The Brighton Orpheus Choir was founded in 1948 and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998. Since 1999 Stella Hull has been Conductor of the choir. Each year several concerts of high quality, with professional soloists and orchestra, are put on. For 51 years Patricia Harding directed the Choir, and in the course of more than half a century the Choir has sung many of the major choral works, both classical and more modern. The choir numbers around 100 members. Rehearsals are on Wednesday evenings 7.30 - 9.30 pm, usually now in the main hall of Varndean School, off Balfour Road, Brighton. We welcome new members who look forward to learning and perfecting the performance of the music chosen for each concert.
| Brighton Orpheus Choir | |
Registered Charity 260887
President: Vice-Presidents: Accompanist - Muriel Hart MBE |
Stella read music at Birmingham University, obtaining both a B.Mus and PGCE. She began teaching music in secondary schools in Worcestershire and the West Midlands, then broadened her experience by teaching music in primary schools. After this she became County Advisory Teacher for Music in Staffordshire. She teaches singing privately and conducts the Lewes Junior Choir and the Lewes Youth Choir. Working with the Brighton Orpheus Choir she has directed performances including Vivaldi's Gloria, Purcell's Come, ye sons of Art, Bach's Christmas Oratorio and St.Matthew Passion, Handel's Messiah, Haydn's St Nicholas Mass, Mozart's Requiem and Mass in C, Mendelsohn's Hymn of Praise, Brahms' Requiem and Song of Destiny, Fauré's Requiem, Puccini's Messa di Gloria, Elgar's The Kingdom and The Music Makers, Poulenc's Gloria, Dvořák's Te Deum, Vaughan Williams' Benedicite and Fantasia on Christmas Carols, Britten's St Nicolas and Ceremony of Carols, and Rutter's Requiem, Feel the Spirit and Psalmfest. |
Annette Bell - Chairman |
At the Annual General Meeting on 10
October 2007 a new Constitution was agreed, together with detailed regulations and the
dress code for concerts. You can see all these by clicking on the links here: |
| Soprano 1 Annette Bell Josephine Braines Jenny Chamberlain Barbara Cronk Roni Graham Nicola Haines Doreen Hines Elizabeth Hughes Marilyn Little Jane Schofield Doris Strange Julia Svensson Jennifer Swales Jennifer Taylor Laura Wade Joy Weston Ros White Beth Whittaker |
Soprano 2 Ruth Bosworth Helen Earp Sue Ewbank Cathy Fry Celia Green Friederike Günzel Carmel Jennings Rosemarie Kemp Mary McCullough Marjorie Metcalfe Sheena Oaunounou Sylvia Reed Anne Rose Rosalind Taylor Heather Waterman |
Alto Pam Apthorp Ruth Best Barbara Brook Hilary Brown Rosemary Burt Anne Cathcart Marie Collins Anita Conti Audrey Gilkes Nicola Grunberg Rossalyn Kisserli Vicki Lywoodlast Judith Maddison Su Mitchell Valerie Powell Clare Riches Frances Roberts Naomi Sack Sarah Saward Margaret Squire Marjorie Stainwright Judy Stanger Charlotte Stevens Anne Topping Margaret Weir Linda Wheatcroft Lesley Wheen Hilary Woodward Karen Young Susan Young |
Tenor Richard Bosworth Brian Chattock Richard Jayawant Richard Loader Jonathon Marrows Derek Roberts David Taylor Robert Wady |
Bass David Ansell Edward Griffiths Ian Hartle Robert Hossack Christopher Jones Peter Leacock Derry Morris Murray Park Donald Pickett Peter Robinson Jeremy Shaw Brian Shorter Roger Straker Paul Weston Terry White |