M is for murder & mystery

Karen Neville

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Activities & Events

Karen Neville

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‘Queen of Crime’ Agatha Christie lived in Wallingford for 42 years and wrote most of her novels here while living quietly by The Thames. Each September, Wallingford celebrates her with a variety of events

From exhibitions and talks, to ‘who dunnits’ and art workshops, there’s something for everyone to enjoy from September 6th to 8th honouring the best-selling author.

Throughout the weekend the view the special exhibition: “At Home with the Queen of Crime’ which takes you behind the scenes of Agatha’s home life while Ordeal by Innocence features paintings by artist Laura Hope at Wallingford Museum. (Entry by Museum ticket £6). Details Wallingford Museum.

Explore Wallingford in Rhythm and Rhyme with the Queen of Crime – pick up a leaflet from the Town Information Centre, and find the clues on 10 information boards around the town to solve the crossword.

Join a guided walk with a touch of Midsomer Murders and visit Christie’s grave at St Mary’s Church, Cholsey.

Pit your wits at a ‘Murder Mystery’ themed quiz on Friday when you can also listen to an illustrated talk on The Mysteries of Miss Maple. Book in advance at » The Mysteries of Miss Marple.

Join local artist Emma Souter on Saturday for a morning of creativity sketching the statue of Agatha Christie ‘en plein air’ at Kinecroft and why not stay for the Big Picnic with Agath afterwards?

Students from Wallingford School will perform two short murder mystery plays ‘Afternoon at the Seaside’ and ‘The Patient’ on Saturday afternoon.

At A is for Arsenic – the poisons of Agatha Christie, learn about the chemicals Agatha Christie used to kill off her characters and help solve a murder on a day out or evening on the Bunkline working out “who dunnit” in a murder mystery. In the evening experience Murder on the Wallingford Express complete with meal on the train. Watch as the story unfolds, listen out for clues, get those grey cells working, question the cast if you wish to try and piece together the puzzle.

Maritime Murder: A Vintage Voyage Riverboat Experience will feature professional actors bringing to life the gripping tale inspired by the queen of mystery, Agatha Christie. Enjoy treats prepared by the renowned Soph’s Loafs and a pay as you go bar, will be available on board.

The Shellfish Cow will be offering a special murder themed cocktail, Mollies will be holding a Murder Mystery evening on Saturday 7th with a fabulous interactive acting troupe as entertainment and The Keep will be serving up Agatha Christie inspired cocktails.

There are talks and art to get involved in, a special event for children and even an Agatha-inspired run and the chance to enjoy Gosford Park at the Corn Exchange too.

For details on all the events and how to book visit Agatha Christie’s Mystery Weekend

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Surrey Hills Wood Fair

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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Discover traditional woodcrafts, be inspired by master craftspeople and enjoy an immersive day out in the woods at Surrey Hills Wood Fair 2024 in Cranleigh this month

The much-anticipated 14th annual Surrey Hills Wood Fair promises to be the biggest and best celebration yet where you can discover traditional woodcrafts and new attractions.

Renowned for its unique blend of nature, activities, culture, and community, it is gearing up to offer an unforgettable experience for families and nature enthusiasts alike on September 7th and 8th.

Marvel at the traditional craftsmanship in the new woodworkers’ village with a group of highly skilled wood workers from the Surrey Sussex coppice workers. Step back in time with the authentic medieval village enactment, and be captivated by thrilling displays and demonstrations in the new action-packed arena including jaw dropping displays from The Adams Axemen.

The fair at Fish Pond Copse, Bookhurst Road, Cranleigh, is the perfect opportunity for families to reconnect with nature and each other. With 90+ stalls featuring local wood, artisans, crafts, delicious food and drink, and a host of free activities, there is something for everyone.

Children can enjoy hands-on experiences such as willow weaving, driving a digger, axe throwing, tree climbing, and exploring the forest school’s mud kitchen. Parents can relax and take in the lively music and entertainment throughout the day or have a go at rock climbing, mountain biking or more relaxing mindfulness walks in the woods.

This event is not just about fun; it’s a celebration of the rich heritage and natural beauty of the Surrey Hills. Support local artisans and learn about traditional woodcraft techniques, sustainable forestry, and the importance of environment conservation. Witness the majestic Shire horses in action pulling carts and logs and soak in the vibrant atmosphere of the event.

