Tim French and It's Magic Promotions presents ...

St Wilfrid’s , Haywards Heath RH16 3QH

An Evening of music followed by a theme supper at The Centenery Hall

• Leigh Woolf - Mezzo Soprano “Leigh Woolf sang with velvety, plangent tone in the role of his lovesick son.” The Times
• Andrew Rees – Tenor “the Coliseum-filling voice of Andrew Rees, attractively bright, ringing and open”
• Charlotte Ellett - Soprano “…Charlotte Ellett commands a sinuous voice and impressive technique, complemented by by intelligent, charming acting.” Peter Reed – OPERA December 2007
• Gareth Hancock – Pianist
• Owen Gilhooly-Baritone

Music from; Mozart's The Magic Flute, Lehar - The Merry Widow, Strauss - Die Fledermaus, Songs by Kurt Weill 

    Due to the popularity of this event and the capacity of this venue, there are a limited amount of tickets available  

Tickets from: Baldwins Drapers, South Rd, Haywards Heath

 Ticket Prices: £15/12.50 conc 

or £25 includes ticket price and a singalong supper at the centenary hall

  T: 01444 255 115

 Above left to right: Andrew Rees, Gareth Hancock, Owen Gilhooly, Leigh Woolf & Charlotte Ellett

Andrew Rees - Tenor

True to Welsh tradition Andrew began singing at a very early age competing and winning eisteddfods at National level both as a singer and a pianist living in South West Wales.

He graduated with honours from the Royal Northern College of Music, then studied opera in London before joining the renowned English National Opera as a principal tenor.

Andrew has performed as a concert soloist at all the major concert venues in London and across the UK. He has broadcast live on Radio and TV many times and has also entertained in such diverse venues as the Sydney Opera House, on board The QE2, various outdoor ‘Proms in the Park’, the prestigious Henley, Newbury Spring and North Wales International Festivals.

Travelling widely with his operatic work Andrew has taken lead roles in New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal and across the UK.

Roles include:
Pinkerton Madam Butterfly
Cavaradossi Tosca
Don Jose Carmen
Steva Jenufa
Boris Katja Kabanova
Sergei Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk
Alfredo La Traviata
Froh Das Rheingold

Future highlights include recording the role of Narraboth with Sir Charles Mackerras on the Chandos label and operatic debuts in Nantes and Lille.

Charlotte Ellett - Soprano 

Charlotte Ellett studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Opera Studio. She began her career at Glyndebourne Festival where her roles included Frasquita Carmen and First Bridesmaid Le nozze di Figaro. As an Associate Artist at Welsh National Opera she sang the Angel Jephtha, Barbarina and Susanna Le nozze di Figaro, Frasquita Carmen and Karolka Jenufa which she subsequently recorded for Chandos under Sir Charles Mackerras

Her other operatic roles include Miss Wordsworth Albert Herring, Pamina Die Zauberflöte, Despina Così fan Tutte, Iphis Jephtha and Zerlina Don Giovanni, and Musetta La Boheme.

Charlotte Ellett regularly performs oratorio and recitals. She has sung Mozart’s Requiem at the Bridgewater Hall and Royal Festival Hall, Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall with Sir David Willcocks, Poulenc Stabat Mater at King’s College Cambridge and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Her repertoire also includes Bach St Matthew Passion, Poulenc Gloria, and Rossini Stabat Mater.

She recorded Mahler’s Das Klagende Lied as the Chorus soloist under Kent Nagano, and Rawsthorne’s Second Symphony for the Naxos label. At St David’s Hall, Cardiff, she performed as part of their lunchtime recital series.

Other engagements have included Chair The Chair in Love by John Metcalf in Montreal with a subsequent tour in the UK.

Among her recent engagements she has performed Amor Il ritorno d’Ulisse in Patria, Musetta and Frasquita for Welsh National Opera, Hermia (Fleurette) in Offenbach’s Barbe Bleu at Buxton Festival and with English Touring Opera the leading role of Vespina in Haydn’s Country Matters.. Future engagements include her return to WNO where she will sing Karolka Jenůfa.

February 2008

Musetta / La Boheme / English Touring Opera

"...the singing, though, is some of the best I have heard from ETO: a really promising
Mimi and Marcello from Tamsin Coombs and Douglas Bowen; a scene-stealing
Musetta (Charlotte Ellett), who could transfer to almost any of the big British
companies tomorrow. . " Hugh Canning - Sunday Times

 Leigh Woolf  - Mezzo-Soprano

“Leigh Woolf sang with velvety, plangent tone in the role of his lovesick son.”

The Times

Leigh studied as an undergraduate at the Royal College of Music with Margaret Cable and also on the Opera Course as a Senior Exhibitioner with Kathleen Livingstone. Whilst at the RCM she won prizes for Lieder, English Song, interpretations of Bach and Handel and recital singing before graduating with first class diplomas in recital and opera. She currently studies with Paul Farrington and is a Samling Foundation Scholar.

On the concert platform Leigh has sung much of the major repertoire, ranging from Purcell to Tippett, performing with conductors and orchestras including Sir David Willcocks, Sir John Eliot Gardiner (the English Baroque Soloists) and Thomas Zehetmair (Northern Sinfonia).

Her operatic roles include covering Cherubino (Le Nozze di Figaro) for Glyndebourne on Tour, covering Euphemia (Leoncavallo's La Boheme) for ENO, Orlofsky (Die Fledermaus) for Tête à Tête, Kate (Owen Wingrave), Idelberto (Lotario), Nancy (Albert Herring), Second Lady (The Magic Flute), Andronico (Giustino) and Vitellia (Tito Manlio) for La Serenissima, both of which were broadcast on BBC Radio 3.

Recent performances have included Brahms' Liebeslieder at Wigmore Hall, a Gala Concert for the Samling Foundation alongside Sir Thomas Allen, Mary in Berlioz's L'Enfance du Christ in Winchester Cathedral, Bach Mattheus Passion with Peter Schreier, the world premier of The Devil's Drum by Edward Dudley Hughes in the Purcell Room, a recital in the Chichester Festival as the winner of the John Warner Memorial Prize and The Angel in The Dream of Gerontius at Snape Maltings. She also received the Leith Hill Music Festival Award and has appeared in recital St. Martin-in-the-fields and with Malcolm Martineau at St. John's, Smith Square.

Future engagements include Bach's Mass in B minor at Peterborough Cathedral and a recital with her husband, baritone Christopher Maltman.

Gareth Hancock - Pianist  

         

Born in Worcester, Gareth graduated from Clare College, Cambridge with a BA (Hons) in Music and gained the Dip. RAM in piano accompaniment. He has subsequently worked as conductor, senior coach and repetiteur at Glyndebourne Festival and Touring opera, The Royal Opera, Convent Garden, English Natioonal Opera, Opera North, Opera de Lyon and English Touring Opera. He has conducted Rigoletto, The Marriage of Figaro, The Barber of Seville, Rape of Lucretia, Don Giovanni, Misper and Apollo e Daphne.

He recently conducted the debut album for Alfie Boe for Classic fm/Sony BMG and Puccini highlights for the Chandos/Peter Moores Foundation opera in English series. He also worked as Musical Advisor and vocal coach on a film of The Magic Flute, directed by Kenneth Branagh.

As an accompanist Gareth has appeared at all the major London venues and throughout Europe and the USA. He has also broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Radio France and Classic fm.

Gareth was Head of Music for Savoy Opera and is Music Director for English Music Company. He is also on the coaching staff at the Royal Academy of Music.

Future plans for Gareth include conducting Madame Butterfly for Opera North.

He is also due to release a CD of works for Cello and Piano later this year.