Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
| Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds | |
|---|---|
| Choir | |
| Origin | Leeds Minster |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Genre | Chamber choir |
| Members | 40 |
| Music director | Simon Lindley |
| Organist | David Houlder |
| Website | http://www.stpeters-singers.org.uk/ |
Saint Peter's Singers (SPS) is a chamber choir associated with Leeds Minster, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England celebrating in 2017 the fortieth anniversary of the choir's formation by Harry Fearnley in 1977.
Saint Peter's Singers (SPS) is a choir of approximately 40 mixed voices. It forms a key component of the choral foundation of Leeds Minster, Saint Peter-at-Leeds, achieving recognition as one of the North of England's finest chamber choirs. Saint Peter's Singers is a Registered Charity - No 507174 - and a member of Making Music, formerly the National Federation of Music Societies. SPS receives much appreciated annual support from the Friends of the Music of Leeds Minster, Leeds City Council, the rector and churchwardens of the parish of Leeds City, the Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust and other charitable bodies and private individuals.
Founded in summer 1977, by Harry Fearnley, then senior alto Lay Clerk in the Choir of Leeds Minster, SPS has been directed since its formation by organist and conductor Dr Simon Lindley, FRCO, FRSCM, the Minster's Master of the Music from 1975 to 2016 and now Minster Organist Emeritus - whose colleagues at the Minster have contributed to the development of the singers as did Sybil Chambers (1938–1998), the choir's first principal soprano soloist who taught singing in the first 20 years of the choir's history. Additionally, Leeds mezzo Kathryn Woodruff (1954-2016) gave unstintingly of her talents as soloist in so many SPS Concerts as well as sustaining membership of very long standing - her service to music in and around Leeds, especially choral singing and music in education, was incalculable. Organists especially associated with St Peter's Singers include Dr Francis Jackson CBE Organist Emeritus of York Minster, Dr Donald Hunt OBE Director of Music at Leeds Parish Church 1957-1975 and Master of the Choristers and Organist of Worcester Cathedral 1975-1996, Carleton Etherington Organist of Tewkesbury Abbey, Jonathan Lilley Organist of Waltham Abbey Alan Horsey and David Houlder, Sub Organist at Leeds Minster since 2003.
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