Three years ago, the Peterborough Singers wowed concert-goers with their unique and massive renditions of some of The Beatles’ best-known tunes, featuring the full 100 voices of the choir.
Armed with rave reviews from that concert, and with over 275 Beatles’ compositions to choose from, Syd Birrell and the Singers are back with Beatles 2, Across the Universe, just in time for Valentine’s Day. The matinee performance will take place Saturday, February 16 at 2:00 pm. at Calvary Church in Peterborough.
While the Singers are best known for bringing some of the greatest choral works in history alive for Peterborough audiences, there is another, less serious side to the Singers, said Artistic Director Syd Birrell.
“Once a year we move away from classical and offer a more light-hearted concert,” he explained. “Three years ago we did our first ever Beatles concert, the audience loved it and so did the choir. We knew immediately we had to do another Beatles concert, there were so many great songs that we couldn’t include first time round.” (See below a backstage shot of some of the Singers after a summertime reprise of the first Beatles concert at Musicfest.)
Birrell says that he himself was a late-comer to the Beatles craze. Back in the 60s, he says, “I was busy studying Bach, playing the organ, that kind of stuff, and I missed all the excitement.”
But when he discovered the Beatles in 2009, he fell in love. “Since then I have listened to every Beatles recording, film, documentary, You Tube that’s out there, and read every biography I could find.”
As he explored the Beatles’ repertoire, he quickly realized that he had to bring the “fab four” to Peterborough in the way only the Peterborough Singers can.
On this second time around, the Singers will perform much-beloved Beatles hits such as Help!, Imagine, Drive My Car, Hey Jude, and many others. Many of these have been arranged for choir by Birrell himself. Revolution has been arranged by Len Ballantine, a favourite composer of the Singers.
The choir will be accompanied by a four-piece, Beatles-style band, with keyboard.
While some of the songs feature lush harmonies performed by the choir only, others are arranged to allow the audience to sing along.
“It is so much fun to have a 1000 people singing these songs,” said Birrell.
This fun-filled concert with sing-along Beatles favorites will have you dancing in your seats. With only one performance, you don’t want to miss it. Join us for this fabulous Peterborough Singers-style interpretation of the “fab four.”
Generously sponsored by McWilliams Moving and Storage, Peterborough KIA Motors, Shimano, The Liftlock Group, and 100.5 KRUZ FM.
When: Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 2:00 pm