Welcome to our February News
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Cantiones is already working with its new Musical Director, Tony Coupe, exploring the genius of Mozart in preparation for the annual Spring Concert to take place at 3:30 on Saturday 12th April in Oswestry’s Christ Church. The choir, joined by Soprano Natasha Hendickse-Welsh and Tenor, Joe Martin, will sing Mozart’s Vespers and Coronation Mass in C.
 Director of Music at Ellesmere College, Tony is a conductor, composer and singer who brings a wealth of experience to Cantiones. Starting out as a chorister at Bristol Cathedral he went on to sing with Birmingham Cathedral Choir, Birmingham Oratory, Ex Cathedra, the Rodolphus Choir, and was part of the original cast of Sondheim’s ‘Saturday Night’.
At Ellesmere College Tony has developed music to the highest standard, embedding the skills and work ethic that he benefitted from as a child. He believes that music should be daring, challenging and fun, and encourages fellow musicians to focus on the given moment. At Ellesmere College Tony leads the Chapel, Chamber and Lower School choirs and established Ellesmere Sinfonia. As well as reaching the finals of both the Barnardo’s National Choir Competition and BBC Young Choir of the Year, Tony has taken his youth choirs to perform in a number of notable world class venues including Notre Dame de Paris, St Peter’s Basilica and The Pantheon in Rome, La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and St George’s Chapel, Windsor.
Tony also works with adult choirs and is Musical Director of Ellesmere College Choral Society as well as Shrewsbury Cantata Choir, who describe him as, “professional, extremely knowledgeable, fun and so energetic”.
Tony is no stranger to Oswestry, having been a staunch supporter of Oswestry’s vibrant annual Youth Music Festival for many years. Singers and instrumentalists from Ellesmere College are regular entrants in the Festival, achieving great success. |
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Tickets are also available by visiting Siop Cwlwm, 33 Bailey Street, Oswestry SY11 1PX. Please note the shop is closed on Thursdays. |
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Martin is a distinguished musician, teacher and composer and Cantiones has been lucky to have had him at the helm since 2020. Of course very early in his tenure we all had to deal with lockdown and the implications for a social group such as a choir. Martin threw himself into solving the various difficulties firstly with weekly zoom rehearsals and then leading us face-to-face (distanced and with masks!) in a field and a car park as well as a concert in the bandstand at Cae Glas Park. Gradually over the months rehearsals returned to normal but Cantiones only survived the pandemic with Martin’s hard work.
