Songs for an Autumn Evening with Soprano, Rachel Godsill.

This evening, Rachel Godsill, accompanied by Marie-Noëlle Kendall will delight us all with songs by Elgar, Britten, Quilter, and Novello. Come and join us for an unforgettable night of song from the magnificent Soprano, Rachel Godsill. Bring your friends, relax, and enjoy an evening full of autumnal melodies that will warm your soul. Rachel will be accompanied by the talented pianist Marie-Noëlle Kendall. Proceeds from this evening will be given to Alzheimer's Research UK. Rachel Godsill is the daughter of Pocklingtonians Linda and Grahame Sutton and it is in memory of her father who died 10 years ago, that she is raising money for Alzheimer’s Research UK tonight. Rachel began singing in Pocklington parish church choir in her home county of East Yorkshire. She read Music whilst a choral scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge, before postgraduate vocal study at the Royal College of Music. Subsequently her career has taken her to concert halls across Europe, America and China – to Prague for performances of orchestral songs by Janacek and Smetana, to Beijing and Shanghai for performances of Britten’s Peter Grimes and War Requiem, and to Erfuhrt and Budapest for performances of baroque and contemporary music. Her concerts this season include Women in Song – a portrait of Clara Schumann, Mathilde Kralik and Rebecca Clarke, (Selwyn College, Cambridge), Handel’s Messiah in Haslingfield and Southwold Churches and a recital of Schubert Lieder at the renowned Finchcocks collection of early keyboard instruments in Tunbridge Wells. Since 2022, Rachel’s duo Sopriola has undertaken European concert tours without flying. The duo has given concerts in London, Krefeld, Berlin, Cologne and Rheinsberg, with programmes including newly commissioned works for soprano and viola d’amore. In 2025 they performed in Italy and Sicily as guests of the 20th International Viola d’amore Congress. Sopriola will be recording a CD of commissioned pieces by Ewan Campbell, Rachel Stott, Janet Oates and Timothy Day in 2026. Rachel has sung with the Choir of the Age of Enlightenment, European Voices, London Voices and The Academy of Ancient Music, working with conductors including Simon Rattle, Richard Hickox, Ivan Fischer, Charles Mackerras and Roger Norrington. She has recorded music for film and can be heard on the soundtracks of Harry Potter, Star Wars. Beauty and the Beast and Mission Impossible! Rachel teaches the choral scholars of Corpus Christi and Peterhouse colleges, and the boy trebles of Jesus College, Cambridge. She directs an adult choir in her local community and firmly believes that enrichment through singing should be made available to all. Cambridge-based, Marie-Noëlle Kendall is in much demand as a pianist, both as soloist and chamber musician. She has played concertos with leading British orchestras including the Philharmonia and BBC Scottish, in major venues and also recorded for BBC Radio and Television. Her career has also taken her overseas with a particular connection to Australia where she has performed on many occasions and recorded two chamber music CDs. Recent seasons have included premieres of works by Robin Holloway and the release of a CD with Alastair Miles to great critical acclaim in publications including Gramophone, BBC Music Magazine and American Record Guide. Marie-Noëlle and Alastair also performed live on Radio 3 and recently at the Buxton International Festival Recent concerts in the Cambridge area have included two piano concerts at West Rd Concert Hall, Brahms 1st piano concerto, and recitals of both solo and of chamber music. Last year Marie-Noëlle Kendall appeared on BBC television with the horn player Annemarie Federle.