Twyford Singers

Formed in 1974 by its first conductor, Dr Alwyn Surplice, our choir has grown from about 30 to around 80 and we still have three of the founding members within our ranks. Our other past conductors have been John Lunt, Alan Mottram and Peter Parfitt and we are very fortunate to have Derek Beck as our present conductor. From early September to mid May, with breaks for most school holidays, rehearsals are held in Shawford Parish Hall between 7.30 and 9.30pm every Tuesday. We have been constituted as a registered charity for several years and are formally known as Twyford Singers (Hampshire), in order to differentiate us from our Twyford (Berkshire) cousins!

We give two main concerts per year. The first is normally held in February or March, and alternates on an annual basis between Twyford Parish Hall and an ecclesiastical venue, such as St. Mary’s, Twyford or St Cross Chapel. The Parish Hall concert normally presents ‘lighter’ works, such as G&S’s Trial by Jury or Hurd’s Hip Hip Horatio and Horovitz’s Horrortorio. The church performances are normally of sacred works, for example Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonnelle or Rutter’s Requiem and Magnificat.

Professional vocalists and instrumentalists frequently support our programmes. Our 2010 concert was a well-attended performance of Handel’s Samson in St Cross Chapel. Our 2009 concert in Twyford Parish Hall featured Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and Elgar’s From the Bavarian Highlands, together with excerpts from Karl Jenkins’ Armed Man.

For our second concert, we team up with other local choirs as part of the Winchester and County Music Festival, the venue being either Winchester Cathedral or Romsey Abbey. Our most recent performances have been in Verdi's Requiem and Jenkins' Armed Man and in the past have included Orff's Carmina Burana and Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony.

In addition to these concerts, we normally supplement the ad hoc choir of St Mary’s, Twyford for its annual carol service and also sing carols at The Phoenix Inn, Twyford, to raise funds for a chosen local charity. Our main social events of the year are a newly instituted Annual Dinner in March and a “bring and share supper”, following the AGM in June. We also, from time to time, arrange “skittles evenings” at The Phoenix Inn. We are financially sound and are normally able to make significant charitable donations from the proceeds of our own concert.

Contact the Society
Secretary: Penny Terrell
Telephone: 01962 865628
Website: http://www.twyford-singers.hampshire.org.uk
Membership enquiries email: membership@twyford-singers.hampshire.org.uk
All other enquiries email: enquiries@twyford-singers.hampshire.org.uk