It was in October 2007 that Francine Ash, known to many music lovers, has founded a Chorus which I had thought would not be possible with the means that were available and with the material of singers that grouped around her. She had managed to bring out the best in the mostly amateur singers and she gave all her enthusiasm, professional know-how and all her time to bring the Chorus, known as ChorusLambousa, to a level of unbelievable strength. She had the recognition and the respect by many – and not only of the British community – for her
professionally arranged performances over the last years.
She began with ‘Musical Christmas Showtime’ in December 2007 - and it was even broadcast on BRT2 Television on Christmas night! ..,and continued with selections of musical song shows until she finally had her dream fulfilled to bring a musical onto stage in early 2010.
Francine Ash was born in April 1950 in West Sussex. She had moved to TRNC with her husband Grahame in 2005. She is a Piano teacher and Musical Director. In the UK she has been rehearsal pianist and MD for a number of Operatic Societies. An artist can never sit still and enjoy working in the garden even in a beautiful scenery like Cyprus, and, with the help of her husband Grahame, who is equally creative and is known for the mystery crimes he has written for theatre - and for his absolute comic talent he has as an actor – she aimed high. But somehow along the line, success had come too fast for many in the group and thus the Lambousa formation broke up.
Hurt set in but there were quite a number of friends who re-established her confidence and – to cut a long story short – she went ahead again and invited some of the true friends of music and good singers around her again to form a new Chorus…and that is KISMET.
Now, this new group is meeting again regularly for rehearsals, for new ideas, for a new season and for the joy of singing. Again she is present with her electric piano and a big bunch of new notes with beautiful songs. I went to witness their fourth rehearsal evening with 20 people, 13 female and 7 male singers at the Cheshire Kyrenia Rehabilitation Centre where they have been given a room for their weekly meetings and under whose umbrella they will give their first concert in September within the framework of a Music Festival. The detailed news will be announced in time for the fans of Francine and her chorus to buy tickets.