What Shapes a Soul, Saxophone Concert, St Mary Magdalene

We are delighted to welcome saxophonist Samuel Beddard and accompaniest Jo Foote to perform ‘What Shapes A Soul?’ at St Mary Magdalene Church, as part of the church’s ‘Sunday Sessions’ concert series.

This recital project explores spirituality in music and takes the listener on a journey from American gospel and spiritual hymns to their routes in African folk music. This performance at Cottingham Church is part of a national tour taking place in 2025 and 2026, and Samuel will be performing on both tenor and soprano sax.

Opening with the music of the present day, Steven Banks’ monumental Come As You Are integrates the religious hymns of gospel and Romantic classical music, a piece given its UK premiere by Samuel and Jo in 2023. The programme moves through the soundscapes of gospel and soul, before progressing into New Orleans jazz and African spiritual. The concert closes with the Suite after Abel Selaocoe, exploring Selaocoe’s unique musical voice and bringing African traditional music to new audiences.

Concert details

Doors open at 3pm for a glass of fizz and canapes, which are included in the £10 ticket price. The music starts at 3.20pm and will finish around 5pm. For tickets, please contact Angela Preston Jones on email cottinghamchurch@gmail.com, mobile 07594 682671. Profits from the concert will go to the church.

Performer biographies

Samuel Beddard is a London-Midlands based saxophonist, arranger and multi-instrumentalist, specialising in music influenced by classical, folk and jazz styles. He has performed across the country, both as a soloist in venues including the De Montfort Hall, Leicester, and as an ensemble member, notably with the award-winning Phoenix Saxophone Orchestra in tours across the Midlands. Samuel initially studied under saxophonist Gerard McChrystal, and currently studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under Christian Forshaw. Samuel’s debut recital project, Saxophony, celebrated the musicians of his formative years in an acclaimed one-off concert in Rugby. Samuel is also an experienced arranger and a keen educator, working with the Leicestershire Schools Music Service and the Junior Guildhall in London.

Jo Foote was born in Lancashire, and studied piano, recorders and flute from the age of six. She went on to study music at Manchester University, specialising in piano performance and accompanying.  After moving to Rugby 19 years ago, Jo has been involved with many aspects of the local music scene, including repetiteur work with operatic and choral societies, directing music for local theatre productions, and working with young people through the local music service, schools and St Andrew’s Parish Church. She performs and accompanies regularly in the local area, and is currently chair of the long-standing Rugby Musical Union. Jo also sings alto in Sine Nomine Choir, and is the founder of Rugbylele, Rugby’s premier ukulele band. She has a busy freelance piano teaching practice and is a lecturer in performing arts at Warwickshire College.