK in 1997 she undertook a variety of vocal coaching within the musical theatre
including running her own studio. Following this, Portsmouth’s South Downs
College music department enabled her to prepare young singers for conservatoire
auditions and music examinations. She is
now eagerly following the careers of her former students.
Today, she resides
for part of the year in Northern Cyprus and relishes the
opportunity to
sing at Bellapais Abbey. To sing in such
an amazing venue with wonderful acoustics is a dream come true.
ERKAN DAĞLI was born in Famagusta and studied music
at Gazi University. During this time he received voice and soloist tuition from
Professor Suna Çevik and piano tuition from Professor Selmin Tufan. On
returning from Ankara he commenced teaching in Famagusta and gave his first
recital in1992. He has represented the TRNC in Türksoy Opera Days and been a
soloist with the Government Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. He was involved in
the bi-communal project, “Long Distance Call”, organised by the Embassy of the
Netherlands, as well as participating as a soloist in the Utrecht Music
Festival, Holland. He is a founder member of the Music Association of Friends.
Erkan is a member of the international festival committee of Famagusta and has
been involved in the organisation of various musical events since 2005.
We are grateful to the Kyrenia Chamber Choir for the
time they give to the cause, for their enthusiasm and joy in singing and for
sharing with us what they have rehearsed in so many hours, because music is the
language that everyone understands.
PS: I had the opportunity to witness one of the
choir’s rehearsals shortly before the concert; I must say, it sounds absolutely
great! Here also photos of the rehearsal evening.
Programme for
the Musical Event on 25 October at 19.30 hrs at the Bellapais Abbey
First part:
Orchestral Works with the Nicosia Municipality Orchestra
T. ALBINONI Adagio
J.S. BACH Orchestral
Suite No.1, Ouverture
K. BELEVİ Vals
P.I. TCHAIKOVSKY
Swan Lake, Neapolitan Dance
A. DVORAK Humoresque
No.7
W.A. MOZART Symphony
No. 25 in G minor, Allegro con brio
Second part: Kyrenia
Chamber Choir and Nicosia Municipal Orchestra
Faure's REQUIEM in D minor opus 48
Minimum donation TL 30 for the benefit of SOS
Children Village
Further details and tickets by email: jane5254@hotmail.com