The Stuart Singers
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Based in Minchinhampton in Gloucestershire, we give over a dozen concerts a year, raising money for local charities and deserving causes. Now 66 strong, we have a wide and constantly changing repertoire which spans spirituals, theatre, sacred and secular, classical and modern. |
Fundraising
In our 17 years, we have helped raise over £155,000 for charity - either through our own concerts, or through singing at events organised by the charities themselves. We sing throughout Gloucestershire and further afield - sometimes abroad.
Interested in joining us?
We are always on the look out for enthusiastic singers or, if you'd rather do something behind the scenes, supporters. More details here...
Alternatively, Email Sheila Palmer or call her on 01453 731968
The Stuart Singers are members of Making Music
Press and Publicity Contact
If you need to find out more about the Stuart Singers, email Bill Evans.
Our new CD is out!
Our new CD, with many more of our favourite numbers, including the ever popular Bottle Lament, is now available. See here for more. More news
Visit the News page for older stories from the Stuart Singers. |
Our next concerts
will be at St Mark's Church, Exeter and St Petroc's Church,
Bodmin on Friday & Saturday 10 & 11 September
2010.
For tickets please ring
Marjorie
Russell on 01453 886282.
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Sounds of Summer
Minchinhampton's Holy Trinity Church was a cool haven, helping to swell the audiences for this year's double bill of June concerts. For the first time, every member of the choir was involved in one of the eight numbers for smaller groups, which ranged from the passionate Begin the Beguin to the plaintive medieval The Lily and the Rose. A particular hit was the enthusiastic performance of Cole Porter's Friendship, which opened the second half.
A new medley of well known Simon & Garfunkel numbers proved popular with choir and listeners alike, and the church rafters no doubt shook when the audience joined in the last verse of the rousing Down by the Riverside. As ever our programme was a mixture of the well loved, like Sullivan's The Lost Chord, and the more unusual, such as Karl Jenkins' modern classic Adiemus. No one, though, was expecting the men's advocacy of the benefits of woad in their National Anthem of the Ancient Britons!
It's always a pleasure to make donations from our receipts to good causes, and this time we were delighted to be able to give cheques for £1,000 each to Midlands Air Ambulance, the Minchinhampton group of Riding for the Disabled and the Friends of Tetbury Hospital.
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Gloucester Cathedral |
Let There Be Music!
We were delighted to help the Royal Gloucestershire Masonic Lodge raise around £3,000 for Linc by giving a concert at Gloucester Cathedral. It was a great fillip for the choir to see this grand venue so well filled as we launched into our opening number, the glorious Fanfare, so well suited to the great church's acoustic. Most of the evening's songs were new to Gloucester audiences, but MD Gerry Palmer had also programmed some favourites from previous concerts.
Amongst the new numbers were Eric Clapton's sad Tears in Heaven, Bruckner's contemplative Locus Iste and, to begin the second half, the wistful Deep Purple, whilst more upbeat were Oscar Peterson's rousing Hymn to Freedom, Sullivan's magnificent The Lost Chord and A Handful of Songs from Tommy Steele and Lionel Bart. A light-hearted introduction to choral singing, The Making of a Choir, came from our own accompanist, Barrie Cooper. Returning favourites included River in Judea and the ever-popular Bottle Lament, another of Barrie's creations and a special request of the organisers. We hope that it was as special an evening for our audience as it was for the choir. For two of our number it will always be remembered: Angie and Paul Hubbard became grandparents during the performance!
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