Newquay Choral Society is actively seeking a new Musical Director to help continue its long performance history of 120 years in and around Newquay.
Past works performed by the Society have included Handel’s “Messiah”, requiems by Mozart, Fauré, Rutter and Jenkins and Haydn’s “Creation”. We are equally at home with both traditional and contemporary music within the choral repertoire.
Currently the Society presents two concerts during each performance year: one in late April and the other in December which generally incorporates a seasonal theme. Alongside the core activities groups of singers may offer seasonal singing, if required, in restaurants, National Trust properties and a residential care home.
Our proficient accompanist, Rico Gerber, is an important part of our team.
At present our membership consists of around 35 singers. We meet every Monday evening, from early September to late April, at St. Columb Minor Church Hall between 7:30pm – 9:30pm.
For more details please contact our Secretary, Marilyn Thompson, on (01637) 872813 or
During the recent school summer holidays, the Cornwall Youth Brass Ensemble travelled to the Inter-Celtic Festival in Lorient, Brittany.
Below is an account of the trip written by Beth Lee who is currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and who accompanied CYBE to the festival.
School of Rock the Musical are looking for Drummers, Guitarists, Piano Players and Bass players, please see the poster attached for our upcoming auditions in Plymouth this Saturday! PLEASE get in touch with any questions - we would love to answer them and to see as many talented children in the southwest as possible!
Many thanks,
Nicholas Hockaday
Casting Assistant
Jessica Ronane Casting
The Old Vic
The Cut, London SE1 8NB
T 020 3362 0408
Our Summer 2018 Newsletter is available to download here.
We would like to thank everyone for their support and hard work during this year. Enjoy the summer!
The Summer 2018 Cornwall Youth Brass Band Newsletter is available to download here
Harmoniemusik - Classical Music at the Parish Church of St Columb Major
21/23/25 August 2018
The classical music group Harmoniemusik will again visit the Parish Church of St Columb Major with this their twenty seventh consecutive visit.
Harmoniemusik’s ‘Classic Cornwall’ series has secured a loyal and enthusiastic following since its first concerts in August 1992, when it began to promote this annual celebration of outstanding chamber music in the attractive surroundings of the Parish Church at St Columb Major, an historic setting noted for its beautiful acoustic.
Since its formation in 1991, Harmoniemusik has given more than three hundred concerts in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond, has made a number of CD recordings (which are broadcast from time to time on Radio 3) and has become renowned for its distinctive repertoire and performance style.
Classic Cornwall 2018 features five favourite quintets; Schubert’s wonderful ‘Trout’ quintet for piano and strings and Samuel Barber’s evocative wind quintet ‘Summer Music’ (Tuesday); Brahms’s epic clarinet quintet (Thursday) and Beethoven’s sparkling quintet for piano and wind, together with Ibert’s witty and stylish wind quintet ‘Trois Pièces Brèves’ (Saturday).
Two highly attractive and romantic piano and wind sextets, by Leopold Blumer (Tuesday) and Joseph Jongen (Saturday) also feature.
Music which might be new to St Columb audiences includes a first performance in St Columb of a Haydn Piano Concerto (Thursday), and performances of Britten’s haunting Phantasy Quartet for oboe and strings (Thursday) and Hummel’s Variations for flute bassoon and piano (Saturday).
The ever-popular baroque ‘fix’ comes in the form of a Corelli concerto grosso (Tuesday), a lively Vivaldi flute concerto (Thursday) and a trio sonata by CPE Bach (Saturday) – all new works in the Harmoniemusik repertoire.
Delicious refreshments will be available in the Columba Centre (Church Hall) both before (from 6pm) and also during the interval of each concert.
Tickets are available now from Hall for Cornwall (01872 262466), or by post from Joan Smale, 36 Trewithen Parc, Newlyn East Nr Newquay TR8 5NG. Prices are £14 / accompanied under 16s free and with a three concert season ticket available for £35 – with a saving of £7.
- The St Columb Festival was founded in the early 1970s by Cornish born Richard Cooke, whose father Canon Cooke served at the Church for many years.
