October 14, 2024 – Hampshire and Surrey Hills Men’s Choir are delighted to announce that their Christmas concert will be performed at High Cross Church in Camberley on 19th December to support the Parity charity. The concert will include seasonal numbers as well as other popular songs and feature guest performances from singer and actor Laura Sillett to help make a great evening of music and support for a very worthwhile local cause.
 
Parity for Disability is a charity that provides excellence in support and services for people with multiple disabilities, their families and carers. Laura Sillett is a professional actor, singer and musician who has performed in musicals, plays, pantomimes and touring shows and who will add even more musical excellence to the evening.

Over the last 12 months the choir has developed significantly in terms of numbers, following an innovative “pie and a pint” recruitment project, and also in quality through the expert tuition of Musical Director Philip Viveash-Brainch. 

Announcing the concert, choir Chairman, Peter Viveash, said “We are very excited about our Christmas concert. With a great combination of new and established choir members, new songs, and a wonderful guest performer we expect the evening to be a seasonal joy. We are even planning audience participation and seasonal refreshments to add to the fun.”

The Christmas Concert is on Thursday 19th December at 7:30 p.m. in High Cross Church, Knoll Road, Camberley. Tickets are available at https://www.trybooking.com/uk/DYKQ.
 

Parity

Parity for Disability is an award-winning local charity providing specialist day services in Farnborough, Camberley and Mytchett for people with multiple disabilities. The 54 people aged 18+ (called students) who use our services access specialist staff, equipment and technologies to engage in chosen activities, build friendships and networks, use and develop skills, contribute to their community – in fact, do what everyone else is doing. Parity exists because when a young person with multiple disabilities finishes full-time education, there are few services for them to call on. Families are left to cope alone. Parity's staff are trained and services equipped so everyone using them can pursue a good quality of life. 
Your support will help provide the up-to-date essentials that transform the lives of all our students. This includes technology and equipment, ensuring students have the communication tools they need and don’t spend all day in their wheelchairs. Items are needed for projects that build students’ independence skills and make the most of the movement and abilities that each person has. We aim to raise £150,000 a year so that our students can do the activities that matter to them and keep accessing the services they need. Learn more at www.parityfordisability.org.uk. 
 

Laura Sillett

Laura is a professional singer, actor and musician who trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating with a degree in Musical Theatre in 2013. Since then, she has performed in musicals, plays, pantomimes, tours and even starred as Sandy in 'Grease' on (at the time) the world's biggest cruise ship - Royal Caribbean's The Harmony of the Seas.
Laura plays multiple instruments and is usually found playing one (or 5!) in her work.
Some of her career highlights are most recently 'Barnum' at The Watermill theatre (she played the flute, clarinet, saxophone, piccolo and the double bass which she learnt for thjs job!), the international tour of 'Footloose' in 2017, and the 50th Anniversary international tour of Hair!
Laura lives in Bordon with her husband and little boy Robin who has just started school. In her spare time, she loves baking, cooking, sewing, walking, and learning new instruments of course.
She is very excited to be singing with her wonderful Dad, Dave in the concert this Christmas.

 

At the last rehearsal before their summer break, Hampshire and Surrey Hills Men’s Choir presented the donations from their summer concert to representatives of the local charity, Camberley Care. 

Choir Chairman, Peter Viveash presented donations of over £800 with Gift Aid to Camberley Care Chairman, Tony Bovenkamp, and fundraising Trustee Linda Christopher. 

The concert, at the end of June, was at High Cross in Camberley and was the first Summer Concert conducted by Musical Director Philip Viveash-Brainch and assisted by Deputy Conductor James Harrison, with accompanist Charlotte Hobbs.

Making the donation Peter Viveash said “The service that Camberley Care has been providing for 50 years is a vital resource for those in the area who are elderly or not so mobile, so we are very happy to be able to support them”.  In response, Tony Bovenkamp explained that Camberley Care is always under pressure to find extra funding and extra volunteers. This donation will make a real difference to the lives of the elderly and vulnerable in the area and on their behalf he expressed his gratitude to everyone involved.

On Friday 28th June we were delighted to take to the stage at High Cross in Camberley for our first Summer Concert conducted by Musical Director Philip Viveash-Brainch and assisted by Deputy Conductor James Harrison, with accompanist Charlotte Hobbs.

In front of a packed audience MC Sue Shoveller introduced a wide ranging programme of songs including old favourites such as "Speed Your Jouirney", "With a Voice of Singing", "Yesterday", "Working Man", "What Would I Do Without My Music", "Londonderry Air"  and "When The Saints Go Marching In"  with some relatively new items such as "A Cole Porter Medley", "Puttin On The Ritz", "Silent Worship" and the very popular  "Wellerman", a New Zealand Sea Shanty that went 'viral' during lockdown.  An innovation was the "choral hug" - a rendition of "Down To The River To Pray" sung with the choir standing around the audience. We continued the choir tradition of audience participation with Philip successfully teaching the audience to sing "This Old Freedom Train" in a round while the collection was made for supported charity Camberley Care.

We were particularly pleased to welcome 13 new members as a result of our "A Pie, A Pint and A Song" recruitment event. With just six weeks tuition they were able to join in a great number of the items and definitely contributed to the overall improved quality of the sound and enjoyment for the audience.

Guest performers, Cactus Brass, treated the audience to two sets of three items, some familiar, some new, and even included a medley of Abba tunes.