Since Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears and Eric Crozier founded the Aldeburgh Festival in 1948 Aldeburgh has remained the epicentre for musical excellence in East Anglia.

From its inception it drew on the distinctiveness of Aldeburgh and its surroundings and these Suffolk roots included not only the community as audience and onlookers but also as participants. In 1952 John Stevens, Aldeburgh’s pharmacist, tackled Benjamin Britten on the subject of music in Aldeburgh. He was, like a number of other Aldeburgh residents, a gifted and enthusiastic musician and wanted to have music in the town throughout the year, not merely during the three week Aldeburgh Festival in June. Britten was delighted with the idea and offered his own home – Crag House - as meeting place for those interested in setting up a music club in Aldeburgh.

The first meeting of the Aldeburgh Music Club was held on 6 April 1952 and an orchestra and choir of around 30 members including Benjamin Britten, Peter Pears and Imogen Holst were soon meeting and performing regularly. Aldeburgh Music Club has grown and still flourishes and under their Director of Music, Edmond Fivet, performs regular concerts at Snape Maltings Concert Hall and at Aldeburgh, Orford and Blythburgh Churches.

Concert Review
Saturday 29 November 2008 Snape Maltings Concert Hall.
A well programmed and memorable concert making the very most of the excellent acoustics of the concert hall

VIVALDI Gloria is one of the most popular classical pieces for choirs to perform creating challenges for the conductor looking for originality and new interest. Fivet succeeded admirably, his neat, no fuss conducting bringing joy and drama to this excellent performance, the orchestra, under its leader, Pam Munks, steady and professional, the Aldeburgh Music Club comfortably able throughout, their clarity and diction admirable.

Soloists Rachel Nicholls, soprano and Catherine King, mezzo soprano shared a sensitivity and clarity worthy of their reputations; their voices free and flowing, their delight in the music exuding from every note.

HAYDN Insanae et vanae curae: This splendid, but rarely performed Haydn motet was ably performed by the Ipswich School Choir under conductor William Saunders. The choir, which included a number of excellent trebles, was slightly hampered by a couple of would be soloists within the tenors but this is no way spoilt the overall success of the piece.

MOZART Mass in C: A faultless performance by all concerned. A great choir - combining the talents of both Aldeburgh Music Club and Ipswich School Choir- for this demanding large scale cantata mass

This is a grand piece and this performance did not disappoint in any way. The quality of tempi and phrasing was superb, with delightful solo singing and roof raising choral sections. An utterly uplifting evening!

The next public concert with the Aldeburgh Music Club Choir will be an evening of Sacred Choral Music at
St Peter and St Paul Church, Aldeburgh on Saturday 7 March 2009 at 7.30 pm with guest conductor Christopher Tinker
Tickets £12.00 from Aldeburgh Music Box Office, High Street, Aldeburgh tel: 01728 687110

Interested in joining the Aldeburgh Music Club?
Rehearsals for the next concert begin on Tuesday 6 January at Aldeburgh Community & Sports Centre at 7.30 pm. Tel 01728 602217.