Enjoy live music and entertainment from local musicians and savour a delicious selection of Surrey Hills’ food and drink, including sustainably made beer, local rum or gin, freshly ground coffee, tempting ice cream, and handmade chocolate or fudge. Culinary delights range from African stews to Scandinavian dishes and freshly made pizza.

Tickets are excellent value, with advance tickets priced at £12.50 and £15 on the day. Best of all, children under 16 can attend for free, making it an affordable and memorable family outing. Free parking is available on-site, and friendly dogs on leads are welcome.

For more information and to purchase tickets for the celebration of nature, community and craftsmanship, visit Surrey Hills Wood Fair 2024 – Surrey Hills National Landscape

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A real quacker in Godalming

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The great Godalming duck race and fair takes place along the river Wey on Saturday, 7th September, one of the traditional ways the Rotary clubs in Godalming raise funds for Rotary causes

Don’t worry, your eyes aren’t deceiving you if you see 300 yellow plastic ducks floating along the Wey, it’s just the annual Rotary duck race down the river.

Each ticket sold buys a duck for one race, provides entertainment for the ticket folder, money for charity and may even win you some money!

Rotary members are selling tickets in local pubs now and they will also be available at the Richmond Arms and the Sun Inn in Godalming town centre and at Daisy Sandwiches at Godalming Station.

There will be a fun fair, a bar and stalls and food outlets from 11am until 3.30pm and the first duck race will start at noon, with heats every 20 minutes from then until the Grand Final for all the heat winners. Heat winners will win £20 with prizes of £250, £100 and £50 for the first three places in the Grand Final.

Following the Duck Races, there is a musical evening of Proms In The Park between 5pm and 7pm. The fun fair together with the bar and many of the stalls and food outlets will remain onsite until the end of the Proms In The Park.

We are very grateful to the directors of Seymours estate agents for their continued support of Rotary’s events this year.

Rotary has flourished in Godalming for more than 80 years and the community work of the Rotary Clubs is an integral part of life in the town. Rotary in Godalming welcome men and women who share the same common desire to do something worthwhile in the community, with a priority being community service and the support of local charities.

During the past few years Rotary in Godalming have raised and donated over £125,000 / £150,000 most notable locally to Godalming foodbank; the Godalming Community store; Phyllis Tuckwell; Skillway; ShelterBox and Broadwater Youth Centre’s wellbeing garden project.

More recently, Rotary clubs across Surrey and Sussex have partnered with Royal Surrey hospital to transform cancer care across Surrey, Sussex and beyond. The Cut Out Cancer campaign aims to raise funds for crucial high-tech equipment to allow more accurate surgeries to take place and improve recovery times for patients.

Rotary in Godalming also supports vital humanitarian work including Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign. Thanks to Rotary’s eradication work there are only 34 new cases of Polio reported this year, and we are ‘this close’ to total eradication.

For more information on the above and other Rotary activities, please visit their website Rotary Club of Godalming – welcome. (rotary-ribi.org)

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Hogs Back’s 10 years of hop

Round & About

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Image: Local hop farmer Mr Tice inspects hop bines, recreated by Hogs Back Brewery owner Rupert Thompson (right) and estate manager Matthew King

Round & About

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Historic images recreated for Farnham brewery milestone as it looks ahead to Hop Harvest celebrations in September

As Surrey-based Hogs Back Brewery approaches its 10th hop harvest, it has recreated historic hop farming photographs lining the walls of its Tap room, with local residents helping to update the images during a Hop Garden Open Evening.

Two original images were recreated, one showing a group of hop pickers reading the local newspaper, while in the other, Matthew King, Hogs Back’s estate manager, is shown with brewery owner Rupert Thompson inspecting the ripening hop plants, replace Mr Tice, a member of a renowned local hop growing family, in the original photograph.

The Hop Garden Open Evening drew 120 guests, who enjoyed a tour of the hop garden next to the brewery, followed by a pint or two in the Brewery Tap. Guests made a £5 donation to British Heart Foundation, Hogs Back’s chosen charity this year.

Image: Museum of Farnham

Rupert said: “We’re immensely proud to mark 10 years of hop growing. We planted our first hop garden, across the road from the brewery, to help us become a more sustainable brewery, to bring hop farming back to the Farnham region, and to build ties with the local community.

“A decade on, we have relocated to a larger hop garden even closer to the brewery, meaning the hops travel ‘from field to firkin in a furlong’ as we say! We capture them at optimum freshness and create a carbon footprint that’s close to zero! We are producing around 60% of our hop requirement and growing three varieties; Fuggles, English Cascade and Farnham White Bine.”

