Stoughton Area Guide

If you have ever thought 'I want to join a choir near me in Guildford?' then why not join your local Rock Choir. The Guildford Rock Choir is led by local singing teacher Thomas George. Our UK top twenty album gave ordinary people the chance to become chart-topping singers, and Rock Choir is continually giving our members bigger and better opportunities to achieve things they never thought they could do - from supporting national charities like Comic Relief, Missing People and Refuge to singing at the UK's top performing arts venues such as the Hammersmith Apollo. But through all this excitement, we never lose track of our local community roots. Visit this link https://rockchoir.com/events-and-performances-near-you to see more about our activities in Surrey. Lift your spirits and rejuvenate your body and soul with a weekly hour and a half of exceptional singing tuition by joining the Guildford Rock Choir. There's no need to audition or read music, or even to perform if you're not ready, there's just a comfortable, friendly, family environment full of new friends to be made. If you are looking for a more convenient choir near Guildford or a choir on another night of the week simply visit the choir locations page at rockchoir.com. Here is a quote about our choir - 'It's all been said already, but Rock Choir is just the best, most fun and most uplifting experience ever. The more people that join, the happier this country will be. ' - Teresa (Rock Choir member) Rock Choir is a winner of the Red Ribbon 'Big Heart' Award [https://rockchoir.com/awards-achievements/]. and holds 1 former and 2 current Guinness World Records. The choir is also credited with single handedly starting the contemporary choir movement.

BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2019 Nominated Musician Of The Year one of the defining fiddle players of his generation Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2 The fiddler with the Midas touch an English equivalent of the great Irish fiddle player Martin Hayes. ★★★★ The Guardian Concert 7:00 pm (doors 6:30 pm), Workshop 2:00 - 4:30 pm Sam Sweeney played a brilliant, sold out concert at St Marys when he came to Guildford on his first totally solo tour in 2023. We invited him back as soon as we heard he was embarking on another tour. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend an intimate evening with Sam. Theres also good news for musicians, Sam will again be holding a workshop for fiddle players in the afternoon. Weve also asked Elye Cuthbertson to open the evening concert for Sam. Elye is an alumni of the National Youth Folk Ensemble and was crowned the Future Makers winner in 2022 for his solo performance at theRoyal Albert Hall after the judges were wowed by his original piece on the melodeon. SAM SWEENEY WORKSHOP FOR FIDDLE PLAYERS Sam Sweeney is a gifted musician with a wonderful talent for teaching, developed through his involvement in an impressive array of education projects, including his appointment in 2016 as the inaugural artistic director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble, teaching at the English Acoustic Collective Summer School, and leading many residential workshops at Halsway Manor, Centre for the Folk Arts. Sam focuses on expanding his students tool kits so that they can start playing tunes the way they want to play them. This includes working on bowing technique, groove, pulse and getting rhythm into tunes and getting old English tunes off the page and into the air again. To get the most from Sams teaching, participants should have at least a good basic knowledge of how to play their instrument. Ability to learn tunes by ear would be useful. SAM SWEENEY Nominated four times, and winner in 2015, of Musician Of The Year BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, Sam is a veteran of the mighty Bellowhead, former and inaugural artistic director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble, founder member of the acclaimed instrumental trio Leveret, and Britains Premier Fiddler (Songlines), at the forefront of the revival in English traditional music. Sam has also recorded and performed with The Full English, Eliza Carthy, Jon Boden & The Remnant Kings, Fay Hield & The Hurricane Party, Emily Portman, Martin Carthy, as well as his own critically acclaimed show Made In The Great War. Sweeneys playing is unearthly at times: the singular focus of this set and the level of its performance makes this an outstanding and deeply moving experience. ★★★★★- Songlines ELYE CUTHBERTSON Elye Cuthbertson has been immersing himself in English folk music since childhood under the guidance of some of the finest teachers of the tradition including Andy Cutting, Archie Churchill-MossandSam Sweeney. Elye has a unique approach to the melodeon which he expresses through his inventive interpretations of traditional tunes and his own imaginative compositions. His passion for English folk music has extended to traditions from across Europe. Elye has demonstrated his singular craftsmanship through performances around the country, including his own concert at Londons Royal Albert Hall. Both the concert and workshop are suitable for all ages (we offer a 20% discount to under 25s. Although there are no age restrictions, all under 16s must be accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult). If you have any questions, please contact us through our website https://www.folkinspiration.org/contact-us or email us at folkinspiration@gmail.com.

Update 20th March. We are investigating moving the venue for Puss in Boots and will provide more details shortly. Loosely based on the original version by Charles Perrault, the Let’s All Dance Ballet Company brings a new version of Puss in Boots about a friendship between a magical cat and a young man with a talent for music. With Puss’ help, the man finds the confidence to use his talent and to be himself, winning the heart of the Princess, her mother the Queen, and the rather snooty Marquis de Carabas. Treat your children to the magic of live, professional dance and fire their imaginations with this lovely new show for the whole family! Suitable for all, especially 2-14 year olds, including those with special needs. Running time: 40 minutes + photo opportunity.

Originally from Saskatchewan and now based on the east coast of Canada, The Deep Dark Woods takes up a deep tradition of forlorn storytelling, drawing lines from Celtic folksongs to country blues, John Fahey to Shirley Collins. Lush and devastating, Boldt's gothic surrealism is stark in detail and full of emotion, a murder balladeer for our time. Following the 2019 Juno Nomination for Contemporary Roots Album Of The Year, The Deep Dark Woods have been crafting their brand of prairie psychedelics and a loose grungy folk sound (Paste) for over ten years. Their sound is rooted in tradition, drawing inspiration from sounds out of the U.K. and Appalachia. Ryan Boldt, the band's songwriter and singer, is known for his deep voice and rich storytelling.

London Concertante brings Vivaldi’s masterpiece to life in a wonderful concert featuring gems of baroque music. This concert features Vivaldi’s Four Seasons; a jewel of the composer’s extraordinary ability to illustrate moods as diverse and contrary as violent winds or birdsong, fox hunts and drunken stumbles! We combine this with one of the most beautiful pieces for the violin, Vaughan-Williams’ transcendental "The Lark Ascending", which takes you on a journey to the heights of poetic nature’s landscapes. A stunning concert celebrating the virtuosity of the violin in all its forms.

Guildford "Spring" Youth Project presents The Little Mermaid Jr. The workshop will run from 10am to 5pm Monday to Thursday with a performance at 6pm on the Thursday (17th April). Suitable for ages 5 to 15. Journey "under the sea" with Ariel and her aquatic friends in Disney's The Little Mermaid JR., adapted from Disney's Broadway production and the motion picture (featuring the enormously popular Academy Award-winning music and delightfully charming book and lyrics). Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen's most beloved stories, Disney's The Little Mermaid JR. is an enchanting look at the sacrifices we all make for love and acceptance. In a magical underwater kingdom, the beautiful young mermaid, Ariel, longs to leave her ocean home — and her fins — behind and live in the world above. But first, she'll have to defy her father, King Triton, make a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, and convince the handsome Prince Eric that she's the girl whose enchanting voice he's been seeking. Written to flow seamlessly between land and sea, Disney's The Little Mermaid JR. provides plenty of opportunities to bring these locations to life through creative movement and configurations. The fantasy of being underwater means your entire cast and crew can let their imaginations run wild. Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater Book by Doug Wright Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film. This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI