Saturday November 16th at Shrewsbury Abbey (7.30pm) is the venue for British composer Helen Ostafew’s most prominent work – Requiem for Humanity.

Thelma Foster, Chairman – Shrewsbury Choral Society said: “A singer, pianist and conductor her music combines influences from classical, folk, world music as well as film music. Her most prominent work is her Requiem for Humanity which has been performed in Holland, Germany and the UK as well as being broadcast on Dutch radio RTV and BBC radio 3 programmes. This promises to be a masterpiece of choral presentation sung by our accomplished choir, with highly renowned soloists, and the superb Shrewsbury Sinfonia. Music-lovers are going to be thrilled”.

Shrewsbury Choral Society singers, Helen Ostafew, soprano; John Bowen, organist; their soloists – Laura Harvey, contralto;  Joseph Spratt, tenor; and David Cane, bass will be conducted by Dr Martin Cook.

Biographical information: This year she has had premieres of Ave Maria with the Chamber Choir of Europe in Germany and of Endymion performed by La Colombe in Holland.  She currently sings in the Chamber Choir of Europe doing project tours, workshops and concerts throughout Europe.  Recent tours include Austria and Germany with John Rutter for his European Church Music prize and workshops and a Germany tour with Morten Lauridsen, for the Light Eternal CD  release. In 2018 she also joined them on a tour to Verona with the Italian Philharmonic Orchestra performing Mozart’s Requiem.

After graduating in classical singing from the University of Leeds, which included a year at Enschede Music Conservatory in the Netherlands, she went on to sing with numerous professional project choirs including Consensus Vocalis and La Colombe, and to perform as a soprano soloist. Whilst singing in Consensus Vocalis she performed Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte and Bach’s Matthew Passion at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Beethoven’s 9th at the Open Air Festival in Munster, Germany. With The Orlando Singers she toured in France and Prague and performed with The Royal Philharmonic and ELO.

Next concert: The Messiah: Saturday December 7th 2019 Holy Trinity Meole Brace. 7.30p.m.

Tickets are available priced £15 adults, (children free admission), are available online at www.shrewsburychoral.org.uk  from Shrewsbury Abbey; or from Shrewsbury Choral Society members; Eventbrite; from Pengwern Books, Fish Street, Shrewsbury- 01743 232236; on the door on the night.