Consortium summer concert

The Consortium Summer Showcase is being held on Sunday June 28 at 5pm, and will be an event of high energy quality performances from orchestras, bands, choirs and soloists.

The event is co-ordinated by the Bexhill Consortium of Schools and will include the launch of the Bexhill Festival Chorus - 250 voices aged between 8 and 80 years old.

The chorus will be conducted by Jozik Kok, who has worked with the festival for the past two years. He has worked with the Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera, and is Vocal Co-ordinator for East Sussex Music service.

Katy de Braux, assistant principal at Bexhill High School and event organiser, commented:

"The Chorus is an opportunity for adults to get together and perform at the festival.

"This is a festival chorus with a difference because, rather than reading dots and learning classical music, we are learning songs by Otis Redding, and Queen, and from Africa, with students accompanying on African drums and with rock instruments.

"This means we're offering a completely different experience, so whether people already sing in a traditional choir, or they enjoy singing along to the car radio they can get together for a really fun performance."

The Consortium has supported the Chorus since 2005 with the hope of seeing the wider community involved in making music with young people and a longterm aim of creating a festival orchestra.

Katy said: "We have run vocal workshops for adults as part of the Summer Sunday Sing for the past three years, but we have never before organised evening rehearsals and invited such a range of participants from the community.

"Members of Bexhill Choral Society, BLODS and other local musical groups are taking part but also people who don't regularly sing with a choir.

"We are hoping to see 40 adult singers involved and they will be singing with the Youth Choir at the performance.

"They are rehearsing 7-9pm on Tuesday 16th and 23rd June at Gunters Lane, and again 10am-noon on the day of the performance. If people want to get involved they can call me on 01424 730722 or email [email protected] because I could run an extra rehearsal or pass on rehearsal CDs to prepare people for the second rehearsal on 23rd June. Joining the Chorus costs 5.'

Primary schools are taking part in the show are St Mary Magdalene's, Pebsham, Sidley CP, All Saints, King Offa, Chantry, St Peters and St Paul's, Little Common while also represented are secondaries St Richard's Catholic College and Bexhill High. They will also be joined by musicians from Bexhill College.

The Primary Schools choir and Primary Schools orchestra will both be performing, along with the Bexhill High School rock band, singer-songwriter Vicky Bass, Bexhill High 'Vox' plus performances from St Richards folk band 'Dead Fish', 'Bella Voce' and Year 10 choir. More unusual performances will involve ukelele and bagpipes.

Tickets 5 and 3 for children, and are available from the De La Warr Pavilion Box Office.