Caterham Overseas Aid Trust

ReCreation Singers, the Guildford - based choir committed to singing the sacred works of Surrey composer, David Perkins, are booked to bring their touring concert Rejoice and Sing to help launch this year’s Caterham Festival on Saturday 1^st June. The concert celebrates 20^th and 21^st Century Christian choral and solo music from composers including Leonard Bernstein, John Rutter, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Stephen Schwartz as well as Perkins’ newly rewritten work Song of Psalms, and extracts from his acclaimed Biblical Oratorio, Re:Creation. The 25 voice choir welcome for the first time together, John Lofthouse who performs regularly with many of the UK’s leading Opera companies and John Langley, West End Musical Theatre star.

Rejoice and Sing was devised following the London premiere of Perkins’ Re:Creation at St.John’s Smith Square and at various venues during 2011. He was invited by the UK Bible Society to help celebrate the 400^th Anniversary year of the publication of the King James Bible, when ReCreation Singers were joined by the Occam Singers, under the direction of international conductor Dr. Noel Tredinnick of BBC Songs of Praise, performing at Westminster Central Hall with John Langley singing the Voice of God.

Rejoice and Sing includes Rutter’s ever popular The Lord’s my shepherd and O be joyful in the Lord, items from Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical songs and Stephen Schwartz’s animated film score Prince of Egypt. Perkins’ Song of Psalms traces the spiritual journey of his librettist as he faced the challenges of terminal cancer, composing the emotive score which demonstrate the triumph of faith in the face of adversity. From Re:Creation comes the colourful second movement, celebrating the many creative moments described in Job Chapter 38.

Guest baritone soloist John Lofthouse sings with English National Opera, Scottish Opera, Opera Holland Park, Grange Park Opera and Opera Brava. His oratorio performances include Handel’s Messiah in Carlisle and Portsmouth Cathedrals; Mozart’s Requiem at the Royal Albert Hall; and in Cumbria: Britten’s War Requiem, Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast and Mendelssohn’s Elijah.

John Langley (tenor) has sung with the Royal Philharmonic, the BBC Concert Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall, All Souls Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. He performs regularly with three touring shows, the close harmony group Cabinet Shuffle and his own new touring concert Movies and Musicals. His West End credits include Phantom of the Opera, Whistle down the Wind and Mamma Mia.

Rejoice and Sing is on Saturday 1^st June at 8.00 p.m. at Caterham United Reformed Church Harestone Hill CR3 6SX. Admission is free with a retiring collection shared between the Caterham Overseas Aid Trust, which finances simple self-help projects using local labour and materials in developing countries and ReCreation Music which finances Re:Creation and other Perkins compositions. Interval refreshments, stalls and souvenir programmes will be available. Further details available from ReCreation Singers facilitator: Derek Wensley 01483 836776 or www.recreationtheoratorio.com