Choir 2000 Rehearsals Begin 30 September

Choir 2000 has become an integral part of community life in Histon and Impington.  If you have ever thought of joining this inspiring group, here is your chance.  Choir rehearsals for the 2009-2010 season start on Wednesday 30 September 7.30 at the Baptist Church, Histon.  Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 7.30pm to 9.45pm and include a tea/coffee break, giving members a chance to chat and make new friends.   You do not need a formal musical education to participate in Choir 2000.  There are no auditions. The high quality of training offered enables members to continually develop their musical and vocal skills.

CHOIR 2000 is looking for practical help, too

If you do not want to sing with the choir, but would like to be involved with its activities, you can become an Associate Member. There is no fee, but we would ask you give up some of your time to assist with front of house duties, refreshments, or publicity. You will receive a complimentary ticket every time you offer your help, and are invited to come to our social events.

Peter Britton, Musical Director

Since its beginning in 2000, and thanks to intensive work and exciting performances first under Grayston Burgess and now under Peter Britton, Choir 2000 has developed from the original ad-hoc group of 60 singers into a coherent and well trained choir of over 120 members whose performances have drawn praise from top professional musicians.

Although many of our singers have had little or no formal musical education, and membership of the choir is open to all without auditions, the high quality of training offered in our rehearsals enables our members to continually develop their musical and vocal skills. The result is a wonderful choral sound, differentiated singing, and refreshingly enthusiastic and sparkling performances.

We perform three concerts each year, usually at the Histon Baptist Church, in December, March and June; in June we also take our concert to West Road Concert Hall in Cambridge, where we can perform with a full orchestra. Our repertoire, encompassing 400 years of European music, is designed to mix the familiar with the new, and includes secular as well as sacred works.

In June 2009 the choir performed the U.K. First Performance of Herman Suter’s Le Laudi to great acclaim. It is a large-scale oratorio for choir, four soloists and childrens’ choir and a big orchestra.

In June 2010 we shall celebrate our 10th Anniversary with a full-scale performance of Bach’s masterpiece, the Mass in B-minor.

Choir 2000 Choral Days attract singers from well beyond the borders of Cambridgeshire, and are another way of fulfilling our role as an educational charity. We invite accomplished choral conductors to come to Histon for a day and work with all who want to come, sometimes to improve our understanding of a familiar work, sometimes to introduce the participants to new repertoire.

We also organise lively non-singing social events for members and guests. In addition, our chamber choir group presents some smaller scale events, usually by invitation.

Choir 2000 has become an integral part of community life in Histon and Impington and has been invited to take part in several village-sponsored events. It is also drawing members from many of the villages surrounding Cambridge, and from the city itself.

Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays from 7.30pm to 9.45pm at the Baptist Church in Histon and include a tea/coffee break, giving members a chance to chat and make new friends.

Our fees are modest. We charge a basic enrolment fee of £20.00 p.a., payable at the beginning of the season (September), and a participation fee of £15.00 (£20.00 summer term only) for each full term of rehearsals and two performances. Couples only pay one enrolment fee between them. There is a £5.00 reduction for those who pay for the full year in advance and a reduced enrolment fee for new members who join later in the season. In cases of hardship the committee may agree to waive part or all of the participation fees.

For further information about Choir 2000 please visit our web-site www.choir2000.org or ring 01223 561635. You are welcome to come along for a ‘taster-session’.