He added: “Hop growing is not for the faint hearted! Hops are a delicate, high-maintenance crop, much impacted by climate; this year’s heavy rain has delayed growth and therefore our harvest.

“However, it has been enormously rewarding, not least because of the support from the local community, in particular our loyal band of volunteers. Not only do they help us tend our hops during the growing season and bring in the harvest in September, but some of them are now immortalised in our recreations of classic hop farming photographs.”

This year’s hop harvest will culminate in the traditional Hop Harvest celebrations, from 13th-15th September. This year, Hogs Back is expecting more than 3,500 people to join the festivities, which include:

Roots Festival, Friday 13th from 6pm: featuring original music, headlined by Newton Faulkner.

Hop Harvest Festival, Saturday 14th, 2pm-11pm: Beer, street food and music, this year including indie folk to electropop and headlined by Britpop tribute band Blurasis.

TEA party, Sunday 15th, midday-5pm: family-friendly day with children’s entertainment including dray rides around the Hop Garden, face painting, magic show, and music including a Taylor Swift tribute act.

For full line ups of musicians and other entertainment, https://hogsback.co.uk/pages/festival-beer-and-music-party

Hop growing and Farnham are inextricably linked. At its peak in the late 19th century, hop fields covered around 40% of all available farmland in the area, and hops from Farnham were highly-prized for their quality. Although hop cultivation dwindled over the next 100 years, it still takes place in pockets across the region.

Hogs Back planted its first hop garden in 2014, relocating in 2019 to the current 8.5-acre site next to the brewery. The current garden contains 6,000 hop plants supported by 100 large posts and 10 miles of high tensile steel wire, strung 18ft above the plants. A small number of bines are crafted into hop garlands for local weddings and parties, and petals from the hop flowers are also being sold this year as aromatic, 100% biodegradable confetti.

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Join charity Plantathon for Squire’s

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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Support garden centres’ charity of the year programme and get involved in fundraising for local causes

Squire’s Garden Centres is inviting customers to come along to its centres on Friday, 6th September to join its charity Plantathon and help support Squire’s year of fundraising for its local charity organisations, marking the start of its Charity of the Year programme.

Taking place from 10am-3pm, at 15 of Squire’s garden centres**, the Squire’s teams at each centre – as well as charity volunteer helpers – are looking forward to welcoming customers for a fun and rewarding day planting up containers. The completed pots will be available for customers to purchase on the day, between 10am-3pm, with profits from the sale of each container going to each centre’s Charity of the Year (see list below).

Customers are encouraged to come along and support – to chat, ask questions – and are very welcome to pitch-in and plant-up pots too, in aid of some brilliant community causes close to each centre.

Each container will include a selection of autumn bedding plants, a centre piece feature plant, plus some daffodil bulbs to bring added cheer in spring (early September is the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs), all planted in peat free compost. The planted containers will be available to purchase for £12 each, representing fantastic value for money, while also helping local charities.

Sarah Squire, Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres, comments: “We are looking forward to hosting our Plantathon initiative once again this year! It’s a wonderful way to welcome the autumn planting season, while marking the start of our work with our local charity partners for the next 12 months.

“We would be delighted to welcome visitors to our centres to get involved and help plant their own pot up – or just pop along and show their support for our colleagues and charity, which is local to the centre and often close to the hearts of many colleagues. Each centre works with their chosen charity to support their activities in the local community, as well as raising awareness and much needed funds at special evens throughout the year.

Charity of the Year – 2024/25

Charities chosen for the coming year are:

