Performance Reviews

Music @St Mary’s, Great Budworth
11.2.2023
A fundraising event for Save Ukraine and Mid Cheshire Food Bank
A thank you was received, as follows :
“Thank you so much for all your contributions @the St Mary’s concert. You were awesome. We have raised over £1300 – you really made the evening.”
Christine
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Rejoice and be Merry
at Stockton Heath Methodist Church
Monday 12th December 2022
Donations in aid of Warrington Food Bank
We received many positive and appreciative comments from the audience both those in the Church and those on Zoom
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Our Favourite Things
at Lymm Methodist Church
Monday 27th June 2022
Donations in aid of Cancer Research UK and St Rocco’s Hospice

Several friends came along to the concert and really enjoyed it. They said what a wonderful group of singers you are, very expressive and a lovely sound.

One said what beautiful voices the men have! A couple said they really enjoyed the wide variety of music, and one especially liked Beati Quorum Via. I really enjoyed a moment to sit back and listen to The Long Day Closes – it sounded beautiful.

Catherine Gellert

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“It was one of the most enjoyable BS concerts that I’ve been to, with a good balanced choir.”

Jim Carrington

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I would like to express my sincere thanks to The Bridgewater Singers for your kind donation of £150.00 in memory of Mark Bradley. What a lovely tribute to dedicate the donations from your concert at the Lymm Festival.

Your donation is very precious to us, and we want you to know that it is making a difference to the lives of our patients and their families.

We can’t thank you enough for allowing us to be there for the people in our community who need us the most.

Thank you for remembering Mark in such a thoughtful manner and in turn helping St. Rocco’s to continue its vital care.

With warmest wishes

Elaine

St Rocco’s Hospice

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12 Songs for Christmas
at Stockton Heath Methodist Church
Monday 13th December 2021
Donations in aid of Warrington Foodbank
Thank you for the lovely concert yesterday evening. Now it it’s starting to feel like Christmas should. It was really lovely being able to hear you and  see you and actually recognise you on Zoom. The picture
transmission was really good this time. A lot of the carols were familiar favourites, but some were completely new to me. Of those I particularly liked  “Torches”. I loved your rendition of the Coventry
Carol, which is one of my absolute favourites, and Silent Night with its great harmonies. Pete did a great job as compere. Thanks for supplying the gen on the songs.
It’s such a pity I couldn’t be there as I would have loved to join in the “bonus tracks”.
Emailed by a friend who joined us on Zoom from Germany
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Lovely to hear you all tonight, arousing many positive memories. Thank you for the music. Thoroughly enjoyed every second, especially spending the majority of the time seeing everyone and listening.

A happy Christmas to you all.
With love
Mark
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 ‘Living for Today’
at Stockton Heath Methodist Church
Monday 8th November 2021
Donations in aid of the RNLI and Blood Cancer UK

I had the privilege of watching my Mum’s church concert on Monday evening via Zoom as I couldn’t attend in person. Although it took a while to receive a visual image, and we lost sound occasionally, the performance was fantastic. Peter and Catherine were also both entertaining, genuine and engaging in their exchanges with the audience. I loved the mix of songs and the beautiful blend of voices. There was emotion and colour in the notes and I’m sure the effect in the church was very powerful.  ~ Lorna

From a friend who attended the concert –
“I really did enjoy the concert. It lifted my spirits. It made me relax and feel calmer.”
 
From an audience member who came to tell us during the refreshments –
” That was like the soundtrack to my life. It was just what I needed. I remember my dad buying the record of John Denver’s ‘Annie’s Song’ for my mum because it was her name. Wonderful”
An email from a friend who joined us on Zoom from Germany –
“Thank you for the lovely concert. You did a grand job with lots of great songs. It was such a shame that there were so many glitches with the transmission.
Thanks for letting us take part. We really enjoyed it. Going downstairs now to have some refreshments …”
And a few days later,
“I am really looking forward to your Christmas concert. Please let me know when it is to take place. I must admit I was so excited about the last one that I checked in an hour too early.”
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Carol Singing at Leigh Spinners Mill 1.12.2019

