WHATLINGTON SINGERS
WELCOME TO
WHATLINGTON SINGERS
Home of an aspiring and inspiring choir
Whatlington Singers is a friendly, welcoming Sussex choir originally based in the village of Whatlington, just outside Hastings. Formed in 2018, we currently have 28 members across the soprano, alto, tenor and bass ranges. We aim to be a democratic choir and a large part of our repertoire is suggested by members.
Our choice of pieces covers a wide range of genres and styles. Recent performances have included music from Henry Purcell, Anton Bruckner, Felix Mendelssohn, John Stainer, John Rutter, Ola Gjeilo, Kim André Arnesen and Eric Whitacre.
We sing to challenge ourselves and are keen to develop our singing to be as versatile and accomplished as possible. But above all, Whatlington Singers is about enjoying making music together and sharing a passion for choral singing.
The only thing better than singing is more singing – Ella Fitzgerald
OUR TEAM
LUCINDA SHEPPARD, DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Lucinda joined Whatlington Singers as director of music in September 2023. She is head of music at Battle Abbey School, having previously held a senior position at Vinehall School. She trained in music and conducting in the UK and abroad and is passionate about making music and reaching out to all areas of the community to share that joy.
LOUISE WINTER, PRESIDENT
Louise Winter has sung with many of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors including the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle, the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis, the Hallé Orchestra under Sir Mark Elder, the Philharmonia Orchestra under Sir Charles Mackerras, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under Carlo Rizzi.
PERFORMANCE DIARY AND REVIEWS
HASTINGS MUSIC FESTIVAL
Whatlington Singers will be competing in the Adult Community Choirs and Acapella Group classes at the Hastings Music Festival in the White Rock Theatre on Friday, 15th March 2024.
Whatlington Singers - Celebration of Christmas Music 2023.
Under the baton of their new Director of Music Lucinda Sheppard, Whatlington Singers produced what was, without doubt, their finest performance to date. As a very knowledgeable musician in the audience noted ‘I was absolutely stunned, I just sat as I would at a concert by any professional choir, impressed by the tuning, the confidence of the entries, the clarity of the inner parts’.
The evening began with the fervent longing for Christ in James MacMillan’s magnificent ‘O Radiant Dawn’ and this was expressed by the choir with sincerity and passion, the slowly ascending crescendos were confidently and brilliantly sung.
The programme promised Christmas music both ancient and modern and the much loved 16th
century ‘Coventry Carol’ and ‘E’en so lord quickly come’ composed in the 1950s by Paul Manz were both sung unaccompanied and we heard the choir’s warm sound at its best.
Currently teaching at Battle Abbey School, Travis Baker is one of Australia’s finest organists and the packed church was treated to a performance by him of Robert Schumann’s Study in Ab major. One of his pupils is Alexander Wakeford who also accompanies the choir at rehearsals and who must surely have a notable career in music ahead of him. Sitting at the organ, Alex accompanied two young soloists, Lucca Kelf and Conor Sinclair, singing Harold Darkes’s arrangement of that Christmas favourite ’In the Bleak Midwinter’ with the choir sensitively joining them for some of the verses, it was spellbinding.
Howard Goodall’s arrangement of the upbeat and joyful medieval song of praise ‘Gaudete’ was sung confidently and exuberantly in tongue twisting Latin by the sopranos and altos and they fully deserved the sustained applause that followed, as did the choir’s performance of Mark Burrow’s notoriously difficult syncopated rhythms of Ding! Dong!; his extraordinary arrangement of ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’ was great fun.
Another Christmas bauble was the Choir’s President, Louise Winter, singing ‘The Little Road to Bethlehem’ originally a poem by Margaret Rose and set to music by Michael Head. Louise has just returned from a demanding tour as Mistress Quickly in Opera North’s acclaimed production of Verdi’s Falstaff and her support of the choir is deeply appreciated.
It was a memorable evening of musical contrasts, the programme displayed the choir’s continued development and after only 5 years since its formation the sound is warmer, richer, clearer and more sustained, its future is surely exciting. Bravo!
Brenda Ansom
RECENT PERFORMANCES
JOIN US
If you are interested in joining us, please get in touch via the contact page. We welcome singers with good singing experience who are comfortable using a score and holding a harmony.
We are an auditioned choir. After a few weeks of settling in, Lucinda will hold an informal private audition to assess the new member's range and abilities. We try hard not to exclude anyone but reserve the right to decide on rare occasions that the choir is not suitable for a new member.
We meet every Monday evening from September to July with appropriate breaks for holidays. Rehearsals are from 7.00pm to 9.15pm at Battle Abbey.
Fees are currently £15 for each month we sing, subject to six-monthly review.
Our singers come from a wide range of musical backgrounds. Most can read music, and many have experience across a variety of vocal groups. Rehearsals start with a short warm-up followed by a practice, which usually includes two or three pieces. We are always focused on improving our singing across a variety of genres and technical styles.