www.inspirationuk.com

The massed voices of Inspiration present

Sail On Titanicwith The Orchestra of Opera NorthTo commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of SS Titanic,Inspiration and The Orchestra of Opera North bring you a moving concertcelebrating the power of the sea, with music from both the famous filmand stage show. We will also be including other water-related numberssuch as Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, Deep River, Under the Sea andShenandoah. Waterproofs are optional.

25 March 2012, 4pm, Leeds Town HallBox office: 0113 224 3801www.leedsconcertseason.com

Sunday 18 December 2011, 4pmLeeds Town Hall

Music Director: Gary Griffiths

EverywhereChristmas Tonight

Inspiration and The Orchestra of Opera North present

Merry ChristmasWell it’s Christmas again. Doesn’t it come round quickly? And spare a thought for

all of us in Inspiration – we have been rehearsing Christmas music since

September. We hope you will think it’s worth it though. The music in this year’s

Christmas concert is the usual mix of the familiar and the unexpected, including

our tribute to the master of music for the holidays, Mr Henry Mancini. This

gorgeous music is a completely new style for us, with very complex eight-part

harmonies – a challenge to which the singers have risen with great gusto. Listen

out especially for the melting chocolate sounds in White Christmas, and the

perky ‘DooDoos’ in Rudolph.

We have said goodbye to one of our tenors this term, Raymond Hallam, who

passed away peacefully just a few weeks ago. Some of you will remember him as

our very own ‘Santa Claus’ (or maybe Uncle Albert) with his full white beard and

twinkly eyes. Raymond loved being in Inspiration and we loved having him in our

family. Towards the beginning of each term I sometimes get the new singers up

on stage with me at rehearsal to listen to the choir ‘from the front’. I remember

this term we sang Little Drummer Boy for them and I can see Raymond singing

his heart out for the new members. He will be missed.

Our extra events continue to thrive as well. We have just returned from Paris,

where we were privileged to be invited by Disney to launch their first ever

Christmas Choral Spectacular at Disneyland Paris. I think Mickey was very

impressed with us. We are also planning a tour next year to the Edinburgh

Festival in August and we continue to take our singing into the community with

many and varied concerts for charity.

I hope you have a happy and healthy Christmas.

Gary

Silver Bells

Featured in the 1951 film‘The Lemon Drop Kid’, thissong has been recorded

by both Bob Hope and his‘Road To…’ co-star

Bing Crosby.

Gary GriffithsInspiration Music DirectorGary was born in 1966 and educated at

Wolverhampton Grammar School where he first

started to sing in choirs and also started to play

oboe and percussion. Eventually he became

principal oboist of Wolverhampton Youth Orchestra

and principal percussionist of Wolverhampton

Concert Band.

He went on from Wolverhampton to York University

to study music, continuing to play oboe and

percussion and of course singing. He played or sang in most of the department’s

ensembles and also sang in the Yorkshire Bach Choir under the inspirational

directorship of Peter Seymour.

He graduated in 1988 and stayed in York to live, working as a Songman in the

choir of the beautiful Minster. With the Minster Choir he sang in many of the

world’s great cathedrals and churches in the USA and Europe and many of

the major concert halls in the UK. The Choir has made numerous recordings

and broadcasts.

Whilst at university he discovered his love of musical theatre. Eventually he joined

York Light Opera Society, first as a playing chorus member, later becoming their

Chorus Master. He also became Musical Director for Pickering Musical Society

and Sing Live. It was orchestrating ‘Annie’ for Pickering that led him to start his

own business, arranging and orchestrating for local groups.

On the non-musical side, Gary is an excellent cook

and is also a member of the Rollercoaster

Club of Great Britain.

Andy BoothRehearsal AccompanistAndy Booth is a professional MD and Pianistfrom Chesterfield who runs his own productioncompany, FONO Productions, and has recentlyworked with Evolution Pantomimes, Croft MusicalTheatre Company and Kenwright Productions.

