Nottingham Festival Chorus

Saturday 1st February, 7.30pm
Albert Hall, Nottingham

The Music:

The Performers:

Hannah Dienes-Williams is in demand as both a soprano and mezzo-soprano, in solo and choral capacities. She has a particular affinity for interpreting contemporary music, with a passion for curating programmes, interdisciplinary collaborations, and working alongside composers.  

Hannah started singing as a chorister in Guildford Cathedral Choir, during which time she was a finalist in the BBC Young Chorister of the Year competition, Head Chorister, and soprano soloist with orchestra on critically acclaimed recordings, such as Rebecca Dale’s Materna Requiem (DECCA) and Darke’s As The Leaves Fall (Regents Records Leaves Fall, 2019). She went on to sing in Clare College Choir, and regularly sang on recordings for St John’s College Choir. She graduated from Clare College Cambridge in 2022 with a First in Music and the Lester Brough Prize. While at Cambridge, Hannah sang many full opera roles, including Susanna in Le Nozze Di Figaro (Trinity College Music Society), Adele in Die Fledermaus (Cambridge University Opera Society), Pamina in The Magic Flute (CUOS), Soprano in Venables’ Denis and Katya (CUOS), Dido in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (Clare College Music Society) and Mrs P in Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat (CCMS).

In song, Hannah was awarded second prize in the Clare College Song Competition and was a Pembroke Lieder Scholar, receiving regular coaching with Joseph Middleton. She was also the winner of the CCMS Concerto competition, performing Les Illuminations at West Road Concert Hall. Since starting at RAM, Hannah has been Highly Commended in the Flora Nielsen Prize, a finalist in the Delius Prize, supported by the Josephine Baker Trust and is a member of the Academy Song Circle. She studies with Alex Ashworth and has benefitted from coaching with Barbara Hannigan and on the Glyndebourne Opera Lab. Recent work includes directing, producing and singing in Maxwell-Davies’ Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot, and Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire, with future debuts side-by-side Riot Ensemble and at Cadogan Hall.

Soprano, Katy Allan, is a first-class 2022 graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, where she studied with Antonia Sotgiu. During her time at the RNCM, she won the Amanda Ira Aldridge Honorary Mention for 2022.

Christopher Littlewood, tenor, enjoys a varied career as both a Professional Singer and Voice Specialist Speech and Language Therapist. As a freelance singer, he has sung with Bergen National Opera in their productions of The Flying Dutchman – Wagner, The Merry Widow – Lehar, and Il turco in italia – Rossini. He has also performed a variety of roles with touring opera companies in the UK. Christopher is a regular guest soloist throughout the UK and has performed the Tenor solos in many great choral works including Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s ‘The Messiah’, Haydn’s ‘The Creation’.

Christopher works as a Speech and Language Therapist at the Manchester Foundation NHS Trust where he specialises in managing and treating people with clinical voice disorders. He is a father of two small people and is enjoying balancing his love for singing, voice, and family life.

Peter Brooks is a baritone from Amersham, Buckinghamshire who has recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma at the RNCM under the tutelage of Matthew Best. Operatic roles include Tarabotto (L’Inganno Felice), Superintendent (Albert Herring), Gamekeeper (Cunning Little Vixen), Pig (The Enchanted Pig), and notably Lieutenant Cholmondeley in a semi-staged production of Yeomen of the Guard in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall conducted by John Wilson alongside a professional cast including Thomas Allen and Benjamin Hullet with the CBSO.

Peter has extensive experience with Gilbert & Sullivan operettas having been part of the ensemble of the National Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Companies 2018 and 2019 tours. Peter has also been involved with contemporary opera, having performed the premiere of Sebastiano Dessanay’s opera The Cry of the Double Bass at the 2017 Tête-a-Tête festival in London. Peter also joined the chorus of the Wexford Festival Opera for their 2019 season singing in the ensemble for Don Quichotte and Adina. Peter began his musical journey with choral singing and remains very involved in choral music having regularly returned to his alma mater (University of Birmingham) to sing solos in Rossini’s Petite Messe Sollenelle and Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem. Peter also regularly sings in several church choirs and is currently a lay clerk in the choir of Southwark Cathedral. Peter has previously held lay clerkships at Manchester Cathedral, Manchester Oratory, St Chads Cathedral, Birmingham, and Magdalen College, Oxford.

The Venue: Nottingham’s historic and elegant Albert Hall is a comfortable concert venue located in Nottingham’s Castle Zone, next to the Nottingham Playhouse (follow signs for the Playhouse)

Parking is available on neighbouring streets and in multi-storey car parks nearby – Mount Street and Talbot Street – all within easy walking distance. Discounted parking rates, capped at £9.95, are available from NCP Mount Street, collect a validation ticket from the Albert Hall staff before you leave the event to pay on exiting the car park.

Public transport: The Nottingham Tram service runs every 7 – 15 minutes, with free car parking facilities around Nottinghamshire. The nearest tram stops are Royal Centre and Old Market Square, both 5 – 10 minute walk away. Being in the centre of Nottingham has the advantage of many bus services, with the main bus stations nearby. 5 Minute walk from Old Market Square, 15 minute walk from Victoria and Broadmarsh Bus Station.

Tickets: Full £18 – £14, Conc. £17-13, Child/Student £5

Tickets are available to book online via the ‘Book Tickets’ button below, or you can book over the phone by calling our Box Office on 0115 9589312. We are happy to reserve your tickets whilst awaiting the arrival of your cheque, or you can pay when you collect at the venue.