Dr Vann, whose long and successful career as a choral conductor and composer continued right through to his death at the age of 100 in 2010, conducted the choir's first concert, a performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion, in the spring of 1940. This was of course during war-time, as well as towards the close of a particularly harsh winter, and we have read accounts of a conga line of people walking in each other's footsteps through the snow, during the blackout, to St Paul's church hall in order to rehearse.
The choir is especially proud of its association with Ralph Vaughan Williams, who was appointed its first Patron and President in 1940. It was therefore particularly appropriate that in March 2000, the RLSBC should celebrate its Diamond Jubilee with a concert which included his Sea Symphony, one of the great English choral works. His Mass in G minor had already featured in the choir's recording history, filling one side of their only LP, which was released in 1988.
More recent highlights have included performances of Rachmaninov's All-Night Vigil (also known as his Vespers) in Douai Abbey in 2003, under the baton of Janet Lincé, and of Mendelssohn's Elijah in Peterborough Cathedral in 2015, conducted by Nigel Stark. In 2008, we were immensely privileged to share the stage of Leamington's Spa Centre with the world-famous opera star Sir John Tomlinson, in a charity gala concert organised by the mayor of Royal Leamington Spa. Sir John sang the arias, we sang the choruses, and our gifted accompanist Colin Druce somehow managed to make the Spa Centre piano sound like a full orchestra. Most recently, members of the choir had the immense privilege of singing choral evensong at St Paul's Cathedral in London. The service included canticles by Herbert Howells, and an anthem composed especially for us by David Bednall, with a rousing organ part brilliantly played by Colin Druce.
We were fortunate to have the locally-born tenor James Gilchrist as Gerontius in our 2005 performance of Sir Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, and the soprano Emma Bell, also from Leamington Spa, was a soloist in some of our concerts long before she graced the stage of Covent Garden, La Scala or the Metropolitan Opera. We also number Jennifer Vyvyan, Jonathan Lemalu and Roderick Williams amongst our former soloists. We love working with young singers, often still at music college or at the beginning of their careers, and it is very exciting when we recognise names we know from past concerts who have now become stars!
While some of our concerts are performed a cappella or just with piano or organ accompaniment, for larger pieces we often need to work with an orchestra. For many years we regularly performed concerts with the Warwickshire Symphony Orchestra; we have a particularly long and well-established relationship with the Beauchamp Sinfonietta, and recently we have had several very successful concerts with the period instrument ensemble Charivari Agréable.
To view a full list of our concerts, from 1940 through to the present (as far as we have been able to reconstruct it), please click here.
The choir's constitution was first drawn up in 1945, and most recently revised in 2022. To see a copy of the latest version, please click here.
1939-1942Dr Stanley Vann
1942-1945Martindale Sidwell
1945-1947Victor Fleming
1947-1949Dr Stanley Vann
1949-1956Harold Dexter
1956-1958Peter Hurford
1958-1959Keith Bond
1959-1969John Cooper
1969-1970Walter Beckett
1970-1979Keith Sedgebeer
1979-1980Murray Stewart
1980-1982Timothy Lees
1982-1985Paul Trepte
1986-1988Raymond Calcraft
1988-1995Malcolm Goldring
1995-2005Janet Lincé
2005-2018Nigel Stark
2019-2020Christopher Cromar
2020-2024Lee Dunleavy
2024-Jim Bate
We are delighted to be working with our new Musical Director, Jim Bate, and are so looking forward to sharing a full and varied programme of choral music with you.
At All Saints', Leamington, in November 2024, we present Fauré's sublime Requiem – 100 years after his death – along with works by modern composers James MacMillan and John Tavener, for this special weekend of remembrance. For our Christmas matinée at Holy Trinity, Leamington on 14th December, we have music by Cecilia McDowall, and Christmas favourites for choir and audience.
In March 2025 with Beauchamp Sinfonietta, music by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach features at Saint Mary's, Warwick.
Carl Orff's Carmina Burana will make for a rousing Come & Sing day in May, and the season ends at All Saints', Leamington in July with JS Bach's Magnificat and a recent work written by Reena Esmail to accompany it, This Love Between Us - Prayers for Unity, when we will be joined by Charivari Agréable plus tabla and sitar.
If you enjoy choral music and would like to sing with us, we’d love to hear from you. Each term begins with two open rehearsals when all are welcome to try us out!
For more details of the rest of this season see the Concerts & Events pages, and to find out more about joining the choir, follow the Sing with Us link below and please follow us on Facebook and Instagram for regular updates.
I very much look forward to seeing you at our next concert.
Penny Holroyde Chair
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