8 March 2008 Yarm Parish Church (Saint Mary Magdalene)
Michaelmas Singers and
Cleveland Consort. 7.30pm

For a copy of the programme: Click Here  

       ..Music of the Tudors..
16th Century Anthems and  Byrd 4-part Mass 
With viol music from the Cleveland Consort 
Conductor: Matt Lennox 
Tickets £5.00 or pay at the door.
phone - 01642 590044, 
or e-mail michelmas.singers@tiscali.co.uk 

The Michelmas Singers are a renowned mixed choir performing a wide range of music both unaccompanied and with orchestras, specialising in music of the 16th and 20th centuries. There are 25-30 singers giving 4-8 concerts per year.Founded on Michelmas day 1967, they are now in their 41st season and under a new conductor – Matt Lennox who joined in 2008.Favourite composers include Monteverdi, Byrd, Purcell, Poulenc, Parry and Vaughan-Williams, but the choir has a very wide repertoire. Concerts range from intimate unaccompanied performances of madrigals and part songs through to major and challenging works of the choral repertoire with orchestral accompaniment. The choir is always keen to perform for charities.

23 April 2008 United Reformed Church, Stockton
Organ Recital by George McPhee
(Click here for a downloadable poster)
George McPhee was born in Glasgow and was a student at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and at Edinburgh University. He studied organ with the late Herrick Bunney and later, with the assistance of a Cross Trust Scholarship, with Fernando Germani in Italy. Prizes include the Sir Donald Francis Tovey Prize at Edinburgh University and the Limpus Prize for the FRCO examination as well as the Silver Medal of the Worshipful Company of Musicians.
He was Assistant Organist of St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh for four years before his present appointment as Director of Music at Paisley Abbey in 1963. At that time he also joined the staff of the RSAMD where he became Senior Lecturer in Academic Studies as well as teacher of organ. He also had responsibilities for choral activities.
George McPhee has been in frequent demand as an organ recitalist in this country and abroad, particularly in North America, and has broadcast and recorded frequently as a soloist and as a conductor.
As composer and arranger he has many published works, both sacred and secular.
In 1991 he was made a Fellow of the Royal School of Church Music in recognition of his services to church music in Scotland and in 1995 he was awarded an MBE. In July 1997 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate by the University of Paisley.
In 2000 George McPhee was President of the Incorporated Society of Musicians and is currently Professor of Organ at St. Andrews University. He is also a Vice President of the Royal College of Organists. (excerpt from http://www.scottishmusiccentre.com/)