With well over sixty members the choir performs three varied concerts a year at different venues on the Isle of Wight, some with full orchestra and soloists and some a capella.
Our main spring concert is always a performance of a major choral work and in recent years we have performed pieces by :
G Faure; A Vivaldi; C Monteverdi;
J Haydn; G F Handel; H Purcell;
J Brahms; F Mendelssohn;
Summer concerts usually have a pastoral or nautical theme whilst traditional and modern carols and and seasonal mediaeval pieces figure highly in the winter programme.
In recent years, our summer and christmas concerts have included, amongst others, works by :
J Dowland; J Farmer; J Dunstable;
J Rutter; M Praetorius;Vaughan Williams;
D Willcocks; R R Bennett; P I Tchaikovsky;
P Cornelius; H Darke; B Britten
In addition, the choir is sometimes asked to sing at weddings and other celebrations and many members enjoy singing carols around the Island at Christmas, raising money for local charities.
"A family carol concert filed up the large St Saviour's church...when Ryde Chorus held their annual festive treat..."
In 2006 Ryde Chorus twinned with another choir - The Fletching Singers - in a performance of Bach's St John Passion and two years later they again joined forces in a performance of the Brahms Requiem
A performance of Mendelssohn's Elijah is planned for April 2009 whilst the summer concert will include Haydens Toy Symphony.
Having started his singing at Reading School, and then at University College, London, where
he read English Language and Literature, Philip Fryer became involved with the Early Music revival, and sang for Coro Cappella, The Taverner Consort, and Gothic Voices. With them he sang on Radio France, Radio 3, and in the Chateau of Versailles.
Philip was Chorus Master of The Sainsbury Singers in Reading, and sang much of the Gilbert and Sullivan repertoire, as well as the Viennese and Offenbach roles. He sang in various Mozart master classes at Glyndebourne, and has appeared as Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni), Ferrando (Cosi fan tutti), Ernesto (Donizetti’s Don Pasquale). He has sung Evangelist in the St John and St Matthew Passions, and was a deputy Lay Vicar at St George’s Chapel, Windsor for over 15 years. He is a founder member of The Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chorus, and with them has sung in Carnegie Hall, the World Trade Centre, and at the hand-over of Hong Kong in 1997. For several years he toured with Paco Pena and the Academy, singing Misa Flamenca.
Read Philips article about what it means to him to belong to the Academy of St Martins in the Fields: Here
As a writer, Philip has worked for the Times, the Kings Singers and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields. He is music critic of The Catholic Herald.
"Choral masterpieces given splendid airing by this accomplished choir..."
County Press