As a pianist Andy can be found playing forOrchestras, Big Bands and Soloists. His morenotable work includes The Isle of Man PromenadeConcerts 2005, The Rightful Owners of the SongProject and regularly plays for Inspiration, The NickRoss Orchestra, Strictly Come Dancing, the contesting UK teams in theWaterford International Light Opera Festival and for many jazz artists.

Besides all this, Andy still finds time to be the Chair and Musical Director of theBarlow Annual Promenade Concerts, run his own mini jazz club (Mister B’s), MDs,conducts, composes, accompanies and consults for a number of choirs, music groups and festivals.

Mark DeeksAccompanistMark works as a part-time lecturer in music atNew College Durham. Having played piano for 29years, Mark has built up a weath of experience asa freelance performer, musical director, arrangerand teacher. He recently co-wrote and starred in‘Monopolise’, a comedy musical by BBC’s AlfieJoey, and was MD for ‘Buddy’ and ‘Doctor Dolittle’at Whitley Bay Playhouse. Mark is the rehearsalpianist and assistant arranger for Inspiration,regularly works as a function pianist and his debutalbum of folk-influenced, acoustic songs was released in 2010. Mark holdsthe Diploma of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in pianoteaching, is currently studying for a PhD with the University of Leeds, looking at Nordic National Identity, Heritage and Mythology in Heavy Metal and hasrecently started to have some of his research published. For more information, or to hire Mark, please visit www.piano-player-newcastle.co.uk.

Silent Night

Legend has it that the tuneto ‘Silent Night’ (‘Stille Nacht’)

was composed on Christmas Eve.On hearing that the church organwas broken, Father Joseph Mohr

asked Franz Gruber to write amelody suitable for guitar

accompaniment.

The Orchestra of Opera North, Classic FM’s Orchestra in Yorkshire, is the onlyensemble in the country to have a year-round dual role in the opera houseand concert hall.

It has important relationships with Leeds International Concert Season and theregion’s choral societies, and is the resident Orchestra for the Leeds ConductorsCompetition, the National New Composers Forum and the orchestral concertseasons in Kirklees.

The Orchestra has a strong commitment to education work and many of theplayers are outstanding teachers with several holding professorships at the Royal Northern College of Music and at Universities within the region.

It has received international recognition for its recordings, with releases onChandos, Collins Classics, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Hyperion and Naxos, and has toured abroad both with the whole Company and independently tomany European countries and regularly performs at venues throughout the UK.

First ViolinsPeter Maslin* (Leader)Andrew Long (Associate Leader)Stephen Shulman*Eileen Spencer* Michael Ardron*Brian ReillyClaire OsborneTamsin Symons

Second Violins Katherine NewAnita Chidsey*Catherine BakerHelen GreigWendy DysonAlison Dixon

Violas David Aspin Elizabeth Wyly*Howard Breakspear*Clare Fox

CellosSally PendleburyJudith BurginAndrew Fairley*Zoë Long

BassesPeter FryClaire Sadler

Flutes Kevin GowlandDavid Moseley*

OboeRichard Hewitt

Clarinets Colin HonourSarah Masters

BassoonDavid Baker

Horns John PrattAndrew LittlemoreMax Garrard

Trumpets Michael Woodhead*Mark Addison Jim Bulger Mark Woodhead

TrombonesGary McPheeRobert Burtenshaw*

Bass TromboneChristian Jones

TubaBrian Kingsley*

TimpaniMarney O’Sullivan

PercussionChristopher Bradley*Graham Hall

KitSteven Pycroft

HarpRhian Evans

PianoMark Deeks

Bass GuitarRichard Dodd

Chorus and Orchestra Director:Douglas ScarfeOrchestra Manager: Hattie GarrardLibrary Manager: Andrew Fairley*Librarian: Victoria BellisStage Manager: Christopher LaddsOrchestra Attendant: Oliver PikeMusic Secretary: Helen Stephens*

