Toad Lane Concerts: John Powell baritone and Elin Rees piano

John Powell and Elin Rees

Baritone and choral director, John Powell was born in London and studied Music at Cambridge. He has lived and worked in Manchester for nearly fifty years as a member of the BBC Northern Singers (and a founder member of the Britten Singers), performing frequently on Radio, TV and at major festivals including the Proms. Recitals now form the core of his singing life.

John taught at Chetham’s for many years and ran the school's choirs. He then taught for the National Youth Choir and at Bolton School and the University of York. He now teaches privately and directs several choirs and his own chamber group, the John Powell Singers (with whom he has broadcast on BBC Radio nearly 200 times).

Welsh musician Elin Rees is a freelance accompanist, recitalist, and organist at Bury Parish Church. After study at the Purcell School, she gained a Master’s in piano at the RNCM, becoming a Junior Fellow in Accompaniment. At the same time she was the Organ Scholar at St Ann’s Church, Manchester. As an organist she is in demand as an accompanist for choirs and has performed as a soloist at Rochdale Town Hall, the Bridgewater Hall and St David’s Hall in Cardiff in the Welsh Proms.

These top-class musicians produced a sublime programme of British song at Toad Lane on 19 October. The Songs of Travel of Vaughan Williams, three songs by Gerald Finzi and George Butterworth’s Shropshire Lad cycle were intelligently and eloquently conveyed with a compelling range of expression. Some of the greatest vocal writing of the twentieth century was brought to life as fresh and relevant as ever.

Great singing and a sensitive and authoritative piano accompaniment, this would make a worthy recording.

The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade 1 listed church of St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. No refreshments available now, but the venue is Covid-19 compliant. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.

To see details of forthcoming Toad Lane Concerts, click here.

Dr Joe Dawson