Workshop 2025 – Puccini and Pastries
Our workshop this year focused on the Puccini’s Messa di Gloria. He composed it as his graduation project in 1880. The work is renowned for its lyrical richness and operatic style. It reflects Puccini’s early talent, foreshadowing his later operatic masterpieces.
We were delighted that the workshop was led by our President, renowned singer and expert choral conductor John Hobbs. Simon Dunbavand, our Director of Music, was the organist for the workshop.
PREVIOUS WORKSHOPS
2021 Our 150th year
The first, Messiah, workshop was held on 6 November 2021 to celebrate the Choir’s ‘official’ birthday. Conducted by Simon Dunbavand the workshop culminated with a celebration tea and birthday cake, well more than one if we are truthful 😉
2022
The second in the series was led by the talented and inspirational Simon Dunbavand and worked on Gloria John Rutter at St Matthias Church, Wellswood, Torquay on Saturday 12 February 2022.
The workshop was open to the public, and concluded with a performance to which family and friends were invited.
The third workshop, run in March, was A Ceremony of Psalms led by the composer, Paul Drayton.
Paul has worked with a diverse range of musical genre and musicians including Duchy Opera, St Austell Community Choir, New College Choir Oxford, John Nettles (in an evening of words and music) and recently from Truro Cathedral and broadcast on Radio Three.
Both works were intended to be performed at our concert on Saturday 21 May at St Matthias Church, Torquay.
However, Covid-19 intervened and many choir members found that they had missed too many rehearsals to take part in the concert. The Committee were left with the regrettable decision that the concert should be cancelled.
To keep the Choir together for the rest of the season and to do something positive for the community, despite the pandemic it was decided to run a workshop open to all and to put on a scratch performance by the choir in the evening to which the public were invited.
The work chosen was Faure’s Requiem and the intention was to perform a concert in memory of those who had been affected by the pandemic with all profits being donated to the Torbay & South Devon Charitiable Fund in thanks for the care offered by our local NHS. Conducted by Robin Stubbs and accompanied by Simon Dunbavand on the organ at Paignton Parish Church, the afternoon and evening were very successful.
2023
Our 2023 workshop was in memory of Mark Saxelby. Mark was a driving force behind the choir’s success. The workshop raised funds for Rowcroft Hospice.
Workshop 2024
Our 2024 workshop focused on choruses from Handel’s Messiah and raised money the RNLI in its bi-centennial year. The workshop was led by Robin Stubbs, supported by Simon Dunbavand on the organ.
SOUTH DEVON CHOIR 