Judith Reeve on Aurora Choir’s upcoming tribute concert for Ben Thapa, who died in September

Aurora Choir’s November concert – postponed twice previously – is now being performed as a tribute concert to our late music director.

Ben Thapa was a very well known operatic tenor who performed in many countries after going solo when he left his band G4, of X Factor fame, and is a huge loss to the music industry. He unexpectedly died of kidney failure in September this year at the age of 42.

Our November concert will be conducted by one of Ben’s pupils, Edward Walters. The first half will include reflective songs by Ola Gjeilo, which we rehearsed with Ben, plus solos from our accompanist Bohdana Ravliuk, string quartet and organ, and Mozart’s Requiem in the second half.

We first met Ben in February 2023 when he came to Aurora to deputise in our then-conductor’s absence. He made an immediate impact on us, being a larger-than life character with a flamboyant sense of dress, with his commanding bearing and the warmth of his personality. At that time, we knew little about him. It was when we needed to find a new music director and Ben applied that we learned that he was such a well-known and gifted operatic tenor, both at home and on the international scene.

We were delighted to be able to appoint him in June 2023 and to quickly discover the benefit of having such a gifted professional singer with perfect pitch to lead us.

Ben’s musical talent was discovered at school and when he joined the local church choir in Cambridge. He was fortunate in getting bursaries to attend the Royal Northern College of Music and then Guildhall, before becoming famous as a member of the singing group G4, from 2004 to 2018, after which he decided to concentrate on his own operatic career.

He also founded The Ben Thapa Foundation Charity, funding gifted young people in foster care to fulfil their potential in areas not adequately provided for in the national curriculum.

Much has been said about Ben’s legacy to the music industry. He gave Aurora, a newish chamber choir, so much; techniques to improve our breathing, blend, our range and voices and the confidence to aspire to a high standard of performance.

Ben dared to take risks with our mixed ability, non-auditioned choir in tackling ‘difficult’ works and, due to his belief in us and his charismatic personality, he succeeded.

Aurora Choir’s concert on Saturday, 16th November takes place at St Andrew’s Church in Chase Side, Southgate, from 7.30pm. Tickets are £16 for adults and £10 for children. For more information:
Call 07421 220 754
Email [email protected]
Visit aurorachoir.co.uk

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