* Opera North Company member for 25 years or more

O Come All Ye FaithfulReading and Wade

Love Divine Came DownTraditional, Wesley

The Pipers’ CarolTraditional, Martin

Let Heaven And Earth ReplyProkofiev and Martin

A Christmas CarolChesterton

Away In A MangerTraditional

Breath Of HeavenGrant and Eaton

Penny Wilson

Do You Hear What I Hear?Regney and Baker

Go Tell It On The MountainTraditional

The Twelve Days Of ChristmasNorwich

A Call To ChristmasHandel and Watts

Everywhere Christmas TonightBrooks and Martin

The Christmas Song(Chestnuts Roasting)Tormé and Wells

White ChristmasBerlin

Silver BellsLivingston and Evans

Twas The Night Before ChristmasAnonymous

Rudolph The Red Nosed ReindeerMay and Marks

Frosty The SnowmanRollins and Nelson

Silent NightGruber and Mohr

A Christmas BlessingJernigan

Hallelujah To The KingWebb

Little Drummer BoyDavis

Everywhere Christmas TonightPart one Part two

White Christmas

Versions of this popularsong have been recorded by

artists as varied as AndyWilliams, Otis Redding,

Bob Marley, Michael Bubléand Boy George.

Rudolph The RedNosed Reindeer

Originally created in 1939 as apromotional Christmas story

for American department storeMontgomery Ward, writerRobert L May considered

calling his reindeer Rollo orReginald, before settling

on Rudolph.

Love Divine Came Down

The opening lines of thissong are taken from ‘Love CameDown At Christmas’ by Christina

Rossetti, whose poem ‘In TheBleak Midwinter’ has also been

transformed into one ofour most popularChristmas carols.

Our singersBrenda AdamsJudith AdamsMaralyn AdeyPat AinleyJanet AldhamGloria AllawayEnid AllinsonDe’Anne AmblerMary ArmitageAnne AustwickClaire BakerRosemary BallJennifer BalmforthCatherine BarracloughPat BassanoRosemary BayfordBarbara BedfordJean BishopAlan BlackSally BlackAllan BlueJanet BlueJulie BoldyCarolyn BoothChristine BottomSheila BouldAlison BoyeDenise BrayHelen BretonMollie BrumfittHetley BurnhamBettie BushMarilyn BushAngela ButcherJulie ButtersPat ByrneMaria CameronNick CameronVanda CameronFiona Campbell HallJudith CarterAnn ChamberlainGaynor ChaplinPauline ChidseyBarbara ClarkNeil ClarkeSally ClarkeSheila ClarkeKirsty CobbJulia CockcroftRob CopeHelen CourtmanMargaret Couzens

Debbie CowlingGraham CrollJim CunliffeCatherine DakinDoromie DaviesJenny DavisMarian DavisJohn DawSusan DayGeoff DickinsonVal DickinsonRowena DobsonMilly DonaldsonKaren DouglasLinda DredgePeter DredgeMark DrummondHelen DukePeter DukeJane DunneCelia EasthamJanice EastwoodCheryl EliasPauline FarnworthBrenda FinchettSheila FitzgeraldJo FlanneryChristine FlecknoeMervyn FlecknoeBrian FletcherChris FolkardLynne FolkardHazel FordhamWendy ForrestSarah-Jane FoxtonSue FoxtonLiz FranklinMichel FreemanChris Gale Sheila GibbsCaroline GibsonMarilyn GillisAlison GlewMary GorneyHelen GraceMichaela GreasleyAdrian GreenwoodLynne GreepRita GriceKatie GrovesPatricia GwynneJenny HaighSusan Haigh

