A FORMER Kelly College pupil will feature in the first orchestral performance of the Warleigh Requiem Mass which takes place on Saturday and is to be broadcast by the BBC, writes Roger Malone.
Baritone Guy Harbottle was educated at Kelly where he became the first pupil to gain a scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London. He began his musical training as an organist and subsequently graduated as a singer.
Guy went on to study at the opera school and left the RCM with prizes in organ, recital singing and opera. Since then his operatic career has included more than 30 principal operatic roles.
His experience on the concert platform is equally comprehensive and includes performances of all the repertoire oratorios, numerous opera and lieder concerts.
The concert takes place at Warleigh House, Tamerton Foliot, where Guy is joined by soprano Debra Morley. The piece — a re-orchestration of Verdi's Requiem —was specially commissioned by the owner of Warleigh House, David Piper, from Rowland Lee in 1990.
Following this a group of anthems and a requiem mass were further commissioned by Mr Piper with the series of concerts and masterclasses developed at Warleigh.
On Saturday at 3pm the music will be performed by the Excelsior Orchestra — a group of professional musicians drawn from orchestras in London and Moscow. The choir includes members of the distinguished South West Chamber Choir.
The work will be broadcast on BBC Radio Devon and Radio Cornwall as part of their Music Live programme.
The work was commissioned by Mr Piper in memory of his mother and fiancee who were tragically killed in a car crash on May 31, 1980.
This will be the final concert at Warleigh which, due to Mr Piper's enthusiasm for quality music, has been the venue of 120 concerts over an eight-year period.
Mr Piper has now bought a hotel on Plymouth Hoe which will be used for future concerts.
For details ring 01752 779432 or 01752 667072.