Founded in 2004, this East-Dorset-based singing ensemble enjoys nothing more than travelling around the beautiful Dorset countryside, singing in the delightful churches of Dorset and enjoying tea and cake afterwards! We cover a varied range of singing styles from baroque and sacred pieces to complex folk arrangements, spirituals to fabulous arrangements of twentieth century songs; close harmony,

a cappella or with piano accompaniment.

Canzonetta presents three or four concerts each year in East Dorset and the Isle of Purbeck. We have also been to Jersey and more recently Salisbury Cathedral. We are not-for-profit, raising funds to support the local community. If you would like to learn more or you would like to join our e-mailing list, please get in touch using the Contact Us page. We would love to hear from you. You can also follow us on Facebook.

Canzonetta

Eve Baker, Marion Bishop, Mary Chamberlain, Wendy Clark, Miriam Fagan, Hilary Jordan, Jackie March,

Barbara Rawlings, Sarah Welton.

Listen here

Canzonetta

dorset-based vocal ensemble

Previous concerts...

Our annual Palm Sunday Concert on Sunday 5 April 2020 at Bere Regis was cancelled at the last minute, as the Covid lockdown commenced. We had a lovely programme of music which we now hope to do in 2022. Another casualty was a planned concert at All Saints, Swanage, on Sunday 17 May 2020 in aid of The LINK. We hope to start concerts again from December 2021.

A full church greeted us for our Christmas Concert on Sunday 8th December 2019 at the church of The Holy Rood in Wool. . An interesting and fun programme took us on the journey from The Angel Gabriel through to the Twelve days after Christmas and culminated in mulled wine, mince pies, tea and cake! Our soloist was 15 year old William Bishop (organ) who played Festival Fanfare by Noel Rawsthorne and also carols to welcome everyone to the church. The retiring collection raised £261 for the church. This was our seventh concert at Holy Rood since we first sang there in 2008 and it was a great pleasure to sing for such an enthusiastic audience, who braved the blustery and wet December weather!

Our Autumn concert this year was held at St. Mark's Church, Swanage on Sunday 20th October 2019; a return visit after nearly ten years! It was a reflective programme of sacred song, German lied, English art songs and concluded with The King's Singers' favourite 'You are the new day' and a barbershop arrangement of 'We'll meet again'. Tea and cake in the hall afterwards rounded off a lovely afternoon with friends old and new. The retiring collection raised £250 for St. Mark's.

We were asked by a friend of Canzonetta to present a concert in Salisbury Cathedral on Saturday 6th July 2019, in memory of her late husband. It turned out to be a wonderful summer evening of music making: 70 minutes of close harmony songs and stunning flute solos by Emma Estridge. Prosecco and canapes in the cloisters finished an evening which will be long remembered!. We raised £1,600 for Salisbury Hospice.

Welcome

Canzonetta is singing again!

Our first concert is scheduled for 12th December 2021 at 3pm

CONCERT 2021

Sunday 12th December 2021 3pm

The Priory Church of Lady St Mary, Wareham, East Dorset

Seasonal songs and carols for an hour or so

Free admission - retiring collection for Lady St Mary Church

Please note: our regular friends and supporters will know that we usually have refreshments following our concerts but we have decided not to do so this year, in case Covid restrictions are in place over the Autumn/Winter. Likewise our regular supporters know that we usually perform in the lovely small churches in East Dorset but due to the uncertainty of Covid this year we are going to the very big (!) church of Lady St Mary so that we can all spread out very comfortably should restrictions still be in place. This will make for a fairly empty church but we hope you will find the concert especially beautiful and atmospheric in this magnificent setting.

All being well we will be returning to St John's Church, Bere Regis for our annual Palm Sunday Concert next year, 2022.

Canzonetta