Choir

As I look back of the past year the one event that overshadows all others is the untimely death of Jill Priest, the most expert, loyal and cheerful alto one could ever expect to meet. Her departure from this world has left a gap that is far more significant than just an empty space in the choir stalls. I have continued to introduce the choir to much new music and am delighted by their approach in learning and singing it in your presence to the glory of God. However, it is not just the choristers who have learned new things; the congregation have encountered hymns that were previously unknown to many, if not everyone. I will continue to do this as I believe there are a number of hymns with well-crafted texts that reveal God’s love and intention for his people. For the end of Lent the choir learned, or in many cases relearned, Faure’s Requiem. A splendid setting of the text and most appropriate for the season. It is planned to sing this work again, on Palm Sunday in 2019, and I would welcome any in the congregation, or from further afield, who would be pleased to join with our choristers for this. I will be announcing rehearsal dates in due course. I have been most encouraged by the progress of our junior choristers. Through tremendous hard work their voices and confidence have improved tremendously. An increasing awareness of elements of theory enables new material to be grasped more readily. That we can now present anthems such as Mendelssohn’s “Hear my prayer” (which concludes with “O, for the wings of a dove”) and I waited for the Lord, pieces with demanding treble solo and duet voices, points to an improving capability. I have been encouraged by the arrival of new voices to our number, though I remain hopeful that men in the congregation might respond to my request, first expressed two year ago, to lend their voices to our endeavours. Meanwhile, I have to express thanks to members of other choirs who lend their support and experience whenever possible. To any men who have got this far through my report I repeat my invitation. Any failure in responding to the challenge will allow a splendid musical tradition to vanish from Banstead in exactly the same way as has already happened in so many other places. Jan Pringle, Director of Music