Marie HallSue HallColin HallewellCarol HallsworthStephanie HansellJanelle HardacreJanet HardwickRaymond HardwickElaine HardySally HarrisonSue HarrisonPat HartleySheena HastingsElizabeth HawkheadFiona HayLynne HegartyJo HemsworthDiane HensonRobert HensonAudrey HerrouAnne HeyhoeDavid HeyhoeElaine HillJude HillKath HinchcliffeMaureen HirstChristine HodgsonTom HollowayBarbara HolmesCarol HorwoodMarilyn HoughMargaret HowardDerek HudsonJoan HudsonLisa HudsonRose HudsonJan HunterTricia HutchinsonFreda IllingworthIsabella InmanJean IrvinTina IrvingBernie JacksonPam JaggerLiz JarrattMavis JohnsonSue KeenFelicity KennedyMargaret KerinsDiane KershawPauline KettlewellMalcolm Kleiman MBEWendy Knowles

Jane LarderKathy LawnPatricia LawrenceHelen LaycockJayne LaycockJim LeathleyCaroline LedgardHazel LeeRainy LeeValerie LeeEion LindsayRita LindsayPaula ListerVictoria LittlewoodDeborah LongJack LyttleAllison McCrackenAmanda McNicholasJulia ManderPenny MansonVera MarkovicCarol MarshallFay MarshallBarbara MartinAndrea MasseyJosie MedvedTamsin MellorCarly MitchellTess MooneySally MooreJ Marian MoranDavid MorlandCatherine MorleyJoan MoseyBrian MunnochMaureen MyersJanet NewsomeJan OddyDean PatrickJudith PaxtonDianne PeelNadine PembertonMaryline PineauErnest PollardFreda PollardCarmel PotterKaren PotterElaine PowellPatricia PrattJulie PriestleyJean PurcellSandra RawdingMargaret Rhodes

Kezia RobertsMalcolm RobertsMatthew RobertsRita RobertsTrudi RobertsStephanie RobinsonJudith RowanChristine RowlandsCarole SaulCharlotte SayerLynn ShadfordRuth ShakespeareJulia ShawClare ShoesmithJill ShoesmithLiz SibsonSusan SilkstoneDaniela SimonatoKirsty SkimmingBeverlie SmithCatherine SmithJohn Smith

Joy SmithJulie SmithJulie SmithJacqueline SomersideHelen SpeightHelen SpencerGraham StandringPatricia StandringAnne SteadJannine StewartJames StockAnne StoreyEvelyn StoreyRachel StroudCarole SullivanBarbara SumroyAntony SuttillMargaret SuttillDorothy SwallowClare SwindellHilary SykesCatherine Tausney

Dani TaylorEmily TaylorHelen TaylorIan TaylorPenny TharrattSue ThistlethwaiteJules ThomasJayne ThompsonSue ThorpAlma ThropChristine TomensonSusan TootellKrystyna TrybulaSusan WaineGill WainwrightLesley WalesChristine WalkerLiz WalkerAlison WarrenJanice WeldonAndrea WellsLisa Wells

Alison West-LaySue WhelanSue WhiteSue WhitelawSandra WhitsonGill WildeKaren WilkinsonSheila WillisAnn WilsonKim WilsonPenny WilsonSue WilsonYvette WindowsJennifer WolfeElaine WormwellCathy WrigglesworthAnne WrightSheila WrightSusan WrightCarole YeomansRobin Young

Frosty The Snowman

Although a popular festivesong, ‘Frosty The Snowman’doesn’t actually contain theword ‘Christmas’ anywhere

within the lyrics.

Inspiration teamChristine RowlandsChristine has been performing in and working with

Inspiration since its conception. As well as perfecting

the art of getting over 300 singers seated, she

choreographs for the choir and assists with the

lighting at the Newcastle concert.

Christine would like to wish all the members of Inspiration,

Opera North and their friends and families a very

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Barbara SumroyMonday nights are choir nights and, as the rehearsal

manager, I love greeting everybody as they come through

the door. Singing is like a drug, you end up wanting more,

especially when you get a comedy double act in the

disguise of Griffiths (Gary) and Booth (Andy). I don’t

know why, but they remind me of Statler and Waldorf

from The Muppets:

Booth: “They aren’t half bad.” (talking about the choir)

Griffiths: “Nope they’re ALL bad.”

