What our audiences and the press say about us

We received a delightful thank-you card from the organisers of our concert held on 4th September 2004 at Felmersham, near Bedford during our St Neots tour

A card to say Thank-You for the wonderful, concert on Saturday.

It was indeed a privelage to have organised the event and to be entertained by such a group of talented musicians.

The feed back from Felmersham was overwelming and we raised £480.00 for Cancer Research. Wonderful!

Hope you all enjoyed the day as much as we all did here.

Best wishes.

Pat and Lorraine

A letter of thanks sent to our conductor, Cornelis Taekema, after our concert at Ivychurch in Romney Marsh on 19th July 2003

A rather belated letter . . . to write to you on behalf of St. George Ivychurch PCC to express our thanks and gratitude to both you and the Wealden Consort for their most excellent and entertaining concert on 19th July. It really was a happy and memorable occasion and wonderful to hear such a fine and accomplished choir in a church where the quality of singing rarely meets your own high standard!

Needless to say we would be delighted to welcome the Consort back to the marsh at any time especially if your members enjoyed the experience and the wonderful acoustic that St. George's has to offer.

With grateful thanks and appreciation of a memorable evening.

Yours sincerely,

John Hendy
The PCC at Ivychurch may like to know that the Consort thoroughly enjoyed singing in St. George's and would very much like a return visit - WATCH THIS SPACE!

Extracts from a review by Heather Woodward of "An Evening of Music and Mulled Wine at Wadhurst"
(courtesy of Kent & Sussex Courier, Feb 2, 2002).

The Wadhurst Rotary Club had organised an Evening of Music and Mulled Wine in the parish church and what an evening it turned out to be. The Wealden Consort under its musical director Maisie Hammond started with Adoramus Te by Palestrina and the quality of the singing augured well for the rest of the evening. We were not to be disappointed.
The singers had chosen an ambitious selection of part-songs, madrigals and religious music, followed later by a demanding choice of 20th century songs. The group is extremely well-disciplined with a strong feeling for the music and excellent diction. The latter was particularly apparent in Cy Coleman's Rhythm of Life when every word was immaculately clear with no loss of intonation….Overall they gave a most enjoyable performance…
The rich tones of Annie Chesters provided a telling contrast to the choral singing of (Stanford's) The Blue Bird….Perhaps the highlight of their programme was the sublimely clear and apparently effortless singing of Jo Levett (in the) Pie Jesu from the Requiem Mass by Malcolm Archer…
Wealden Consort's sound responded well to the lovely acoustics of the Wadhurst Parish Church. Outside it was a wild, wet and windy night, but the packed audience of the parish church were privileged to be present at a concert full of warmth and joy in music.

The Children's Society

....Our most grateful thanks for such an enjoyable concert at Nettlestead Place. "Hands Acoss the World" was greatly enjoyed by all our guests, with such a varied programme splendidly performed by The Wealden Consort. The evening was a financial success too, raising £456 in much-needed funds.

Hawkhurst Cottage Hospital League of Friends

We are most grateful for allowing us to benefit from the Consort's concert at Great Maytham. Everybody I have spoken to has said what an enjoyable time they had and how impressed they were with the quality of the music.

St John's, Groombridge

....Everyone was in agreement that your concert at St John's was the most delightful evening. We loved the music and also loved the friendly informality of it....The Rector has asked if you would be prepared to sing for us again in the Millennium Year."

Sandhurst/Heurenghem Twinning Association, following a weekend in Northern France.

.....May I thank The Wealden Consort for a most enjoyable evening's entertainment. I know, in conversation with our French hosts, they were both delighted and impressed that our area could produce such talent. (I don't know the French for `Gobsmacked'.

Crowded Hall for Singers

Formed in 1979 to sing largely Tudor church music, the Hawkhurst Singers now have a much wider repertoire as they demonstrated to a crowded Great Hall at Penshurst Place on Friday.

Their programme included two arrangements by one of the singers, Graham Bissett, which were among the most appreciated items in a concert given in aid of the Tunbridge Wells Cancer Help Centre. His setting of the Negro spiritual, Nobody Knows the Trouble I See, had the audience swaying to its rhythm.

The acoustics of the hall were perfect for Frank Bridges' gentle setting of Music, When Soft Voices Die, and the Kings' Singers' arrangement of My Love is Like a Red Red Rose. The evening started with English madrigals and also included another popular arrangement of the Kings' Singers' _ Dance to They Daddy, the most taxing item in their programme but, under music director Maisie Hammond's guidance, one in which the 16 members of the group showed their increasing versatility. (Kent & Sussex Courier).

Consort wins high praise in Choir of the Year competition

The Wealden Consort chamber choir was awarded gained a `very highly commended' certificate in the first round of the Sainsbury's Choir of the Year 2000 competition, held at the Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks.

The group chose contrasting works: Stanford's `Beati quorum via' and `Come live with me', a modern madrigal setting by John Rutter, written for the 75^th birthday celebrations of the blind jazz pianist, George Shearing. Their performance _ from memory - of this latter taxing work brought especially high praise from the adjudicators, one of whom described it as "a superbly crafted performance. You really brought out the best of these singers. An enjoyable and sensitively prepared rendition, exploring vocal colour, texture and dynamic range. Really polished." (Kent & Sussex Courier).

An extract from the Courier