The Winkleigh Singers
Established in 1984 in one of the remotest parts of Devon, the Winkleigh Singers enjoy a broad repertoire from early to contemporary music. The choir has recently recorded works by John Byrt and Ira-Paul Schwarz and a CD of Christmas Music.
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, Andrew Downton and Ian Webb-Taylor. They 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 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.
Workshops have been held in recent years to which other singers and choirs are always invited. Previous workshops have been led by, amongst others, Evelyn Tubb, Nigel Perrin and Mike Brewer.
Over the years the choir has given several first performances, notably Colin Hodgett's Season Songs (with Evelyn Tubb as the soloist) 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. Dr Simon Standing's Magnificat and Nunc Dimmitis were first performed by the choir in 1998.
The Winkleigh Singers continue to support charity events, in recent years taking part in “Voices for Hospices” and the Macmillan Cancer Relief “Celebration of Christmas” at Castle Hill, Filleigh.
From time to time the choir has vacancies. 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 are extremely enjoyable, with a social break, and take place in Winkleigh on Monday evenings. If you are interested in joining us, please click here.
Plans for 2010 include a concert of late nineteenth and early twentieth century English church music, to include Stainer’s Crucifixion, and a tour as part of North Devon Festival, when we will be giving concerts in Chittlehampton, Chulmleigh and Ilfracombe.
We are at the early stages of planning an educational project involving local youth and school choirs.
Roland Smith, founder of The Winkleigh Singers and the Choir's Musical Director, took up singing at the age of seven in the choir at Holy Trinity Church, Cookham-on-Thames, where he was joint head chorister before he took to the back row as a bass. In over twenty years at Cookham he took part in a number of first performances, recordings, radio and television broadcasts and sang in most of the cathedrals in the south of England. It was here that he had his first experiences of choir direction, regularly conducting the sung parts of services.
On moving to Devon in 1984 he put foward the idea of a Winkleigh based chamber choir, which became The Winkleigh Singers.
Singing activity in recent years has been with a number of distinguished choirs including Schola Aquae Sulis, The South West Cathedral Singers, Exeter Festival Chorus and The Richard Roddis Singers. He has sung in performances of Haydn Masses in Paris, Mozart’s Requiem in Salzburg and Britten’s War Requiem in Russia, and conducted The Winkleigh Singers on a number of tours in France and with Vox Hungarica at the Matthias Templon in Budapest.
Roland has attended conducting workshops and masterclasses led by a number of leading choral directors, including Mike Brewer, Bob Chilcott and Jane Glover.
During an interregnum, he rehearsed and conducted Exeter Festival Chorus for performances at St James, Picadilly, (works by Ramirez) and Exeter Cathedral (off stage chorus in Holst’s The Planets with the Royal Philarmonic Orchestra).
Roland now sings with Somerset Chamber Choir and is also the Director of The Devonshire Company of Singers.