2018

Thursday 17th May 2018

Amity sang at St Aubin’s Methodist Church with a varied programme of English and French motets, madrigals from the Renaissance, 20th and 21st Century sacred music, folk songs, spirituals and Big Band jazz numbers.

If ye love me - Tallis (16th c. motet)

Mignonne allons voir si la rose- Costeley (16th c. madrigal)

Tebe Poyem –Kalinnikov(19th - 20th c. Russian)

Trois Chants d’eglise-Andre Caplet ( Sanctus,Benedictus) (Latin… 20th French Composer)

Abendlied –Rheinberger (19th c. German)

Shenandoah- arr. Chilcott (American folk song) - Alison Stewart (piano)

My Lagan Love –arr. J. Farnon (Irish folk song)

Ave Verum - Mawby (Late 20th c. English composer) - Annette Blanchet (piano)

Jesu Dulcis Memoria Villette (Late 20th c. French composer)

Somebody talkin’ - Spiritual Arr. Gibbs

Bye ‘n’ bye - Spiritual Arr. Luboff  -solo Karen Spencer

Everytime we say ‘goodbye’ - Arr. Simmons

The way you look tonight - Arr. Simmons

Celtic Prayer (Barry Peters-21st c. Canadian Composer)  

Autumn leaves- (French tune-English words)

9th June 2018


The choir sang in France at L’Abbaye de Léhon, near Dinan in Brittany with the concert starting at 2030 The concert poster can be downloaded here. We sang with a local choir, Musicalement Vôtre (MV) led by Béatrice Tronel with accompanist Peter Batley.

See a movie of our practice of If ye love me here

The programme for the first half was as follows;

Rejoice (MV) Purcell (1682/1683)

Dibedibedon (MV & AS) - Adriansen (16ème chanson)

Mignonne allons voir si la rose (AS) - Costeley (16ème)

Ce beau printemps (AS) - Mark Sirett (2008) Canadien composer, text by Pierre de Ronsard

Tebe Poyem (AS) - Kalinnikov ( 1904) - Russian composer

‘Trois chants d’eglise’ -  Sanctus et Benedictus (AS) - André Caplet (1920) French composer

Shenandoah (AS) - (Trad. American) arr. Chilcott (Alison Stewart - piano)

My Lagan Love (AS) - (Trad. Irish)  arr. J. Farnon

Mon cœur se recommande à vous (MV & AS)Lassus (16ème)

Extraits du Miserere (MV) – Zelenka 1738

Ave Verum (AS) - (1995) Colin Mawby English composer (Annette Blanchet-piano)

Jesu dulcis memoria (AS) - Pierre Villette (1994) French composer


After a short break, the evening concluded with;

If ye love me (MV & AS) - Tallis (16ème motet)  - see a movie of our practice for this here                 

Extracts of Requiem – Introitus, Dies Irae and Lacrimosa (MV) – Mozart 1791

Bye and ‘bye (AS) - (Spiritual arr. Luboff - Karen Spencer –solo)

Abendlied (AS) - Rheinberger (1855) German composer

Beati Quorum Via (AS) - Stanford (1905) English composer

Everytime we say goodbye (AS) - Cole Porter (1950) arr. Simmons

The way you look tonight (AS) – J. Kern (1936) arr. Simmons

Lullaby of Birdland (AS) Forester & Shearing (1952) arr. Carter

Dibedibedon (MV & AS) - Adriansen (16ème chanson)

Amity is about friendship as well as good music and we enjoyed some very pleasant meals together over the weekend..

This was at Au Coin de la Breizh in the centre of Dinan on the Saturday lunchtime

BBC Music Day 2018

28th September


The Pallot Steam and Motor Museum was the venue for BBC Music Day 2018 when the choir sang for BBC Radio Jersey’s afternoon show presented by Connor Burgher. The theme for the day was “Platform to Perform” with choirs singing from railway station platforms and so Pallots was chosen in Jersey due to the splendid collection of railway memorabilia gathered over the years. Members of the choir were interviewed live by Lisa Da Silva and sang the following items associated with travel and movement (in the main!): Chatanooga Choo Choo, Ticket to Ride, Autumn Leaves, Blue Skies, Every Time We Say Goodbye, Lullaby of Birdland, Shenandoah, Somebody Talkin’ About Jesus and Tebe Poyem

We recorded Shenandoah and you can here it here

St. Martin’s Methodist Church concert

11th October

The group sang in the home church of one of our members in aid of the organ fund to pay for the recent replacement of the instrument that failed at the end of last year..

The ticket price of £5 was a bargain for the concert and complementary drinks and cake afterwards in the church hall

An image of the programme is here

2018 Eisteddfod

Amity entered the Eisteddfod once again in 2018 when we were awarded Gold for our performances in the Stanley Sackett Memorial Trophy and the Pauline de Ste Croix Cup. We were also awarded the cup for the latter class.

Our program for the former class was Tebe Poyem (Victor Kalinnikov), Sing Joyfully (Byrd) and O Radiant Dawn (James Macmillan)

Our program for the latter class was Shenandoah (Bob Chilcott), Ticket to Ride (Lennon–McCartney Arr. J.Farnon) and Everytime we say ‘goodbye’ (Cole Porter)


In addition, Amity sang the in the composition class by performing Message by Duncan Miller who is a member of our tenor section.

Friday 7th December 2018


MUSIC : Amity Singers, conductor Elizabeth Farnon

WORDS : Cathy Sara

Jesus Child : John Rutter (pianist Alison Stewart)

Isaiah 9:1-7

O Radiant Dawn : James MacMillan

The Annunciation

A Maiden Most Gentle : arr Andrew Carter

Christmastide : Bob Chilcott

Lineage of Grace : Francine Rivers

Quelle Est Cette Odeur : arr David Willcocks (soloist Roy Picot)

Sleep of The Infant Jesus : arr John Farnon

Carol Singing - Susan Hill

Silent Night : Gruber, arr Malcolm Sargent

The Innocents Song – Charles Causley

Coventry Carol : Malcolm Archer (pianist Judy Egre)

The 12 Days of Christmas

Chestnuts Roasting: Torme, arr John Farnon

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: Martin & Blane, arr Bailey (soloist Gailina Liew)

Talitha’s Bolivia Trip (with Liz Shea)

Esta Noche : arr John Rutter (soloist Gailina Liew)

Thank yous

Somebody Talkin’ About : Trad Spiritual, arr Gibbs


Our last two engagements of 2018 were a concert for Talitha and singing at Stuart Court Residential Home on Saturday 8th December.

Talitha are a charity who aim to “use the arts to restore hope and rebuild broken lives” and who are supported by a local group in Jersey who have recently visited Bolivia to put this into practice. The concert overall raised an impressive sum of over £1300 towards this valuable work.

Stuart Court are a residential home “…providing excellent, professional care within surroundings where, as far as possible, emphasis is placed on creating the feeling that this is their home rather than an institution”. Reacting to the engagement, one of our singers said “I think we love going there for their warm reception and lusty singing” so it was a happy end to our season.