Origins
The choir was originally called the Fernhill Singers and was founded by Rebecca Coulter in 1957. Rebecca retired in 1983 and Valerie Hoppé took over the baton until 1991 when Ian Morrish became our Musical Director. Our membership stands at around 30 and our minimum age is 18.
Concert Schedule
We do three "at home" concerts per year in our rehearsal venue, and during the year we also perform "away" as guests elsewhere at concerts, weddings etc. Our "at home" concerts are at the end of each school term, i.e. spring, summer and Christmas, and we often invite guest ensembles to add contrast and variety to our concerts.
Tours
In the past we've sung abroad in prestigious venues in Treis-garten (Germany), Ghent, Barcelona (including Barcelona Cathedral). In October 2002 we toured Prague and in June 2004 enjoyed a highly successful tour of Paris. For our Golden Jubilee year of 2007 we enjoyed a particularly interesting and rewarding concert tour in and around Venice. In May 2009 we toured Holland and sang in magnificent churches in The Hague, Edam and Amsterdam; it was a truly wonderful experience.
Social
Our social life is full and varied. Every year we have an annual dinner, a summer garden party and a Christmas party. Other social events are organised from time to time; these include skittles evenings, boat trips, barbecues and theatre trips.