| Musical Director: Chris Mallinson |
2002
the classics represented by Rachmaninov, Poulenc
and songs from the genre of
Gershwin, Lennon & McCartney |
| Choros Amici is a 'Choir of Friends', formed in 1992, and it has grown and
developed over the years under the charismatic direction of Chris Mallinson, its founder
and Musical Director. The choir has built a reputation, nationally and internationally,
for the high standard and enthusiasm of its music and performance. In 2000 the choir
fulfilled its original goal by winning the BBC Sainsbury's 'Choir of the Year' competition
at the Royal Albert Hall. It has also been extremely successful in other major
competitions and international festivals.
As current holders of the 'Choir of the Year' title, Choros Amici have had the pleasure
in 2001 of embarking on a wide-ranging concert tour, including performing with Russell
Watson and sharing the stage with Pavarotti at Hyde Park. |
|
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The choir's aim has always been to entertain and inspire others to
appreciate and participate in the joy of choral music. Through the warmth of its
collective personality, Choros Amici strives to bring a vitality and communication to the
quality of music and its performance. By exploring a broad ranging repertoire, in terms of
style and technical difficulty, the choir aims to expand and develop its own musical
experience whilst also exposing to its audience a taste of the rich variety of good choral
writing. |
Since its first rehersal in a multi-storey car park Choros Amici
(the choir of friends) has been a very special and individual choir.
The singers, all friends of the musical director, Chris Mallinson, come from all
over the country - Chorley to Chichester, Leeds to London and all places in between - and
meet for occasional rehersal weekends to work hard, laugh hard and play hard. Amici is,
above all, a family with the shared goal of having a good time whilst performing music to
an exceptional standard.
The choir has built an international reputation in its ten years of singing - for
the quality of the music, the vitality and communication it brings to performance and the
warmth of its collective personality -entertaining audiences of 50 to more than 50,000,
indoors and outdoors, from Hyde Park with Pavarotti (July 2001) to city squares around
Europe.
Choros Amici has become more and more successful in national and
international festivals, sweeping the board at the inaugural Peterborough Choral
Competition in 1999, winning major international classes in France in 1998 and 2000, and
achieving the ultimate UK choral acolade when crowned as BBC Television's "Choir of
the Year" at a packed Royal Albert Hall in December 2000.
Concerts and recitals have been made for BBC radio and
television, most recently a BBC special edition of Songs of Praise from Castle Howard (to
be broadcast on 5th May), along with CD recordings of the choir doing what it does best -
singing live to entertain and inspire others to enjoy and participate in the joys of
choral music.
Whether in a medieval town square, church, concert
hall, an outdoor arena or an underground champagne cave, the Choros Amici
"family" mission remains the same:-
to sing music to the highest possible
standard,
to entertain and inspire audiences, and above all...
to have fun whilst doing it!
What people say about Choros Amici
| "a stunning, friendly
choir..sensational" |
Susan Digby |
| "a choir of international top
quality" |
Andrew Carter |
"equally at home with Arvo Part's
mesmerising stillness and the exciting rhythmic intricacies of Aston and Grier.
A class act in every way" |
Evening Telegraph |
| "that little extra something that really
makes an audience sit up and listen -very fine" |
Brian Kay |
| "superb ambassadors for all that is best
about British music and culture" |
Mayor of Tours |
| "vitality, quality, enjoyment and colour
shine out of everything these people do!" |
Standard |
| "you lot are cool" |
Midge Ure |
| "a superb choir with the most amazing
musical director in the country!" |
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Chris Mallinson - Musical Director
Founder and musical director of Choros Amici, Chris
combines a musical background and drama training in his "day-job" as Head of
Performing Arts in a Derbyshire comprehensice school. He is General Editor of Sing
for Pleasure publications, works regularly with a number of choirs and trains new and
experienced choral directors for SfP, the British Federation of Young Choirs, ABCD and the
British Association of Barbershop Singing. Chris produces warm-ups and
workshops for choral competitions and now, following the success of Choros Amici, is a
highly regarded choral adjudicator. He is in great demand as a workshop leader
and is renowned for the fun and energy he brings to courses ranging from classical to
barbershop and gospel in his role as a roving choral animateur.
Great Witley Church 