Concerts
'Wildfire' by Roger Jones
Wildfire!
The Story of Stephen
Presented by Roger Jones and the Combined Churches' Choir
Sunday 19th May
On Sunday 19th May at 4.30pm, The Combined Churches' Choir will be presenting Wildfire, the story of Stephen, the first Christian Martyr. This performance will be introduced and conducted by the composer, Roger Jones. This follows on from several previous events that the choir and Roger Jones have done together which have been very well received. This is one not to miss!
An Audience with Jonathan Veira
A 'Churches Together in Stowmarket' Event
‘Larger than Life: Opera’s big man goes solo’
Jonathan Veira Tour 2012/13
Coming to Stowmarket St. Peter and St. Mary's Church
Friday June 14th 2013 at 7.30pm
Tickets, £8.50, now available from the Church Office
Recently praised in The Independent for his brilliant performance – ‘larger than life and utterly credible’, and by The Arts Desk for being ‘a comic (bass) baritone now in his vintage prime’, international opera star Jonathan Veira is no stranger to venues that hold thousands of people, but in 2012/13 he is changing his habits. Instead of appearing on stage at Glyndebourne or London’s Royal Opera House, as he often does, he is coming to smaller venues, such as Stowmarket, to perform in an intimate one man setting.
This concert is part of Jonathan’s ‘Larger than Life’ tour. This year, instead of performing Verdi, Britten or Donizetti on the opera scene as he did - to critical acclaim – in 2011 and before, he is now just as likely to be found singing Billy Joel or Gospel. Jonathan is a musical chameleon, performing songs of great diversity to an incredibly high standard – which possibly makes him unique in the world of entertainment.
Jonathan Veira’s one man show is distinctive because you get so much more than just ‘the voice’. He is a superb comic raconteur, whose anecdotal story telling has people of all generations rocking with laughter.
“For nearly 27 years I have been singing opera all around the world whilst also developing my ‘Audience with JV’, which actually began 22 years ago. The ‘side-show’ has gradually taken on a life of its own ... spawning a DVD, seven gospel CDs and a list of venues wanting to host the show. We’re excited that 2013 is the year to give airspace to JV simply being JV with an audience.
I’m energised by doing these shows because of the closeness and interaction with the audience. It’s wonderful to be able to incorporate the wide variety of music that I love to perform from Verdi and Mozart to Billy Joel, Elton John and even some Country & Western for goodness sake! I love having the freedom to tell the stories of my life and faith in an open, honest – and mostly funny – way! I believe that all this together makes my show unique. Following a trip to Ethiopia at the start of 2012 I am also thrilled to be in partnership with Compassion UK – a child-sponsoring charity that does amazing work with children all around the world.”
It is rare these days to find someone who can sing beautifully, entertain and make people of all ages laugh, and possibly even cry. Jonathan paints a true, and sometimes painful, picture of life in word and song. To communicate in a family friendly way, without using bad language as JV does is remarkable - it’s a reputation to be proud of.
Jonathan Veira really is ‘larger than life’ and you’ll love to see him in action.
His engaging and enthusiastic performance leaves a lasting impression. http://www.jonathanveira.com/.
Further information on the Stowmarket Concert can be obtained from our Church Office on 01449 774652 or e-mail: stowmarket.parish@tiscali.co.uk.