Music in Action

Sir Willard White

Celoniatus Ensemble - Close to You

Sat 27 Sep

Tickets from £25 to £45

Sir Willard White with Celoniatus Ensemble at Magdalen College

Enjoy an unforgettable evening with the legendary Sir Willard White at the stunning Magdalen College Chapel with the Celoniatus Ensemble. Soul-stirring performances by the acclaimed Grammy winning singer in the beautiful chapel by candlelight.

In this unmissable project, Sir Willard White pays tribute to great spirituals and folksongs before turning to the songs of Frank Sinatra and strings which resulted in the epoch-defining 1957 album Close to You. Songs include Deep River, Blow Gabriel, Summertime, and My Way.

Artists

Sir Willard White

Jamaican-born bass Sir Willard White is one of the great all-round entertainers of our era, as dazzling when performing Songbook standards as he is on the stages of the world’s great opera houses.

The Celoniatus Ensemble is directed by international soloist Harriet Mackenzie - “A knock out from start to finish” The Guardian. The Celoniatus’ players are hand picked from the finest orchestras across the UK. Their director’s recordings include concertos with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra receiving critical acclaim, including Five Stars in The Times and the ‘Top Recordings of The Year’ charts.

Programme includes:

St Paul’s Suite – Holst
The Ash Grove and The Foggy Dew (trad)
Shaker Melody & Long Time Ago - Aaron Copland
Go down Moses & Deep River (trad)

Interval

Summertime, I got Plenty of Nuttin' from Porgy and Bess - George Gershwin •
Blow Gabriel Blow - Cole Porter •
Close to You - Carl Lampl, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston •
They Didn't Believe Me - Jerome Kern, Herbert Reynolds •
My Way – Sinatra •

• (arr. Paul Cassidy)

The concert is put on by Jersey charity Music in Action which uses the power of music to help children through educational works. To see more go Music in Action's website

Many thanks to Paul Cassidy for allowing the charity to use his arrangements.