Leigh Spinners Heritage Centre Christmas Fair yesterday ☃️☃️☃️☃️ Thankyou so much to the Bridgewater Carol singers who gave us a fabulous display. 🤗 Kris Kelly
Lovely 👏👏.  Barbara ‘Pugh’ Trend

Thanks to the choir and the Guild.  Mary Unsworth

The choir was a joy to listen to.  Marilyn Lancaster on Facebook @ Friends of Leigh Spinners

Beautiful Choir in the Heritage centre today.  Brilliant to see the mill so bustling and the fair was excellent too.  Well done to everyone who was involved to make it happen.    Janet Howkins on Facebook
A most beautiful sound from this excellent choir.   Colin Savage on Facebook
Went in today and could hear the choir they were very good also had a walk around the stalls , really really good   L🥰🥰 it.   Noodle Shake on Facebook
Your choir was amazing, plus the lady who sang a solo in the Engine  House.
Hope you will come back soon you would all be very welcome. 😀  Suzanne Unsworth
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‘You May Say I’m a Dreamer’
Monday 21st October 2019
 St Mary’s Lymm
in aid of the Lymm and District & Thelwall Poppy Appeal

Excellent last night; enjoyed from the moment we stepped in to church.

Well done on your solo Val, always love hearing you sing .

The song ‘I didn’t raise my boy to be a soldier ” brought tears to my eyes. I found the  whole concert very emotional. Well done everyone.

Many thanks see you soon .

Judy x

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Lymm Festival Concert at Lymm Methodist Church 24.6.2019
25th June 2019
Please thank Mark and Catherine for such an enjoyable evening. Great music, great singers and accompanists and great stand up!
Ann x
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25th June 2019
Lovely concert in Lymm last night.
Many thanks. We really enjoyed the evening.
Eve Collen
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25th June 2019
What a lovely evening and great to make so much money (£671) for our charities whilst enjoying ourselves at the same time.
My daughter and her friend were amazed at the volume we produced from a relatively small number and thoroughly enjoyed the selection of songs as well as the “Pimms”!
I asked on the off chance whether she was free, she emailed a photo of the poster to her friend and they decided straight away that they would come!
Best wishes, Liz
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25th June 2019

I attended the performance of Floodlights and Films last night as part of Lymm Festival and would like to congratulate you all on another superb performance. Each time I come along you get better and better. The content was just right. The soloists were so professional, a joy to listen to. I heard you singing “Can’t help falling in love/You’ll never walk alone ‘ at Phillip and Helen’s wedding and it made me cry and it did so again, so powerful, so beautiful. I look forward to the next performance.

Hope Peter is feeling better, I missed his commentary last night.

Viv Johnson
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27th June 2019
My friend and I came to see the Footlights & Films concert at Lymm Methodist Church on Monday night. We had a very enjoyable evening listening to the beautiful singing in such a bright, lovely church. We found the selection of songs from film and theatre really interesting, some of which we knew and some unfamiliar ones which have encouraged me to find the films to watch! The free refreshments were great, especially the non-alcoholic Pimms-perfect on a warm evening! Thank you to Bridgewater Singers for a relaxed, welcoming and tuneful night!
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Hughes Wedding 25.5.2019
Dear Mark & Singers
On behalf of Philip & Helen and both families, I just want to say a huge ‘thank you’ to you all for singing so beautifully at the wedding. I’ve had so many great comments about the performance and how moving it was – it really helped to make the service extra special. We all very much appreciate you so willingly giving your time and talents to help make the day so perfect.
Thank you so much
Gill x

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Christmas Concert at Antrobus Methodist Chapel, 3rd December 2018

The concert was in aid of PAPYRUS and raised a good sum of £465.95 for which we received the following thank you.

 

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Lymm Festival Concert at Lymm Methodist Church,  Monday 25th June 2018

“You may say I’m a dreamer”

Songs and poems from a century of conflict and protest

Commemorations of the First World War have been many, so it was refreshing to experience an evening of words and music which included some lesser known pieces and poetry linked to a ‘century of conflict and protest’.  Mark Bradley, the musical director of the Singers, had compiled an imaginative programme entitled ‘You may say I’m a dreamer’ which was fresh, varied and thoughtful – our interest held by changes in mood and message.

