Issue No.3 
April 2011
Hello Fellow Choristers!
Hi, I would like to say a big thank you to Sonja for giving us this 3rd edition of our Newsletter – hope you enjoy reading it and if there is anything you would like to see in our 4th, please let us know.
Royal British Legion 90th Celebration Concert
What a fantastic day we spent in the new auditorium in Alicante for this marvellous event. It seems a long time ago now but the feelings still run high when I think about it. From our point of view it was magical to see Crescendo in the centre with the ladies in their red jackets - it was a joy to behold. I felt very proud to be part of Crescendo. I want to thank everyone for their input in whatever manner it was but a great big thank you to Adele. First of all for the faith she had in me when she suggested that I be approached by the RBL as their Music Director (please note NOT Dirtector as printed in the programme) and also for the work she did in co-ordinating all the choirs. It amounted to a considerable lot of time and energy being spent on getting all the information etc. Thank you Adele.
For myself, it was a memorable experience to be able to be part of All Angels singing I’ll Fly Away. I just look forward to seeing the DVD, which should be with us very soon. I hope you, too, felt the occasion was very special, and one that you were proud to be an integral part of.
Chas
The concert in Alicante on Saturday 21st May has been organised by Carlos and Emma Allemand. Carlos and Emma were founder members of Crescendo until things got a bit hectic for them driving from Alicante each week coupled with working as an unpaid counsellor. Prior to that Carlos was sent to Alicante to start up the work of the Salvation Army. He and Emma both held the rank of Major before he retired due to ill health. Carlos still does all the translation necessary for Crescendo, all for free!
For those who do not know, The Salvation Army is a religion and puts it’s faith into practise in a practical way. In Alicante, as in other towns in Spain, there are many families who are living on the breadline or even below the breadline. Having identified the need they then put into operation a plan to feed as many people as possible. At the moment they are feeding in excess of 1500 people each week. This obviously costs money and this concert is to help in some way towards improving the facilities needed to feed so many people. The new couple now in charge at Alicante are being helped by Carlos and Emma who have a greater experience.
Forthcoming Concerts
Saturday 21st May
The coach for choir members will leave The Arches at Quesada at 18:00 prompt.
For those travelling direct to the venue the concert will start at 19:30 hrs. The venue is in the auditorium of Club Información, Avda. Dr. Rico 17, Alicante.
A map will be provided nearer the time.
Wednesday 25th May
Concert for the Retirement of Chas to be held in
Torrevieja Fellowship Church, Avda. de las Cortes Valencianas
Donation entry of €3. Tickets from the church every morning, or Crescendo Rehearsal, or Mary 627 014 053
A Big Thank You comes once again from the Nuns at Cartagena for the sugar and other bits and pieces we send them. Please keep those sachets coming in and bear in mind that they are more than happy to receive whatever you are prepared to bring along, be it rice, flour, pasta, dried fruit – in fact, just about anything that can be used for them to feed the 40 patients they look after. Val (Jones) will be delighted to collect your produce and pass it on.
Profiles
Jean Townson, Soprano
Jean was born in Heaton, Bradford in 1928 and joined Crescendo in 2005 after 60 years singing in both England and Spain.
Aged 17 she sang as a soloist in concerts in the Leeds areas and beat Frankie Vaughan in an audition for the BBC. In Barney Colehan’s Opportunity Knocks she was billed as ‘Yorkshire’s future Queen of Song’.
However, Jean became engaged to Rowland and put her family before her career, and the Townson family, with daughters Janice and Linda moved to York where Jean joined one of the local amateur dramatic societies appearing in over 85 shows taking many lead roles.
Jean appeared as soloist on Yorkshire Television in the annual York’s Carols in Kirkgate, the York Light Orchestra and the York Philharmonic Male Voice choir. One of Jean’s best moments was to meet her idol, the famous soprano Elizabeth Schwarzkopf when she was asked to present her with flowers.
In 1991 Jean and Rowland moved to Torrevieja where she joined Silver Belles, Air on a G String (now Cantabile), Gilbert & Sullivan and Crescendo.
Irene Oliva Andrés, Soprano and Music Teacher
In 2007, Irene graduated from the University of Alicante for Teaching Music and is now finishing her studies in Music Composition and Music Education at the Conservatoire in Murcia. Throughout her career she has attended courses on various musical subjects such as vocal technique, teaching music and music therapy.
She was part of the children’s choir at the school where she studied and has sung with the Cantablile Choir of Alicante. She has also sun with other vocal groups.
Irene has released musical works such as Meditación for piano solo; El Gato con Botas and Paisajes Velados.
She is very excited about joining Crescendo Choir in assisting with conducting and is planning to add some new pieces to our repertoire.
Sixto Manuel Herrero, Conductor, Saxophonist, Musical Director etc.etc. etc!
Sixto was born in Rafal near Orihuela. He studied the saxophone, composition and has conducted at the highest level at the conservatoires in Alicante and Valencia.
He has recorded CDs covering a great variety of music including soloist in recordings made by the Spanish National Radio. He has also taken part in world saxophone congresses in Valencia, Montreal and Minnesota.
Many of his compositions have been performed in public and he has edited several collections of music for saxophone and was granted a special prize for the second edition of the Fernando Rielo Competition for Religious Music. Among his compositions are the original sound tracks for the films Thirteen, and Concilia.
Sixto has conducted orchestras at the Mediterranean Saxophone symposia in Alicante and the Cuidad de Elche Chamber Orchestra.
He holds a doctorate on the subject of musical creativity based on Canates Mineros and at present is Head of the Composition department at the Higher Conservatoire of Music in Murcia, as well as being in charge of the music school of Los Montesinos and of its band.
Full profiles for the above will be posted on the notice board, and should you want your profile to be included in a future Newsletter, please email Sonja or Mary
The Crescendo Choir Committee
Newsletter
If you have anything to add to the Newsletter, please email :
Mary Mitchell mary7mitchell@hotmail.co.uk (965 725 641)
and please add Crescendo Newsletter in the subject box
The Website for Crescendo Choir is www.crescendo-choir.com
Please would members inform Phyl Webb (Membership Secretary) 966 785 332 if they cannot attend a rehearsal
In future all Newsletters will be emailed to Members, but if you are not on the Internet, please let Lesley or Mary know