Hailsham Choral in concert - plus Hailsham exhibition from David Armitage

Spokeswoman Marion Ponting said: “It’s been seven months since our sell-out 60th anniversary concert, when we sang Messiah at All Saints Church, Eastbourne. What an unforgettable evening that was! Since then we have not only been busy learning some really challenging music for our summer concert, in Hailsham Parish Church, which was in honour of the Queen’s Jubilee, but from September we have been preparing for another wonderful concert, to be performed on Saturday, November 12 at 7.30pm, again at All Saints Church, Eastbourne.

“We will be singing Purcell’s wonderfully atmospheric Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary and his Te Deum and Jubilate, as well as Haydn’s Nelson Mass, called ‘a mass for troubled times’, which seems very appropriate today. This is an exciting and energetic work – and with Jozik Kotz’s inspirational and talented teaching and encouragement, we are well on the way to giving a moving performance. Improving week by week, especially after our workshop a week ago, we feel it is all coming together now and we really enjoy singing these masterpieces. Our soloists for this concert are Helen Bailey (soprano), Clarissa Meek (alto), Ben Hancox-Lachman (tenor) and Timothy Dawkins (bass). Some of our own choir members will be taking part in semi-choruses, and we will be accompanied by the Hailsham Sinfonia and Colin Hughes on the organ.

“We will be welcoming both the Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Pat Rodohan, and the Mayor of Hailsham, Councillor Paul Holbrook. Do come along. Tickets are £15 and £7.50 for under 18s, from wegottickets.com, Crane’s estate agent in Hailsham, and on the door.

“The last few years have not been easy for any choir. The pandemic meant we couldn’t meet of course, and although we kept in touch with online rehearsals, it was not the same. Hailsham Choral also had changes in musical directors and accompanists. But Jozik Kotz, our MD, and Will Hancox, our accompanist, have worked miracles and although numbers are still lower than they were before the pandemic, we are back to making joyful music as we did then. We welcome new members, especially tenors and basses, so if you enjoy choral singing, and would like to find your voice again, do have a look at our website or drop us a line on: [email protected].”

Also coming up, the current show at Gallery North – a community gallery in the heart of Hailsham – is a major exhibition of paintings by Australian abstract artist David Armitage. It comes in conjunction with a studio show at his home in East Sussex until the end of November.

Born in Tasmania in 1943 David studied at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology where he lectured in life drawing and portraiture during his final year. In 1967 he moved to New Zealand with his wife Ronda and took up the post of exhibitions officer at Auckland City Art Gallery, curating national and international exhibitions. He has lived in the UK since 1974 where he has continued his art practice as well as illustrating many successful children's books, authored by his wife Ronda. David has enjoyed much success, gaining respect from fellow artists and critics, and has exhibited and sold work widely, including shows in London, Edinburgh, Liverpool and Bristol, Auckland, New York and Montreal.

His new exhibition entitled Requiem offers both huge canvasses and smaller domestic-sized works adorning the walls, offering a “spiritual journey defined by the artist's deep connection to music and colour.”

David describes the title of his exhibition, Requiem, as a term which has been "associated with sorrow, mourning, and death". He has been inspired by visiting Dachau, Goya's Disasters of War and the mask/puppet images of James Ensor. davidarmitage.com and artgallerynorth.co.uk.