Badshot Leaspace2grow  Farnham’s community wellbeing garden, connecting local people in nature. space2grow.space
ChertseyLittle Roo Neonatal Fund  The Little Roo Neonatal Fund raises money to provide support for St. Peter’s Neonatal Unit, enabling it to continue providing the highest standards of intensive care for babies. ashfordstpeters.nhs.uk/littleroo
CobhamCobham Area Foodbank  A project founded by local churches and community groups, working together towards stopping hunger in the local area.  cobhamarea.foodbank.org.uk
CrawleyAge UK Crawley Branch  Offering services for older people, their families and their carers ageuk.org.uk/westsussexbrightonhove/activities-and-events/crawley/
FrenshamThe Green Hub Project for TeensThe Green Hub Project for Teens is a local community project serving Surrey and Hampshire and surrounding areas, supporting teenagers facing social, emotional and mental health challenges. greenhub.org.uk/
HershamHome-Start ElmbridgeWorking alongside families to give compassionate and confidential support for parents and their children. homestartelmbridge.org.uk
Long DittonWalton CharityA local charitable foundation, working with the community and local partners, aiming to build an Elmbridge community free from poverty and that thrives waltoncharity.org.uk
MilfordThe Fountain CentreA small independent cancer charity within St Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey Hospital, providing holistic and emotional support and information to as many patients as possible. fountaincentre.org/
ReigateSASH Charity (East Surrey Hospital)The charity for East Surrey Hospital and services provided by Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. Raising funds for to create great experiences for patients and staff. sashcharity.org/
SheppertonSpelthorne Dementia SupportA small group of local volunteers who make a positive difference to the quality of life of people living with dementia, their carers and families. spelthorne-dementia-support.org.uk/
StanmoreSt Luke’s HospiceSt Luke’s is a charity providing specialist end of life and palliative care to people in Harrow and Brent, enabling them to achieve the best possible quality of life. stlukes-hospice.org/
TwickenhamHomeLinkA local charity dedicated to the wellbeing of older people and their unpaid carers. homelinkdaycare.co.uk/
WashingtonRockinghorse Children’s CharityThe official fundraising arm of the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton. Raising money for life-saving equipment, projects and services for sick babies, children and young people. rockinghorse.org.uk/
West HorsleyOakleaf EnterpriseOakleaf is based in Guildford offering a range of services to its clients to empower them to gain the skills, training and confidence needed to manage their mental health and return to work. oakleaf-enterprise.org
WokingWoking & Sam Beare HospiceA charity that cares for thousands of patients and their carers and families each year, specialising in holistic care for patients with life-limiting and terminal illness. wsbh.org.uk/
WokinghamCLASPSupporting people with learning disabilities in the Wokingham Borough and run by its members.  CLASP employs people with learning disabilities and offers voluntary opportunities. claspwokingham.org/

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Henry Moore exhibition at the Lightbox

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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Big names and innovative artists are at the heart of The Lightbox’s latest exhibitions

Visitors to The Lightbox can enjoy two special exhibitions into autumn giving greater opportunities to “experience the best contemporary and modern art”.

Material Thinking, until October 13th, brings together for the first-time selected work by major artists from The Ingram Collection with work by contemporary artists associated with the Fine Art programme at the University of Gloucestershire (UoG), recognised as one of the country’s most innovative art schools.

Focusing on artists who use varied, unusual or unexpected ways of making, the exhibition will explore The Ingram Collection – one of the most significantly publicly accessible collections of modern British art in the UK – as a historic context for artists working today, prompting conversations about what it is to make things, between disciplines and across generations.

Curated by Professor Angus Pryor (UoG), selections from The Ingram Collection have been chosen in response to painters, sculptors and film makers working on the UoG Fine Art programme. He said: “Material Thinking will highlight how artists across generations incorporate observation, action, reaction, accident, impulse and instinct into their artistic practice, moving step-by-step to their final artwork.”

Henry Moore in Colour is organised in partnership with The Henry Moore Foundation and runs until November 3rd offering a rare opportunity to see colourful drawings by Moore spanning the artist’s career.

Best-known as one of the most influential and innovative sculptors of the modern era, Moore (1898-1986) was also a remarkably talented and prolific draughtsman, producing nearly 7,500 drawings over seven decades. These works from The Henry Moore Foundation include examples of his best-known works such as the large ‘presentation’ works from the 1930s and the Shelter drawings – commissioned by War Artists’ Advisory Committee during WW2, the Shelter drawings were influential in achieving widespread popular recognition for the artist following their display at London’s National Gallery.

Sebastiano Barassi, Head of Henry Moore Collections & Programmes said: “Henry Moore in Colour reveals his profound love and appreciation of the unique characteristics and possibilities of drawing, for its own ends and as a tool to inform his work in other media. Moore continued to draw until the end of his life. This exhibition attempts to reveal the numerous ways in which it enabled him to study, express, and experiment.”

Sarah Brown, Director of The Lightbox, added: “Our collaboration with The Ingram Collection and The Henry Moore Foundation is at the heart of both exhibitions and we are grateful to all our partners for making our season so exciting.”

A programme of events accompanies and the exhibitions, including the Material Thinking Symposium on September 13th.

For further information about both exhibitions visit The Lightbox

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Guildford Jazz & Soul Festival

Karen Neville

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Karen Neville

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Guildford Jazz & Soul Festival features 16 events across 14 venues and is celebrating the best in UK and local jazz and soul from September 4th through to October 17th

Guildford Jazz has always been about bringing the best, established UK jazz artists to Guildford. Why go to Ronnie Scott’s when you can have the same experience in Guildford?