Under Mark’s directorship, the Bridgewater Singers (eighteen in number) gave the audience enjoyable entertainment and also a pause for thought about the anticipation, experience and ultimate futility of war.

The evening began with roistering songs and some audience participation as we imagined the enthusiastic young men leaving to serve their country. This optimism was contrasted with the reality of the soldier’s experience by the reading of Edward Thomas’ poem ‘Rain’. Matthew Bradley’s readings threaded through the music very effectively; delivered in a naturalistic, conversational tone which enhanced the meaning and pathos.

From the singers there were lovely, confident solos and ensemble pieces, highlighting the passage of time and change in mood and attitudes, from the First World War to more recent times. These pieces were enriched by the commentary provided by the compere, one of the singers, Peter Smith. The background detail gave the audience a moment of reflection and added to the understanding of the music and the overall experience.

The singers were accompanied by Catherine Gellert who played with great assurance for a wide range and style of music, from the very moving ‘Their bodies are buried in peace’ (from ‘Israel in Egypt’ by G.F.Handel) to the protest songs from the 60s and 70s.

The Bridgewater Singers gave a fine performance – a very enjoyable evening.

The admission to the concert was free but a retiring collection was given to ‘Papyrus’ a charity working for the prevention of young suicide.

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A professional and enjoyable evening.  Excellent music.  Enjoyed the variety – helped by excellent compering.  Interaction with the audience during the “hopeful years” i.e. the start of the concert was particularly good.  Heartfelt. Could see the older folks around loved it and it really meant something to them. The link with his family members made it personal. Definite sense of theatre.

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A well balanced programme which had a lot of thought provoking poems.  The music and poems complimented each other  very well. The audience really enjoyed the participation and some knew ALL the words including the verses!!! The choir has many people who are able to perform solo or small group pieces equally well. The choice of music was well thought out and sequenced to full effect. Keep up the good work!!

Jean Young

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Many congratulations on the performance, the amount of research that it must have needed was more than justified by our friends from Barnton. The sincerity and dedication shown by everyone concerned. The use of the soloists and Matthew’s contribution was good to see. Altogether a very satisfying experience, moving and enjoyable at the same time. Please pass on my thanks to the group.
Jean Foster

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I thought yesterday was a thoroughly enjoyable evening with a very thoughtful programme ably held together by Pete’s very personal introductions.
There was a lovely atmosphere overall, and the unusual refreshments were much appreciated.
Hazel, from Papyrus, who was an excellent speaker, obviously enjoyed the evening too. I’m glad we made so much to donate to Papyrus- it makes it all the more worthwhile.
Liz Carrington
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St Thomas’ CE Church, Stockton Heath

Monday 26th March 2018

A concert of music for Holy Week/Easter in St Thomas’ church began with Vivaldi’s ‘Gloria’ and demonstrated the Bridgewater Singers’ wonderful tone and balance, a truly rich and pure  sound.

The rather dead acoustics were not helpful to singers who couldn’t hear themselves but the sound carried well so everyone was clearly heard.

The Lauridsen ‘Lux Aeterna’ was new to me and I really enjoyed it with it’s moving lyrical quality and interesting harmonies at times, which made it exciting to listen to.  Well done to everyone involved.

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Not only was the music appreciated, it was backed up with generous donations for St Rocco’s Hospice to the tune of £484.50 from a congregation/audience of just over 80 people. Many thanks.

Gainsborough House, 14th December 2017

During the Christmas period we try to take our music into the community and sing at a couple of Residential homes each year. This year we visited Gainsborough House in Warrington to sing carols to the residents. We were heartened by a comment from a relative who was listening to us from her mother’s room off the corridor. Whilst we were singing her mother spoke her daughter’s name for the first time since she had become ill with dementia. A real breakthrough for all concerned and so encouraging for us, the singers.

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Great feedback today from Gainsborough House on your performance yesterday. Everyone I’ve spoken to just loved it. Apparently ‘ The best choir we have had come in by far’!
 
This from a friend and colleague from my teaching days whose mum is in Gainsborough House but couldn’t make it herself yesterday afternoon.

