Harborough Singers
Harborough Singers | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England |
| Genres | Classical choral music |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Labels | Forties Recording Company |
| Website | www |
The Harborough Singers is a chamber choir of around 30 members based in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England. It performs a wide variety of sacred music and secular music from all periods of musical history, ranging from the medieval to the present day.[1]
Formed as a youth choir in 1978,[2] the Harborough Singers has competed successfully both in the UK and abroad. A finalist in the BBC/Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year Competition,[3] in 1981 it won the youth class of Let the Peoples Sing.[4] It continues to travel widely. More unusual concert venues include the Charles Bridge in Prague and the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland.
The choir has sung evensong in many UK churches and cathedrals, including St. Paul’s Cathedral, and performs an annual celebrity Christmas concert at St. Dionysius in Market Harborough alongside notable UK actors such as Prunella Scales, Sam West, Janet Suzman, Martin Jarvis, Patricia Routledge and Simon Russell Beale. In 2016, the choir appeared with Mary Berry in a fundraising concert for Save the Children.
In 2009, the Harborough Singers were joined by the English Pro Musica and international soloists Dame Felicity Lott, Michael Chance, Martyn Hill and Michael Bundy for a performance of Handel’s Messiah. The event marked the 250th anniversary of the first performance of the piece in a parish church. As in 1759, the concert took place in the Leicestershire village of Church Langton, not far from Market Harborough. A copy of the concert programme from this event is in the Handel House Museum, now Handel & Hendrix in London.
The Harborough Singers regularly premieres new choral compositions, including works by Edward Gregson, Trevor Hold[5] , David Jepson, Kendal Kirkland and Charles Paterson, and also encourages and enjoys mentoring young performers.
Only two conductors have held the Harborough Singers’ baton: founder Barry Clark (1978 - 1984) and former member of The Swingle Singers David Beavan (1985 to date).
In 2018, the Harborough Mail ran a mini series of ten features to mark the choir's 40th Anniversary.[2] [6][7]
Discography
| Year of recording | Work / Album | Artists | Record label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | M is Music | David Beavan (conductor) | Forties Recording Company |
| 2001 | A Celebration of Christmas | Martin Jarvis (readings), David Beavan (conductor) | |
| 2006 | Pictures of Christmas | Prunella Scales & Timothy West (readings), David Beavan (conductor) |
References
- ↑ "Harborough Singers – The Choir". Harborough Singers. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gill, Guest (9 February 2018), "Harborough Singers set to celebrate their 40th Anniversary", The Harborough Mail, Market Harborough
- ↑ Peggie, Andrew (7 May 1982), "Celebration of Singing", The Times Educational Supplement, London
- ↑ Presenters: Bernard Keefe (30 August 1982). "Let The Peoples Sing". Let The Peoples Sing. BBC. BBC Radio 3.
- ↑ Smith, Ken (29 March 2004), "Lives Remembered", The Times, London
- ↑ Gill, Guest (28 April 2018), "Harborough Singers took on big venues in the early 80s", The Harborough Mail, Market Harborough
- ↑ Gill, Guest (27 March 2018), "Harborough Singers took on The Shepherd's Tale in 1980", The Harborough Mail, Market Harborough
External links
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