A percussionist performing in Knaresborough next month is hoping to inspire other young women to follow in her footsteps.
Sophie Mullender is an accomplished musician and will be playing percussion with the Knaresborough Choral Society.
She hopes seeing her perform on the drums will help girls in the audience to realise that the instrument is open to everyone.
She told the Stray Ferret:
“I did try out pretty much every instrument. The reason I stuck with drums was because, growing up, I never saw anybody that looked like me playing drums.
“It was a bit of a duty to show it’s possible. Every time I perform, I think, ‘if one person looks at me and says, if she can, maybe I can, I’ve made a difference’.
“There are plenty of women out there doing it, it’s just finding ways for them to gain exposure. Social media has been great for that.
“We’re making progress, but I still think fundamentally there’s a lot of work to do.”
She only moved to Harrogate in 2021 and works for the Diocese of Leeds as a fundraiser and in its music department.
In her spare time, she often accompanies choirs at concerts – but the Knaresborough event on July 8 is particularly special.
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She will be joining her boyfriend, conductor William Bruce, for the performance, and it will feature some of her favourite songs.
Under the title The Great American Songbook, the choir will perform songs by Duke Ellington, Rogers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and More.
Sophie said:
“I’m a jazz drummer by trade, but I also did quite a lot of musical theatre growing up. I haven’t had much opportunity to play it since moving to Harrogate.
“It’s a very varied, lively, upbeat programme. I think it will uplift everybody that comes to see it.”
Knaresborough Choral Society will perform The Great American Songbook at King James’s School on Saturday, July 8 at 7.30pm.
Tickets are £12 for adults, and free for under 18s and essential companions and carers.
Ukrainian soloist to join Knaresborough choir to sing of peace at ChristmasA Ukrainian soloist will sing of peace on earth in a special Christmas concert set to take place in a village church near Harrogate.
Soprano Natalka Pasicznyk is one of three soloists to join Knaresborough Choral Society for Carols by Candlelight at All Saints’ Church in Kirkby Overblow.
She will sing Peace on Earth by modern British composer Errollyn Wallen, made particularly poignant by the war in Ukraine which continues to affect members of Natalka’s family.
The choir’s musical director, William Bruce, said:
“Errollyn Warren’s new composition, Peace on Earth, is just so appropriate and Natalka is going to sing that as a solo.
“We always strive to make our programme as diverse and inclusive as possible. Most of the audience won’t have heard some of the pieces we’re performing so although there will be some familiar carols in there, there will be something new too.”
As well as Natalka, the concert will feature tenor Alexander Kyle and bass Isaac Cooper, accompanied David Grealy.
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William joined the 50-strong Knaresborough Choral Society around a year ago and this will be the first time he has put together the programme for one of its concerts.
His full-time job is working with choristers at Leeds Cathedral, so he said the role with Knaresborough Choral Society appealed because it allowed him to select different pieces and explore some of the great composers, including Mozart and Bach.
He added:
“The choir members are very ambitious which is a real virtue because they are dedicated and work so hard through the week.
“My job is to put it all together which is wonderful, because some choirs only turn up for the social side. We do have that, but they also put the time in and we see the results.
“They deserve the best soloists in the country to come and sing with them so I’m really delighted with the line-up and I know we’re going to put on a great night of music.”
The concert takes place on Saturday, December 10 at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from the Shoulder of Mutton in Kirkby Overblow, Art in the Mill in Knaresborough, or by emailing Knaresborough Choral Society.