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Bridgewater Singers Present ‘A gift for Christmas’ at Barnton Methodist Church, 11th December 2017

This group of singers never fails to impress. Despite reduced numbers, the Christmas visit to the Barnton Methodist Church was a resounding success. From the initial impact of their appearance-lovely red stoles ladies-to the final “Wish you a merry Christmas”, the evening was a delight.

The programme included enough old favourites to satisfy even the most traditional of us. The opening piece ‘Christmas is coming” and the carol “Hark the herald angels sing” with its fiendish descant in the last verse, set the tone for an evening of musical treats.

A well-constructed programme, Including the challenging “O Magnum Mysterium” by Thomas Louis Victoria, pieces by Carol Ann Duffy and Sasha Johnson Manning, the ever popular “Walking in the Air, “Sleigh Ride”,  “O Holy Night”, and the slightly risqué but very funny “12 Days after Christmas” all combined with the opportunity for the audience to join in with well-known carols, resulted in a thoroughly satisfying evening.

The clarity and musical interpretation of the choir and soloists was enhanced by the superb support of the two accompanists and the narration between the pieces much appreciated.

Under the leadership of Mark Bradley, the choir more than fulfilled the promise of “A Gift for Christmas”.

Jean Foster, 12.12.2017.

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Lymm Festival Concert at Lymm Methodist Church,  Monday 26th June 2017

At a time when Glastonbury was in the news and that there were a wide variety of musical concerts on offer in Lymm Festival, it was great to have an almost full house for the Bridgewater Singers performance of “ A Season of Love”.  It was a wonderful evening with a range of aspects of love, ranging from the religious, through the classical, musicals and folk songs to the very modern.

The audience was entertained to a very professional performance by the choir, including solo items and interspersed with fascinating anecdotes given by their compere on the background of the music and the composers. An interesting and uplifting concert held the audience to the conclusion inspiring them to give generously to the fund to support cancer treatment for the nephew of the accompanist.

If you missed this year’s concert, make a date to look for The Bridgewater Singers in next year’s festival programme.

Robin & Eileen Mundy

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St John Passion at St Luke’s Church, Tuesday 11th April, 2017

What a privilege to be in the audience for the Bridgewater Singers’ version of Bob Chilcott’s St John Passion. Narrated by Philip Cartwright as ‘The Evangelist’ in his wonderful tenor voice, it tells the story, as in St John’s gospel, of Jesus’ arrest, trial and his death on the cross. Bass, George Hulbert, had just the voice one would imagine ‘Jesus’ would have had, powerful, gentle and rich. ‘Pilate’, was sung by Seth Hamill, also a bass, but entirely different, commanding and harder, without the softness of any of the soloists. The music, haunting at times without a definite tune, was complemented by the singing of the rest of the choir. A rich and harmonious score was played by John Stott on the restored organ. (All that fundraising was worth it, such a great sound.) That Tuesday, if I had attended no other Holy Week service, it would have set the mind on what Good Friday and Easter meant and felt.

Doreen Whimperley, St Ambrose Church, Widnes

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We also had the privilege of being part of that wonderful production. The whole experience was extremely moving and brought tears to your eyes. You felt as though you were part of the crowd witnessing the events of that period over 2000 years ago, and why Jesus had to die to save us all. Very emotional.

Can we please see if they can come back next year, so that maybe more people can share this moving experience?

Barry & Yvonne Horabin, St Luke’s, Farnworth

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I was glad I went to the performance last night. I found it very moving. Many thanks.

Anonymous

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How fabulous! It was so moving and beautiful.

It must have taken so many hours of rehearsals!

Well done, all of you. How did you manage to stand so still all that time 😗?

I really wanted to clap after each act. I was sitting on one hand xxx

So glad I came. 😘

 

Christine Kershaw, Widnes Foodbank volunteer

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Just to say what a wonderful time both Ann and I had tonight; it really was wonderful 💐🌻🌸🌹🌿🌺🌷🌻🌼 xx

Margaret Wilkinson, Widnes Foodbank volunteer

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Absolutely amazing…beautiful music and wonderful singing.

Friend of choir member

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