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Home / History / Christmas Concert 1999
Christmas Concert 1999
Another sell out performance with well over 650 packed into the Swallows Leisure Centre.
The Choir at over 100 and an orchestra of 40 players made for a "full house".
As always at this time of year the seasonal music and refreshments ensured that a very joyful and enthusiatic evening was had by all. With such an attentive audience and professional orchestra, the choir are always lifted to perform their best, right from the rousing opening Masters in this Hall (a traditional French carol with words by Willam Morris and arranged by David Willcocks) through to the Arthur Warrell arrangement of A Merry Christmas.
Old favourites and some new passed on the way included When Wise Men Came Seeking (traditional Normandy, alt. words by Richard Slater) and Jingle Bells(arrangement by David Willcocks from the words and music of J Pierpoint). The programme was complemented by a wide range of Christmas Carols.
We were pleased to welcome Robin Green (tenor) who gave a stirring performance of Tua Bethlem Dref (Towards Bethlehem Town), an arrangement by Edmund Walters of the music of Edward Arthur, with words by Will Ifan, and sung in Welsh. Robin also sang Wonder and The Salutation from Gerald Finzi's setting of Thomas Traherne's Dies Natalis. Star of Bethlehem and Little One Sleep were followed by the well known Che Gelida Manima (Your Tiny Hand is Frozen) from La Boheme by Puccini to complete Robin's programme.
The programme was complemented by the Orpheus Orchestra under the leadership of George Simpson - musicians brought together for our concerts by our conductor. We always enjoy their company and are for ever in awe at their ability to meet each musical challenge. We are proud of the fact that the members of the orchestra are keen to return to work with us again and again. In this concert their versatility was demonstarted through their performances of Waltz of the Flowers from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet followed later by Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride.
Our Thanks go to Robin Green and the Orchestra for their support.
The son of a native of the island of St. Helena and an English mother, Robin has spent most of his life in Sittingbourne and the Medway Towns
. He studied languages at Oxford and sang at Christ Church and Magdalen Colleges,
Oxford and then at Canterbury Cathedral. In 1982 he won the City of
Rochester-Upon-Medway Talent Trust Award enabling him to take up
full-time vocal studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama,
where he won several prizes, including the John Ireland Award. 
In 1985 Robin came second in the GKN English Song Award and in 1989 was a finalist at the Great Grimsby International Singing Competition. These early successes have led to a well-established concert career and the 1999/2000 season brings performances of Dream of Gerontius - Eigar, Das Lied von der Erde - Mahler, Ode to St. Cecilia - Handel and Requiem - Verdi.
Robin has sung with London Opera Players since 1986, but 1993-94 saw a major increase in his opera engagements starting with Il Signor Bruschino - Rossini for Pimlico Opera. This led directly to his debut with Welsh National Opera as Don Ramiro in La Cenerentola - Rossini. Since then he has performed the same role for Opera Players and toured new operas with both Cultural Industry Limited (Coming Through Slaughter - Mike Westbrook) and Lontano (Innana - Jenny Roditti). 1995 brought Tamino (The Magic Flute - Mozart) with European Chamber Opera, Heart of England Opera and Opera Players and Don Ramiro (La Cenerentola - Rossini) for European Chamber Opera at Holland Park. He is in repertoire with Opera Players playing Ferrando (Cosi Fan Tutte - Mozart).
A flexible lyric voice has proved Robin's ability and in 1997 he extended his repertoire by appearing as Pinkerton (Madama Butterfly - Puccini) with the Moldovan State Opera Company. In 1998 he sang Cavaradossi for Neath Opera.
The 1998/1999 winter season saw Robin performing Count Almaviva (Barber of Seville - Rossini) at English National Opera and the same role for the Opera Brava Tour and Opera South-East. In December 1999 Robin took up a contract with the Netherlands Opera as one of the apprentices in Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg - Wagner.
Robin is also Artistic Director of Co-Opera Youth running workshops and other music-theatre activities for young people in school time and during the holidays. He is married to Lynne, a schoolteacher, and they have three children, Jack (10) and Molly (8), and Max, born last October.
Written Spring 2000.