Welcome to the Edwin James Festival Choir and Orchestra official website.
The choir's aim is to promote the art form - MUSIC IS LIFE - involving local people in the choir and orchestra bringing a wide range of music to the Arun area, by local people for local people.
Our passion is music and we raise money for many different charities.
We hope you enjoy looking through our website. You will find different ways to contact us, whether you wish to become a choir or orchestra member or just support us by coming to see our concerts.
Thank you for taking the time to support us.
Our Next Concert - New Year "Love Story"
Our Orchestra present their New Year concert "Love Story" featuring tradition pieces by Johann Strauss plus selections from My Fair Lady, Phantom of the Opera, Me and My Gal plus much much more!
Tickets £10 adults / £4 children.
Date: 19th January 2019
Doors open 2:15pm
Performance commences 3:00pm
The concert is in aid of our 3 chosen charities:
Venue: St James Church, East Ham Road, Littlehampton BN17 7AN
Latest News
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
All of us at the Edwin James Festival Choir and Orchestra wish you a Happy New Year and a 2019 filled with love, joy, happiness and good health.
Click here to read our latest Press release
THE POWER OF LOVE
Choir member, Lorna, has been inspired by the power of love to organise a concert to raise money for dementia sufferers.
The song it is named after has a special meaning for her, due to her husband Colin's ten year battle with the disease.
With a great line up of singers and special guests, this is a concert not to be missed!
The concert will be held at St James Church, East Ham Road, Littlehampton on 26th January 2019 at 7:30pm. Tickets are £5 on the door.
Read the full press release here
MAYOR OF LITTLEHAMPTON- CIVIC SERVICE
The choir will be attending this annual service hosted by the Mayor which celebrates all the groups, organisations and individuals that make Littlehampton special.
It is being held at St Mary's Church, Littlehampton on 17th February 2019 at 3:00pm. All are welcome to attend.
Under the direction of Chris Allen and James Rushman, the choir have turned their attention to promoting and supporting St. James Church and Hall in East Ham Road, Littlehampton as a Community Hub following the closure of the church with no further services being held. Enquiries and bookings can be made via 01243 582330.
Events timetable:
COFFEE AND CHATTER MORNINGS - every Friday 10:30am to 12 midday serving delicious cakes!
Click Here to view full details.
Main charities - Year to July 2019
We are supporting the following charities for the year to July 2019:-
Review of our last concert - WINTER WONDERLAND "Glitz and Glamour"
The choir presented an enchanting mix of traditional carols, Christmas songs and well-known seasonal easy listening numbers complemented on Saturday afternoon with the Church organ being played.
Attended by the Mayor of Littlehampton for the Friday performance, he said:-
“Come Friday evening I was at St James Church for the Winter Wonderland concert on a glitz and glamour theme so lots of the
audience arrived dressed to impress! With lots of well-known Christmas songs to get everyone in the spirit it was a wonderful show. The choir also managed to squeeze in a few less familiar numbers
including Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer, I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas, and The Wonderful Christmas Pig. Having attended a number of the choir’s concerts it was a delight to be asked to
take part by reading the poem A Visit from St Nicholas which is actually one of my favourites. The night concluded with Feliz Navidad but not before everyone had to perform the 12 Days of Christmas,
or should that be the 12 Days of Glitzmas? It has become one of the choir’s traditions to rewrite the song and hand out song sheets to everyone, each with only two or three of the lines of the
song so everyone joins in by standing and singing a section, and the church was filled with laughter.”
Concert soloists were Alison Pavey (alto – This is Me) and Lorna Moore (soprano – O Holy
Night) with the choir sounding beautiful singing Sussex Carol, Sleep Holy Child and an acapella version of Silent Night with a candle lit entrance to start the 2nd
half.
Friday’s concert proceeds supported the choir music fund to enable the purchase of new music in 2019, while the matinee performance supported our three main charities, St Barnabas House, Chestnut Tree House and St Wilfred’s Hospice.
Children and adults alike were treated on Saturday to fun with 4 mascots – the choir's “Hampton the Hedgehog", St Barnabas House “Barnabee”, Chestnut Tree House “Sidney the Squirrel” and St Wilfred's Hospice “Wilf” with a wonderful ending to this year’s concert when the audience were encouraged to dance and party with the white feather boas (see photos and video below).
Happy Christmas everyone!
Fascinating Facts
Fact 1 - During our financial year to December 2017, the choir directly raised £4,243.61 for charities and good causes:-
- St James Church, Littlehampton
- MacMillan Nurses
- Enable Me
- Cancerwise
- Mission to Seafarers
- St Barnabus Hospice
- Alzheimers
- Sussex Hospice
- Littlehampton Musical Comedy Society
- United Church, Littlehampton
- Royal British Legion
- Rustington Lions
The total raised over the last 20 years is £140,000!
Fact 2- The choir has its roots in the church so is often perceived as a church choir but it is very much a community choir.
We are a not-for-profit performing arts charitable organisation serving the Littlehampton and surrounding areas. Being a community choir:-
- there are no auditions although the Musical Director will want to assess your voice.
- the choir is not affiliated to any particular idea, culture or organisation (e.g. church or other faith group, particular style of music).
- no prior musical knowledge is required (e.g. the ability to read music).
- People are not excluded on the basis of age, race, gender,disability, sexual orientation etc.
- we are a group of people singing together, united by our love of music, which has created a strong sense of community.
- we have an organising committee which represents the views of the choir as a whole, and who also help to run social events for the choir.
Fact 3 - For 2018, we are proud to have had 93 Patrons, 3 Life Members and 1 Honorary Life Patron.
Website created : August 2015
Last updated : 15th January 2019
Number of Visitors:
MUSIC
"Speaks what cannot be expressed,
Soothes the mind and gives it rest,
Heals the heart and makes it whole,
Flows from Heaven to the soul."
CONTACT US TODAY!
Ticket Booking Line:
+44 1243 582330 +44 1243 582330
Membership Booking line:
+44 1903 502262
Email : edwinjamesfestivalchoir@gmail.com
Or use our contact form.
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