Friends of Les Bourgs Hospice choral concert fundraiser

Nature is the theme of a classical choral concert that will be held at the beautiful venue of the Town Church on Friday 14th June at 7pm to raise funds for Les Bourgs Hospice.

Pastoral Pleasures will feature the Mezzo-Soprano Anna Semple from London along with local Baritone Joey Edwards, accompanied by Anthony Tennant on the Piano. The concert will feature favourites by Schubert, Purcell, Mozart, Gershwin, Faure and many more.

The event will not be ticketed but a suggested donation of £10 per person is encouraged to be made to the retiring collection. Doors will open at 6.30pm and interval drinks will be available through the kind support of the Liberation Group.

For any queries please email [email protected] or ring 251111.

Anna Semple (shown in the main picture) is a singer and composer based in London.

She finished her Masters in Composition at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2021, and currently freelances as a mezzo-soprano (though she is currently exploring transitioning towards soprano territory…) and deputises at a range of London churches including the Temple Church and St Paul’s Cathedral, as well as writing music and teaching composition, violin and piano (mainly as part of her work with Pimlico Musical Foundation).

Anna sings for a number of concert groups including Tenebrae, SANSARA, Alamire, The Carice Singers, The Tallis Scholars, Siglo De Oro, The Sixteen, and HEXAD Collective, and is an alumna of Genesis 16 and the Choir of Jesus College, Cambridge. Recent solo highlights include Handel’s Messiah in Birmingham Symphony Hall with Ex Cathedra, and Bach’s St John Passion with St Martin’s Voices at St Martin in the Fields. As a composer, recent commissions include works for Roderick Williams, Helen Charlston, the Royal Opera House, Waterperry Opera Festival, The Sixteen, The Marian Consort, and St Paul’s Cathedral.

She currently studies with Gary Coward. Outside of musicmaking Anna enjoys knitting, baking and occasionally running, though not at the same time.

Joseph Edwards is an English baritone whose career as a soloist and consort singer has led him to perform in venues across the world.

He has worked with professional groups across the UK, including Tenebrae, Stile Antico, Fretwork, Academy of Ancient Music, and Sansara.

He began singing as a chorister at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, where he had the opportunity to perform for numerous royal occasions, including the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles. He was a choral scholar at King’s College London and went on to study his masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music, where he graduated with distinction. He was also awarded the highest graduate diploma (DipRAM) for his final performance.

Joseph is also a choral director and singing teacher and his students have appeared on the west end stage and have been awarded scholarships to London conservatoires. Joseph’s performance highlights include his debut recital at Wigmore Hall in 2016, concerts at The Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall and Philharmonie de Paris, Radio 3 In Tune broadcasts with Sansara and Tenebrae, Orpheo and Euridice with Classical Opera, a European premier of the Brazilian radio opera, A Noiva do Condutor, and film soundtrack recordings at Abbey Road Studios (Black Panther, The Avengers, Notre-Dame brûle).

He has collaborated with composers including Alexander L’Estrange and Cheryl Francis-Hoad. Joseph has also worked in the music production of TV shows including the X Factor Live Shows and Made in Chelsea.