Thank you for celebrating with us. Throughout 2024 the Dever Singers have enjoyed celebrating their 40th Anniversary.
Following an enthusiastic recruitment drive at Christmas 2023, several new singers joined us in January 2024 and a previous member rejoined to support our anniversary programme.
Our first performance was a Passion Sunday service in March at St. Mary the Virgin church in Micheldever where the Dever Singers had first begun, back in 1984. Rev. Rob Rees, an ex-Dever Singer, not only led the service but, when the original organist went down with pneumonia, also played the organ and then joined the bass section of the choir for two unaccompanied songs!
That service embraced the season of Lent with some of the Christian content and community aspects of our work in contrast to our two Celebration Concerts in June at which we performed favourites from our secular repertoire with more gaiety and abandon. We were delighted that Colin and Elaine New, our founder director and his wife, returned from Wales to sing with us at those concerts along with Karen Middleton, our previous assistant director.
Before our two month summer break we held a well-attended party in July at the Northbrook Arms for our members and their partners which was great fun.
In the Autumn term we were happy to sing at a couple of weddings in October and then saddened, but privileged, to sing at the funeral in November of Philippa Goodall, one of our longest-serving singers.
December saw a pair of Christmas concerts, the first at St. Margaret’s church in South Wonston and the second planned for the following Sunday at Micheldever. It was touch and go whether we’d be able to sing in the church as the plumbing sprung a leak and our dress rehearsal had to be moved to the village hall. Fortunately, with sighs of relief all around, it was mended with just a couple of days to spare. A variety of carols and other festive songs and readings were performed to a large and enthusiastic audience who sang the communal carols with gusto as if auditioning to join us after the inspiration of our fervent recruitment call!
A cheeky version of ‘Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’ was sung as an encore with the choir sporting antlers and then everyone enjoyed wine, nibbles, including Rudolph-themed biscuits, and happy chatter, greeting friends and reminiscing about Dever Singers’ performances over the past 40 years
What’s next for 2025?
From January, we will be learning some operatic choruses to culminate in a pair of ‘A Night at the Opera’ concerts in June. However, to make the most of this and allow a wider repertoire, we would really benefit from more lower voices (i.e. men) to enrich and balance our sound.
No auditions are needed and no previous singing experience or ability to read music is necessary, although that would be a bonus. New ladies are also welcome as always.
Not sure how you feel about opera? Neither are many of us but, with your help, we’re looking forward to having fun exploring it.
Lifting your voice in song also lifts your spirits so why not give us a try!
Rehearsals are on term-time Thursday evenings at 8-10 pm at either South Wonston (winter) or Micheldever (summer months).
Further details from:_
ruthironton@gmail.com, 01962 774817 / 07784967464
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