Anyway, we are always kept chuckling, and that’s what

keeps people coming back! Hope you enjoy our

Christmas cracker of a concert!

Jane LarderJane has always enjoyed singing, but it wasn’t until she

met Gary that she had the chance to do more than sing

in the church choir. She looks forward to greeting her

Inspiration family each week and sharing their laughter

and tears.

The extra space for rehearsals at the Civic Hall means

that, as long as Christine can fit us on stage, we have

room to expand and I look forward to meeting old and

new inspirationers in January.

Liz GreenNarratorLiz Green is delighted to narrate today’s concert

with Inspiration and The Orchestra of Opera North.

Multi award-winning journalist, radio and television

broadcaster Liz Green is based in Leeds and has

broadcast for the BBC for 15 years.

Liz is the Yorkshire Media Personality of the Year,

2011. She hosts Liz Green Live, the lunchtime radio

news and current affairs interactive show, 12pm to

3pm across BBC Radio in Yorkshire. The show

includes One On One, an hour in conversation with the people who make

Yorkshire what it is.

Liz has broadcast for BBC Radio across the networks and regularly interviews

leading politicians, captains of industry, news makers and commentators as well

as being acknowledged as being a great communicator with her audience. Her

skills as a journalist in the broadcast media have won her the coveted radio Sony

Gold award twice; the highest accolade the industry can offer. Liz was nominated

as Speech Broadcaster of The Year in the 2011 Sony Radio Awards. She is also a

past winner of the Yorkshire Young Achiever Award for Personality of the Year

and was awarded Silver in this year’s Frank Gillard Awards for Radio Presenter

of The Year.

Born in Huddersfield, Liz is a proud Yorkshire woman. A huge fan of Inspiration,

she is honoured to be able to narrate this concert.

She says this: “Now I know it’s Christmas! Welcome to this fantastic celebration

of the very best musical tradition this time of year offers us. Prepare to be

uplifted, moved, entertained. Inspiration is the very essence of our community

coming together to celebrate Christmas. I am, as always, in awe of the power and

skill of this company. This will be the best concert you will see and hear this

Christmas. Congratulations to Inspiration and the Orchestra of Opera North –

have a fantastic Christmas and a peaceful 2012."

You can follow Liz on Twitter @lizgreenlive.

Programme designed by Penny Wilson E: pw@penny-wilson.co.ukProgramme printed by Media Solutions E: info@mediasolutionsplus.co.ukPictures courtesy of Penny Wilson, Rayburn Tours (Francesca Bridges), Gary Griffiths,Michelle Bedell and Yorkshire Post Newspapers.

Thanks to…Thanks as always to everyone who helps with the smooth running of Inspiration.

To Barbara (Sumroy and Sheehan) Jane and Jan, Peter and Linda, Andy (without

whom it wouldn’t be possible), Mark, David, Chris, Penny, Sue (my driver) and of

course Dougie and all at Opera North.

Dates for your diary‘Sail On Titanic’ with Inspiration and The Orchestra of Opera North25 March 2012, Leeds Town Hall

Box Office: 0113 224 3801www.leedsconcertseason.com

‘Sail On Titanic’ with Inspiration and Northern Sinfonia31 March 2012, The Sage Gateshead

Ticket Office: 0191 443 4661www.thesagegateshead.org

Do You HearWhat I Hear?

Composed in 1962 by husbandand wife team Regney andBaker, ‘Do You Hear What

I Hear’ was written as aplea for peace during the

Cuban Missile Crisis.

EverywhereChristmas Tonight

This festive song haslyrics by Episcopal priestPhillips Brooks who also

collaborated on the popularcarol ‘O Little Town

Of Bethlehem’.