Choir

Beckington Village Choir

Beckington Village Choir was formed in 1996 through the Leisure Links 'Arts in Mendip Villages Programme 2000'. These leisure links Arts programmes were set up to run for 4 years, from January 1996 to the year 2000. Their aim was to involve Mendip villages in various areas of the arts.

Leisure Links appointed Rupert Bevan as the first conductor and the choir started off with 12 members. Rupert conducted the choir for 2 years.

Ruth Phillips - former Head of Music at Frome College - who lives in the village, took over as conductor from Rupert Bevan. The choir is now conducted by David Simmonds, a local composer and conductor, who is a member of the Association of British Choral Directors. The choir is very pleased to have their former conductor Ruth Phillips as their pianist. Beckington Choir is an SATB mixed choir, with a membership of around 35 singers, of all ages and they perform two concerts a year, one in June and one in January. In addition to our two concerts we sing at carol services and at the annual Remembrance Day Service, in St. George’s Church, Beckington.

Membership of the choir is open to all singers of any ability and there are no formal auditions; those who have never sung in a choir will be asked to let the conductor hear their voice, in private, before admission. The main requirement for membership is a love of making music in an atmosphere of relaxed fun. The choir welcomes new members of all voices, including complete beginners who have never sung before and who, perhaps, cannot read music; the choir has a voluntary programme of educational events to teach interested members how to read music and the rudiments of music theory. The choir urgently wishes to recruit more men, both tenors and basses. Those interested in joining the choir, or just coming along to have a taste of what singing with the choir is like, are invited to contact David Simmonds 01761 419367.

The choir sings a wide range of music from light (songs from the shows etc.) to the more serious classical repertoire.

The new choir term starts on Thursday 12^th January, at 7.45pm in the Beckington Memorial Hall. As we did in September, we welcome any new interested people to ‘Come and try Choral Singing’, without any obligation, just telephone or email David Simmonds (see below) and come along and experience what you have seen on ‘The Military Wives’ Choir’ the TV, the difference with our choir is that we welcome and need men as well as the ladies. We will be rehearsing a wide selection of music for our concert on 19^th May 2012. This will include a medley from Bach, to Phantom of the opera, Alexander’s Ragtime Band and arrangements of popular songs of the 70s & 80s.

Our regular pianist, Ruth Phillips is currently indisposed and the choir are pleased to welcome one of Ruth’s pupils, Jamie Mason, as our pianist this term.

For more details about the choir please contact our

Musical Director: David Simmonds 01761 419367

david@davidsimmondsassociates.co.uk