City of Oxford Choir (28.3.98)
Chapelle du Roi (2.12.00)
Choir of St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle (1.10.05)
Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge (7.12.03)
Choir of Lincoln Cathedral (10.4.01; 26.3.02)
Choir of St David’s Cathedral, Pembrokeshire (1.6.99; 3.6.04; 31.5.07))
Choir of Truro Cathedral (5.7.03; 18.12.04)
Choir of the Queen’s College, Oxford (4.3.04)
Choros (1.3.98, 23.9.00; 27.9.03)
Dyfed Choir (17.12.05)
The Exmoor Singers (14.12.02; 7.3.04; 30.10.04)
Goring Chamber Choir (19.5.01)
Henry’s Eight (12.11.99)
International Concert Choir (13.12.03)
Jubilate (24.3.07)
Leeds Monteverdi Chorus (14.11.99)
Lincoln Chorale (27.11.99; 24.11.00)
Magnificat (28.7.98)
Minerva (21.6.03; 4.4.04)
New London Chamber Choir (12.4.02)
Newbury Bach Choir (25.6.00)
North Herts Guild of Singers (31.3.07)
Northampton Bach Choir (16.11.02; 20.11.04, 19.11.05)
Northampton Philharmonic Choir (10.11.07)
Norwich Cathedral Consort (25.6.05)
Oxford Pro Musica Singers (25.3.97, 18.9.97, 4.4.98, 10.4.98, 2.7.98, 12.12.98,
28.3.99, 1.7.99, 27.7.00, 23.11.02, 8.7.05, 15.7.06, 23.6.07, 15.9.07)
Reading Bach Choir (31.1.04)
The Renaissance Singers (19.7.03)
Schola Cantorum of Oxford (16.5.98; 2.12.00)
Sowerby St Oswald’s Singers (15.9.01)
St Cecilia Chorus (9.4.00; 16.3.02)
Three Spires Singers (5.7.03; 11.12.04)
Waltham Singers (18.3.06)
Wimbledon Choral Society (20.12.03)
Letters to Kah-Ming Ng, harpsichordist and musical director
Robert Sharpe (Organist & Master of the Choristers, Truro Cathedral)
I was of course absolutely delighted with Charivari. The stylish playing of
the Simfonie was at the centre of the success of the Monteverdi Vespers in Truro.
Not only was it one of the most memorable concerts for the Three Spires Singers,
it has also resulted in a large influx of new members under the age of 25. This
means that Three Spires Singers is now evenly spaced in terms of the age of
its membership; something we are very proud of. Thanks so much for being such
a lovely group to work with. We shall certainly be trying to book you again
in the future.
Colin Walsh (Organist & Master of the Choristers, Lincoln Cathedral)
It was all fabulous: thank you. Your abilities to adapt immediately to the individual
singers and the chorus were exceptional. We enjoyed having you here and would
love to work with you all again.
Timothy Byram-Wigfield (conductor, Northampton Bach Choir; director of music,
Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge)
I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to see you after the performance on Saturday
to thank you for the work you did in putting the players together and for accompanying
so sensitively … I think there were some very good moments indeed, and
the players sounded terrific. I do hope that we'll have the chance to work together
again on some other project soon.
James Jarvis (conductor, The Exmoor Singers)
More anon, no doubt, but for now just a quick word of appreciation regarding
Saturday. The orchestra was great fun to work with and the audience feedback
on its performance has been uniformly excellent - please pass on my congratulations
and thanks. I was particularly grateful for their highly-professional approach
to a time-pressured rehearsal. And well played yourself!
James Wood (conductor, New London Chamber Choir)
Mea culpa … for not having written to thank you for your wonderful collaboration
for our twentieth birthday. The two extra pieces you played were ravishing,
and as a former cellist/gamba player myself, I was especially knocked out by
Susanne’s playing – please pass on my admiration! – but you were
all wonderful – thank you!!! I do hope we can do some more – it’s
a period of music I’m specially interested in – I have several ideas
for future collaborations, so will keep in touch.
John Dunford (conductor, St Oswald Singers Sowersby)
May I thank you and Charivari once more for providing us with such excellent
musicianship over the weekend. There have been so many wonderful comments about
the playing and the performance as a whole that we can all feel pleased with
a job well done.
Richard Crossland (conductor, Lincoln Chorale)
I thought your players were excellent. There is some really tricky stuff in
the piece and they dispatched it with virtuosic ease, with a real sparkle where
it was needed. It really inspires confidence having such a good continuo group
who work together so well and know the piece so well … We will certainly
be keen to work with you again.
Richard Crossland (conductor, Lincoln Chorale)
Many thanks for last Saturday. I thought it was a very good show, and I am most
grateful for the excellent playing and the spirit and attitude of the orchestra.
It makes so much difference when everyone wants to get on, work at it and not
get uptight about things. I thought the string ensemble and wind solo playing
were absolutely wonderful – and of course yourself. James Bowman seemed
very chuffed with the whole thing. Thanks very much – tell them all I think
they are great.
Frances Brewitt-Taylor (musical director, Goring Chamber Choir):
The quality of the orchestral playing undoubtedly made the choir feel utterly
secure and inspired them to give of their best. You now have many fans among
the choir, who are eager to work with your team again!
Richard Stangroom (conductor, St Cecilia Chorus)
I thought the orchestra played beautifully, with some excellent intonation in
places where there frequently isn’t and some excellent obbligato playing.
Colin Walsh (Organist & Master of the Choristers, Lincoln Cathedral)
Thanks to you and your outstanding team for a wonderful St John again. You and
your professionals are marvellous.
JanJoost van Elburg (musical director, Reading Bach Choir)
I was very impressed with the elegant musicality and the level of musicianship
of your playing, so I am very much looking forward to start a good and fruitful
relationship between the orchestra and the choir in Reading.
Owen Rees (Organist & Director of Music, The Queen’s College, Oxford;
conductor, A Capella Portuguesa)
Many thanks to you for such a fulfilling collaboration, for all your helpfulness
and care over the project, and for the exciting musicality which you and the
group brought to the occasion. The choir and I very much enjoyed working with
Charivari Agreable Simfonie, and I do hope that we can collaborate again. I
have long wanted to do a Monteverdi Vespers in that setting, and to give the
Queen's singers the chance to do the piece. And I wonder about a Messiah…
Timothy Noon (Organist & Master of the
Choristers, St Davids Cathedral)
Thanks again for a marvellous concert. You and your band were a delight to work
with and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. We will definitely book
you again.
Andrew Reid (Director of Music, Peterborough Cathedral & Northampton Bach Choir
Firstly, and very belatedly I would like to thank you very much for the performance of Bach's Mass in B minor last November. The band was terrific and very flexible in helping to reach a good and characterful performance.
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