Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra is a flourishing, versatile ensemble with a well-established reputation for excellence, which has been praised for its “exquisite and electrifying performances” (Bristol Post). The Orchestra’s players come from all over the City of Bristol and its environs, and share one important thing – a passion for music.
The Orchestra is well-known for its ambitious, exciting programmes and prides itself on producing concerts that are enjoyable with a warm, welcoming ambience for its audience. It also excels at promoting young, gifted musicians. The Orchestra is a registered charity, number 1150335.
William Goodchild William Goodchild became Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra’s conductor in 2001. He composes music for film, television and concert performance, specialising in wildlife and history documentary and has scored numerous films for the major broadcasters, including the award-winning: Miracle in the Marshes of Iraq (BBC Natural World Special). His score for the BBC’s Jungle Gremlins of Java won Best Wildlife Documentary at the 2013 Royal Television Society Awards. As orchestrator and conductor, William has worked with the Royal Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestras. The BBC’s Wild China, orchestrated and conducted by William, won an Emmy in 2009 for Music and Sound.
City of Bristol Choir City of Bristol Choir was founded in 1991, and appointed David Ogden as Music Director in 2000. Under his direction the choir enjoys a busy schedule of concerts and events. The choir is made up of 90 auditioned adult singers, rehearing regularly throughout the year and giving four or five concerts annually in Bristol and around the South West. Past seasons have included performances of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 with His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts, Britten’s War Requiem, Symanowski’s Stabat Mater, Brahms’ Requiem, Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert, Fanshawe’s African Sanctus, Mozart’s Requiem and Mass in C Minor and the first performance in Bristol of Howells’ Hymnus Paradisi.
City of Bristol Choir has appeared on BBC television’s Songs of Praise and BBC Radio 2’s Sunday Half Hour. The choir has toured Germany, Spain, Portugal and Italy. In Autumn 2013 the choir released its debut CD, Realms of Glory.
Bristol Youth Choir The Bristol Youth Choir includes choirs for juniors for children aged from 7 to 11 years, and Seniors for singers aged from 12 to 18 years. The choirs sing a wide range of repertoire from action songs and songs from the shows, to classical works, and take part in three concerts per year. The choirs are conducted by David Ogden and Martin Le Poidevin.
Bristol Youth Choir is run by Bristol Plays Music, the Arts Council England’s Music Hub for the city of Bristol, a partnership between Bristol Music Trust and Bristol City Council. It will ensure that the legacy of Bristol Arts and Music Service’s success in delivering high quality music education to over 8,000 children a year is preserved and is strengthened by the partnership with Colston Hall Education.
David Ogden David Ogden is a professional conductor and composer. He conducts Exultate Singers, City of Bristol Choir, the Royal Mail Choir and in his post of Head of the Bristol Choral Centre, he conducts the Bristol Schools Chamber Choirs. He is Director of Music at Holy Trinity Church, Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol. For over 25 years he has worked with numerous professional and amateur groups of all shapes and sizes in many fields of music making, including church music, concerts, musical theatre and opera, community projects, primary and secondary level educational workshops, from small children’s groups to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
In his work with the BBC he has conducted choirs on BBC Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the World Service, and worked as conductor, arranger and music adviser on BBC TV’s Songs of Praise. He is religious music adviser for the BBC’s hit series Call The Midwife, and worked with the Royal Mail Choir in the BBC Two series The Choir: Sing While You Work. His compositions are published by the RSCM and White Light Publishing, and are performed in schools and churches worldwide.
Lorna James Lorna James completed her Postgraduate Diploma at the Royal Northern College of Music in 2010, where she was a recipient of the Dame Eva Turner Award for Potential Dramatic Sopranos. She is now studying with Stuart MacIntyre, having trained with Lynne Dawson during her time at the RNCM. Most recently in 2014, Lorna performed the role of Giulietta in Les Contes d’Hoffmann with Diva Opera, and she is currently covering Marenka in The Bartered Bride for Opera North.
Alun Rhys-Jenkins Alun Rhys-Jenkins joined Welsh National Opera in 2005 where his roles have included Pedrillo Seraglio, Remendado Carme, andSailor Tristan und Isolde. Concert highlights include soloist in Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra. Recent engagements include the role of Beadle in a semi-staged performance of Sweeney Todd, with Bryn Terfel in the title role, at 2014’s Llangollen International Eisteddfod.
William Dazeley William Dazeley studied at Jesus College, Cambridge and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Established as one of the leading baritones of his generation, he has appeared in concert alongside renowned orchestras and conductors, including the CBSO, Berlin Philharmonic, John Eliot Gardiner and Leonard Slatkin. He performed the world premiere of Birtwistle’s Three Settings of Alfred Brendel conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi at the BBC Proms, Carmina Burana with Sydney Symphony Orchestra and L’Enfance du Christ with the Bayerische Rundfunk Munich. As a recitalist William works regularly with Malcolm Martineau and Iain Burnside amongst others. This season William returns to the Oxford Lieder Festival for two Schubert programmes and makes his debut as the Traveller in a new production of Death in Venice for Garsington Opera.