Its first jazz and soul festival naturally includes many of the sort of artists who you could see at major venues and festivals across the UK. Headline acts include Natalie Williams Soul Family, who make a rare appearance outside their monthly sold out residency at Ronnie’s, and Bill Laurance, the five times Grammy award-winning pianist and founding member of Snarky Puppy.

Other national artists already booked to appear include jazz pianists Jason Robello and Gwilym Simcock, award-winning saxophonist Tony Kofi and the Organisation, rising jazz stars vocalist Emily Masser and saxophonist Alex Clarke, BBC Radio Jazz Records Requests presenter Alyn Shipton talking about his latest book and performing music from the Jerry Mulligan Quartets as part of the Guildford Book Festival, The Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and guitarist Pete Roth.

Guildford Jazz’s founder, jazz bass player Marianne Windham explains why now is the right time for the festival. It was decided four years ago to organise the first locally curated Guildford Jazz Festival but just a week before it started lockdown hit. Since then Guildford Jazz has continued to grow and thrive.

It has teamed up with venues such as the Boileroom and The Stoke and attracted audiences at outdoor events and festivals and prides itself on being part of the community and having a reputation as one of the leading jazz clubs in the country.

She continues: “There are many lovers of live music locally who are still unaware of the world class music available on their doorstep. Rather than sit back and wait for them to stumble across us, we thought we would take the plunge and commit to a major high-profile festival to bring great live jazz and soul directly to music lovers who may not have heard of us, in venues across Guildford and in the streets, churches, restaurants, cafes and bars, wherever they normally hang out.

“We hope that the festival will bring the joy of live music to new listeners, bring more people back into the centre of town and be the next step in our journey to make Guildford a UK hub of creative live music.”

Many of the events are free. More information about Guildford Jazz, the festival and how to book tickets at Guildford Jazz

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Why not join your local u3a?

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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On Saturday, 14th September, the Chiltern branch of the u3a will welcome you at The Chilterns Lifestyle Centre in Amersham for an open day to showcase their varied activities

Chiltern u3a was formed in 1999. All the group’s activities are run and supported by members.

Membership is open to all adults: You don’t have to be retired – just not have a full-time employment or caring commitments. Activities aim to offer fun and stimulating environments where you can learn new skills and make new friends.

Annual membership is £28pp. Should a group require specialist facilities or a professional tutor a small additional charge may apply, but this is kept to a minimum. This u3a currently has about 1,350 members who between them offer 90+ interest groups, ranging from ancient cultures to badminton, board games and bowls through drama, dancing, language, music, science & technology to walking, wine tasting and yoga. There’s also a monthly general meeting with external speakers covering varied topics. These groups in a member’s home or at local venues (e.g. in Amersham, Chalfont St Peter, Chesham, Hyde Heath and Holmer Green). Some have been visits to properties, gardens and theatres.

Chiltern u3a is affiliated to a national network of about 1,000 u3as with 400,000 members. The UK u3a Week is all set for 21st-28th September. In advance of this, you’re all welcome to the open day, 10am-4pm at The Chilterns Lifestyle Centre on 14th. Many groups will host information stands and there’s a membership offer of £14pp if you join on the day!

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Billy Billingham: Always A Little Further

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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As featured in Spotlight: A Diary For The South East: https://youtu.be/hRZ4aR0vLHE

Liz Nicholls chats to SAS: Who Dares Wins star Billy Billingham MBE QCB whose new Always A Little Further tour visits Wycombe Swan on 25th November, plus Aldershot, Newbury & more beyond

Billy has had many astonishing experiences. He left school at 11 and ran with gangs in Birmingham before joining the Royal Marine cadets and Parachute Regiment, to rising to the rank of sergeant major in the SAS and undertaking hundreds of classified and extremely dangerous missions.

He spent more than 20 years in the Special Forces serving in countless warzones, winning a commendation for bravery, and being awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II, before embracing for the life of a bodyguard to celebrities such as Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Sir Michael Caine, Tom Cruise and Russell Crowe.

Billy will also take us behind the scenes of his hit TV shows where he gained a reputation for excellence, integrity, and a no-nonsense approach. A transformational leader, Billy inspires contestants to take on mentally and physically demanding challenges.

