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The choir was formed in 1974. Initially it was run as an evening class, under the direction of Peter Fletcher. When the class was wound up on his retirement, the members elected to continue as an independent choir to be called Harrogate Chamber Singers. Conducted first by Godfrey Barton and subsequently Gordon Estelle, the choir gained a reputation for choral excellence which has continued to the present day. They were regular competitors at local music festivals and gave concerts in the Harrogate area. In 1988 Clive McClelland took over the role of conductor. Under his guidance the choir went from strength to strength, winning the Harrogate Music Festival Madrigal Class in 1989 and 1991, and the Mixed Voice Choir Class in 1990. Around this time the choir became a registered charity and began to concentrate on using its talents to raise funds for local and national charities. The choir celebrated its 21st birthday in 1995 with a series of three concerts in St Wilfrid's Church to mark the tercentenary of the death of Henry Purcell. The same venue was used in 2000 for a performance of the Monteverdi Vespers which was one of the highlights of the choir's 25th season. In December 2001 the choir began a regular association with Candlelighters, the charity which supports the children's cancer unit at St James Hospital in Leeds. The series of Christmas Concerts in their aid ran from 2001 to 2006. The appointment of Tim Knight as conductor in 2002 began a period of change in the choir, starting with the first trip abroad to Holland as guests of Christelijk Vocaal Ensemble Cantare, where the choir performed in Utrecht and Gouda. This change duly manifested itself in 2004 when the members decided to re-launch with a new name, Vocalis, and a renewed desire to bring the best in choral music to audiences in the Harrogate area. At this time the choir began a series of lunch-time concerts featuring Bach Cantatas on Easter Saturdays in Wesley Methodist Church. The repertoire at these concerts gradually expanded to include works by Mendelssohn, Haydn, Rheinberger & Vaughan Williams. In May 2007 the choir visited Hungary, performing in the Cathedral at Estergom and St. Stephens’s Basilica in Budapest. Tim Knight left the choir in September 2009, when the current conductor, Paul Dyson was appointed. The choir is equally at home singing music in a variety of styles in churches, concert halls, private dinners or homes; with a repertoire that ranges from the Renaissance to the present day. It raises funds for charitable organisations either by direct donations from concert receipts, by providing music for fund raising events or singing at weddings and corporate events. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings from 7.30 to 9.30, in St Wilfrid's Church Hall, Duchy Road, Harrogate, and enquiries from prospective new members are always welcome. Details of our earlier concert programmes can be found at Harrogate Chamber Singers
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| For concert bookings, membership enquiries or any further information email: enquiries@harrogatevocalis.org.uk |
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