PETE CHURCHILL IN CONCERT
Renowned jazz vocalist Pete Churchill features with an all star band (including the award winning pianist Nikki Iles, Julian Nicholas on sax, and top swinging jazz drummer Steve Brown) with an evening of carefully chosen gems from Great American Songbook, accompanied by Pete’s trademark storytelling, informed by his vast knowledge of jazz.
+ COME AND SING JAZZ! WORKSHOP
An afternoon workshop exploring jazz singing through groove-based harmonies, led by the inspirational musical director and internationally recognised choir leader, Pete Churchill. You don’t need any previous singing experience or an ability to read music, just enthusiasm and a willingness to try something new. Songs will be taught by ear, so no sight-singing skills are required, and the workshop is open to all, from the novice to the experienced choir singer. The workshop choir will also take part in the evening performance, a highlight of the day!
Follow the link to buy your tickets now or use the tabs below to read about the event in more detail.
EVENT INFO
PETE CHURCHILL QUINTET
Evening Performance 7.30pm to 10pm
Doors open from 7pm. Please note there are no physical tickets, just give your name on the door when you arrive. There’s a bar available beforehand and at the interval.
Afternoon workshop 2pm to 5pm
You don’t need any previous singing experience or an ability to read music, just enthusiasm and a willingness to try something new. Songs will be taught by ear, so no sight-singing skills are required, and the workshop is open to all, from the novice to the experienced choir singer. The workshop choir will also take part in the evening performance, a highlight of the day! We’ll send you full details with your booking confirmation
Both events are in the Performing Arts Studio at the University of Surrey
If you have any questions please contact us by emailing info@guildfordjazz.org.uk
TICKETS
Evening performance:
General admission £14
Guildford Jazz Members £12
Students/U18s £5
Students £7 / Student Members £5
Come and Sing Workshop:
Tickets for the workshop include the evening performance
General admission: £18
Guildford Jazz Members £16
Students/U18s £5
All prices include booking fees
WHO'S PLAYING?
Pete Churchill - vocals
Nikki Iles - piano
Julian Nicholas - sax
Steve Brown - drums
Marianne Windham - bass
About the band..
Renowned as a Choir director, composer and educator, Pete Churchill has been based in England since 1985. Having completed almost twenty years teaching at the Guildhall School of Music, he is now Professor of Jazz Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London whilst running the jazz choir at Trinity College of Music.
Pete was a member of both Kenny Wheeler’s and Abdullah Ibrahim’s vocal projects and was Mark Murphy’s U.K. accompanist for fifteen years, and more recently conducted the 80th birthday tour of the Kenny Wheeler Big Band and the album, The Long Waiting. Now Professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Pete was awarded the 2007 Parliamentary Award for services to Jazz Education. He works extensively as a singer, pianist, conductor, composer, arranger, song-writer, and as a musical director in London’s West End. In 2012 – over forty years after having started work on his lyricisation of “Miles Ahead” – the legendary singer and master of vocalise Jon Hendricks began to collaborate closely with Pete and his choir, London Vocal Project, who, brought his creative dream to life, with assistance from Quincy Jones, at it’s sell out performances in New York and London 2017.
Nikki Iles is a pivotal figure in British Jazz. Winner of Best Pianist British Jazz Awards 2017, she was a founder member of the innovative Creative Jazz Orchestra – working with Anthony Braxton, Mike Gibbs, Vince Mendoza and Mark-Anthony Turnage. Her busy freelance career has found her playing with Peter Erskine (CJO), Kenny Wheeler, Art Farmer, Julian Arguelles, Stan Sulzmann, Norma Winstone, Dave Holland, Tina May, Tony Coe, Joe Locke and Rufus Reid.
Although she is well known as a solo pianist, accompanist extraordinaire and arranger, composition and education remains a major part of her musical life. Her commissions include The London Sinfonietta , the UMO jazz orchestra in Helsinki and The National Youth Jazz Orchestra. Nikki is also Professor of Jazz Piano at the Royal Academy of Music and Middlesex University as well as giving masterclasses around the world. In 2020 she won the Seattle Jazz Orchestra Composition Prize, plus The US based International Society of Jazz Composers and Arrangers Best Performance.
She has been a driving force behind the Jazz syllabus at the ABRSM and continues to publish with Oxford University Press.
“A formidable UK jazz presence, Iles is one of the most refreshing figures to have emerged in the UK scene in recent times, with a liquid sound and supple, obliquely resolved phrasing as an improviser” – THE GUARDIAN (JOHN FORDHAM)
“Nikki Iles is a pianist of extraordinary imagination who thrives on fugitive melodies” – THE OBSERVER (DAVE GELLY)
One of the UK’s most distinctive saxophonists, Julian Nicholas has been a leading player on the international jazz scene since the mid 1980’s. He has appeared with a veritable who’s who of world-renowned jazz artists, including the likes of the iconic UK band Loose Tubes, Jimmy Witherspoon, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison, Liane Carroll, Claire Martin and the London Jazz Composers’ Orchestra. He has toured internationally under his own name and with, amongst others, Carleen Anderson, ‘Carmina’ and Emil Viklický and has countless recording credits to his name. And it’s no great surprise that Nina Simone specifically requested Julian support her when she appeared at ‘The Dome’ in Brighton (his adopted home town).
His wonderful, fluent and melodic playing has been described by the great saxophonist Bobby Wellins, who Julian tells me first brought him to the old 606 Club in 1981, as “beautiful and creative”. As well as a fine musician he is also a wonderful composer, leads the Jazz Foundation at Chichester College, is an Associate Lecturer at Middlesex University and co-curates the South Coast Jazz Festival with Claire Martin.
“Nicholas is characteristically sure-footed and affecting – he has one of the most winsome tenor sounds in the UK and his soprano tone is simply exemplary in its keening purity…” Chris Parker – Vortex Reviews
“Julian Nicholas is a saxophonist of not only great technical prowess but also delicacy of expression and intensity of feeling…….he has exciting and expressive qualities alongside a faultless technique.” Tony Hall – The Times
DIRECTIONS
Performing Arts Studio (PATS), University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH
There’s a large car park along the perimeter road – drive straight on at the roundabout once you get on campus and it’s signposted on the left after a little way. Parking is free after 5pm and if you require a disabled parking bay please let us know.
The Performing Arts Studio is building 20 on the map . There’s a footpath that runs from the perimeter road between the AQA and Austin Pearce Building (buildings 4 and 5) – turn right at the top, over the mini roundabout, and the PATS studio is along the road on the left.
SEATING
Seating is unreserved, please select your seats when you arrive.