So, Billy, how did these big talking tours of yours come about?
“I got asked to help raise some money for a charity for bereaved children and of course I said yes. I thought I’d be talking to about 30 people. I went down to the venue on the morning and… there’s 300 people coming, and my heart fell out! My wife said; well, what are you going to talk about?! So we put a logical sequence together of trials, tribulations, lessons learned. And off we went! But I didn’t feel frightened, I enjoyed it.

“And I think this is now our fourth year. I love the response from the audience. I believe in giving back, especially to people who are looking for advice or just a bit of motivation.”

Q. You’ve had quite the life haven’t you? I mean literally highs and lows. What was your lowest moment, do you think?
“There’s a few. And that’s where the journey starts with me.
“So, I was a bd kid. My mum said I ran with a bad crowd but I knew right from wrong and I was bad, and it’s about owning that… Everybody should nowadays, instead of blaming others for our own mistakes. An old man I stole a hat from chased me, and rather than give me what I expected, when he caught me, he actually gave me the time of day and said come to learn boxing. That was a lightbulb moment.

“Then the next was in the cadets. I was taught proper discipline. And it was a hard discipline, but you were treated fairly, and I was learning great skills. I’m not academic. I’m a ‘monkey see, monkey do’ kind of guy.
“And then the saddest turning point in my life, which I talk about, was when I got stabbed and nearly died at 15. I felt more of an idiot, looking at people who love me, my family and my friends thinking I was going to die. I remember thinking if I get out of it, which I did, of course, I’ve got to change my life. And then getting into the military, and the military really was my saving grace.”

Q. And what advice would you have for anyone whose child is really struggling with school?
“At school, in English, maths, everything, I was the worst. I was petrified or sweating with anything academic. My strength was on the running field, doing physical things. So my advice to any child who’s struggling: do your best, be respectful, and find out what you’re good at and embrace that. Because there’s an avenue for everybody.”

To book tickets visit: Billy Billingham MBE | Projects | Fane

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Vocal locals: South Bucks Choral Society!

Liz Nicholls

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Liz Nicholls

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South Bucks Choral Society are in fine voice, rehearsing for upcoming concerts at St Mary’s in Old Amersham. Jay Roff tells us more and invites you to audition on 7th & 8th September

Do you enjoy singing? Even if you haven’t sung in a choir before, why not give it a try? Choral singing is a fun and rewarding pastime that has been proven to promote a sense of wellbeing.

South Bucks Choral Society have established an excellent reputation in the area, performing some of the greatest choral works in western music. Our next performance, the ever-popular Handel’s Messiah on 30th November, is a great intro to choral singing.

South Bucks Choral Society was founded by our conductor, Iain Ledingham, in 1980. Iain is a professor at the Royal Academy of Music. He has been Director of Opera there and was musical director of the Academy’s prestigious and highly successful Bach Cantata series from 2009 to 2018. We have received great reviews in the local press.

Accompanied by a first-class professional orchestra and excellent soloists from the Royal Academy of Music, our main concerts are centred around one of the great choral works. Past performances include Verdi’s Requiem, Bach’s St Matthew Passion and Christmas Oratorio, Handel’s Samson, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s Requiem & C minor Mass. The choir have also taken part in operas by Handel and Mozart. In 2019 we performed Mozart’s great opera Idomeneo with the amazing young tenor Freddie de Tommaso in the title role. He is now singing major roles at the Royal Opera House and throughout Europe.

Even after the most challenging day at work, going to rehearsal takes away the stress, I feel happier and have so much more energy. I’ve been a member of SBCS since I was 18! Verdi’s Requiem was the first work I learned, and I was hooked. Singing with the choir is exhilarating. Together we can create this amazing sound – the sum is so much greater than the parts.

Each year we perform two major concerts with orchestra, in November and April. There’s also our popular carol concert in December and a summer concert featuring opera choruses, folk songs and shorter choral works. We are aiming to increase our number to nearer 100 (so we can return to performing works that demand a larger choir such as Verdi’s Requiem.

We meet for rehearsals 8-10pm on Tuesday evenings, from September to April, in St Joseph’s School Hall, Chalfont St Peter. We also run an optional summer programme during May and June. Why not head to a 10-minute audition at Chalfont St Peter Parish Church 9.30am to 3pm on Saturday, and 2-6pm on Sunday 8th? Feel free to bring a piece of music to sing if you wish. Ability to sight read is not essential, we just ask that you can sing in tune!

If you’d like to take part, please email [email protected]. For more info please also visit South Bucks Choral Society

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