- Harmoniemusik performs at other venues in Cornwall and also widely within the United Kingdom and abroad, most recently in tours of Belgium and Germany in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2015 and concerts at the Festival held at Oloron St Marie in South West France in August 2009, July 2012 and July 2016. They return to Berlin in June 2019 for a series of concerts.
- In July 2015 Harmoniemusik were invited to perform at The Janacek Festival at Hukvaldy, in the Czech Republic, giving a concert of Janacek’s music on Janacek’s birthday at the Church where he was organist and a second concert which was recorded for broadcast on the Czech classical music radio channel.
- In May 2017 Harmoniemusik were invited to perform William Walton’s Façade at The Dulwich Picture Gallery at their prestigious concert series and have also been invited to perform at a number of music festivals in 2017 throughout the United Kingdom.
- Harmoniemusik has also visited Cornwall on a number of occasions to give free seminars and workshops to pupils at Treviglas Community College in Newquay and the St Columb Major Community Primary School. The policy of free admission to the Classic Cornwall concerts for accompanied under 16s is aimed at increasing access to classical music for children in the hope of inspiring the next generation of musicians and listeners.
For further information please contact Mark Lacey markrichardlacey@aol.com or 07768 867735 or visit the Harmoniemusik website:
Congratulations go to Laurie-Mai Butler who has been awarded the CMST Pupil of The Month Award for May, 2018.
Laurie-Mai has been through a real journey and with some amazing support from her teacher, CMST’s Elizabeth Hobbs, her music has allowed her to develop not just musically but in confidence too. Below you will read an interesting report from Miss Hobbs which really demonstrates the power of music…..
“Laurie-Mai started singing lessons in the Autumn term of 2016, at this time Laurie-Mai had very low self-esteem and confidence. Although Laurie-Mai had a very good attendance to lessons, Laurie-Mai did not have confidence enough to sing in front of me. Laurie-Mai would only hum songs and became very frustrated at herself which made her very emotional, very often ending up in tears but Laurie-Mai continued to persevere. Laurie-Mai chose not to take any exams but wanted to continue lessons for pleasure. Laurie-Mai never gave up and continued practicing regularly and attending lessons. By the Spring term 2017 Laurie-Mai was beginning to sing aloud but still lacked in confidence to sing in front of anyone else. In the Autumn of 2017 Laurie-Mai began her Music GCSE which was a real challenge. Her confidence was beginning to grow and flourish, showcasing her beautiful voice. Laurie-Mai persevered and her commitment to her music lessons saw her through to achieve an A in her GCSE music performance exam. Laurie-Mai has overcome many obstacles in her personal life and her school life over the past 2 years and her singing has developed and flourished due to her commitment, positive attitude and love of music. Laurie-Mai took part in a school concert in April showcasing students talents, this was the first time Laurie-Mai had ever performed in public and the first time her parents had heard her sing.”
Gareth Churcher, Head of Service for CMST, commented “This report from Elizabeth Hobbs really caught the attention of the panel and we were so delighted to read of Laurie-Mai's commitment and determination. The transformation that the music lessons have had to Laurie-Mai's confidence is testament enough of how important peripatetic music lessons are as part of the school's overall education and provision to its students. Well done Laurie-Mai, absolutely delighted that you have been awarded the POTMA for May!! ”
The Band of HM Royal Marines visited Sir James Smith's School in Camelford recently and invited Triggshire Wind Orchestra, who rehearse at the school, to join them for a day of music-making.
Janet Elston, conductor of Triggshire Wind Orchestra said that "Everybody really enjoyed it and the Marines were very impressed by how our players sight read and performed. I am hoping that it will make some of them consider a possible career with them. It was lovely to see Ben Elliot, a previous CYWO principle trumpet playing with them."
Here are a few photos of the event.
Please see below some fantastic photos and videos from the recent Recorders Rule Concert held at Truro School. (More videos will be added soon!)
Gareth Churcher - our Head of Service - is cycling the Dartmoor Classic, one of the most prestigious open-road cycling events in the UK. Help him raise money for the CMST Early Years Music Education and Music Therapy services while he cycles 173 kilometres on Sunday 1st July.
You can donate by visiting https://www.giveasyoulive.com/charity/cmst. Just scroll down and select ‘Make a one-off donation’.
Thank you for your support.