Established in 1984 in one of the remotest parts of Devon, the Winkleigh Singers have gained an enviable reputation for their extremely high standard of music making.
We currently (July 2007) have vacancies for singers of all voices who can look forward to an exciting programme, including Britten's Ceremony of Carols, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, and recording a CD of Christmas music and a Tour of North Devon! There is no audition, but a three week trial period needs to be completed for full membership. A good standard of sight-reading and tuning, a pleasant voice with the ability to blend, and a positive attitude towards creating high quality music is required. Rehearsals take place in Winkleigh on Monday evenings (except Bank Holidays, the month of August, and any between Christmas and New Years Day) You will find a map here. Please use the contact button on the left to introduce yourself.
Repertoire ranges from early music to modern, both sacred and secular, and the choir has recently recorded works by living composers John Byrt and Ira-Paul Schwarz.
The choir has performed with Devon Baroque, The British Chamber Orchestra, Bartholomew String Ensemble, and North Devon Sinfonia. Their regular organ accompanists include Andrew Daldorph and Ian Webb-Taylor. We have a policy of encouraging talented young soloists, regularly employing students and recent graduates from the major music colleges (including the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music).
The Winkleigh Singers have enjoyed several tours in France, and have close links with the region of Calvados (and occasionally with a glass of the same!).
In April 2003 the choir visited Hungary as guests of Vox Hungarica, performing at Matthias Church, Budapest, and at the Concert Hall of the Music Department of Budapest University, to capacity audiences. We were pleased to welcome Vox Hungarica here in Devon in the following September when, with them, we gave two memorable concerts of (mostly) Hungarian music.
Click here for tour photos.
Workshops have been held in recent years to which other singers and choirs are always invited. Previous workshops have been led by Evelyn Tubb, Nigel Perrin and Mike Brewer. In 2000 we attended the Choirs in Quiet Places Festival in Nottingham, under the direction of Mike Brewer, musical director of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain. This year (2007) we held a workshop and masterclass day conducted by the renowned soprano Evelyn Tubb, returning to us after a gap of ten years. A highly entertaining and instructive day which benefited all those who took part, not only members of The Winkleigh Singers, but a number from outside the choir.
Over the years they have given several first performances, notably Colin Hodgett's Season Songs and John Lane's Maggott, Sam Richards' Midwinter Ceremonies, these being commissioned by The Beaford Centre. In 1994, to celebrate The Winkleigh Singers' tenth anniversary, a competition was organised for young composers, and the winning work by Paul Holland, At a Lunar Eclipse, was given its first performance by the choir as part of their summer concert that year. Resident tenor and composer Dr Simon Standing's Magnificat and Nunc Dimmitis were first performed by the choir in 1998.
Thee Winkleigh Singers have supported several charity events, indluding an evening of entertainment with Richard Stilgoe in aid of North Devon Hospice and the Orpheus Trust raising more than £2500.00. Richard Stilgoe provided a hilarious entertainment, including a song devised during the interval from random words provided by the audience set to a tune of equally random notes - since when we have been known as "The Twinkly Singers, that choir from beyond the haemorrhoids"! Our part of the programme included a diverse range of music ranging from Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus and Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine to songs like I do like to be beside the seaside and Christopher Robin is saying his prayers. Richard Stilgoe joined the choir by taking the part of Narrator in Paul Patterson's Little Red Riding Hood Song Book.
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Margaret Pople (soprano) chats with Richard Stilgoe. Castle Hill, October 1999 |
Over Christmas period 2002 and during Vox Hungarica's stay with us in 2003, the Winkleigh Singers supported North Devon Hospice.
The choir has also supported Share Music, The Children's Society, NSPCC, North Devon Young Musicians Trust, Calvert Trust Exmoor and helped a number of local churches to raise funds.
If you would like The Winkleigh Singers to help you with your charity event, please contact us using the link to the left.
See our Programme of Events page for forthcoming concerts and tours (updated regularly).
