THE CALLINGTON SINGERS

CHOIR HISTORY

The Callington Singers were formed in April 1983, and the first meeting was held on 14th April in the Upper School Hall at Callington Comprehensive School.  Just 16 people came to the first rehearsal but, by the time of the first concert on 17th November 1983, the numbers had grown to 40.  Since then the choir has gone from strength to strength.  A 'potted' version of the history of the choir over the years is given below.  It is worth reading to get a true picture of the depth of our repertoire and the way in which we have progressed way beyond the Tamar!  If you would like to see some photographs of the choir taken along our journey since 1983, take a look at our Photographic Archive. 

	First meeting of Choir on 14th April.  First concert at St Mary's Church, Callington on 17th November.  Programme includes Gloria (Vivaldi), The king shall rejoice (Handel) and Jesu, joy of man's desiring (Bach).
	Gilbert and Sullivan Evening.  Gorsedd Concert at Callington Methodist Church on September 1st.  Programme includes Zadok the Priest (Handel), Jesu, joy of man's desiring (Bach), Leaves in Autumn fade and fall (Gilbert and Sullivan), Ave verum (Byrd) and Rejoice in the Lord alway (Purcell).
	Easter Concert with Vivaldi's Gloria on 28th March at St Mary's Church, Callington.  First trip abroad (Guipavas, France).  Performance at Guipavas Church on 12th April includes Zadok the Priest (Handel), Herzlich thut mich verlangen (Bach), Sheep may safely graze (Bach), Christ lag in todesbaden (Bach) and excerpts from Messiah (Handel).
	Joint concert with Sene choir from Brittany on 17th May in Callington School Hall.  Concert at St Ive Parish Church on 27th June.  Programme includes Zadok the Priest (Handel), King of Glory (Bach), The Bell Anthem (Purcell), Christ lag in todesbanden (Bach), Requiem (Faure) and exerpts from Vivaldi's Gloria.  Six Christmas concerts were given at venues around Callington.
	5th March - "Classic Cream" recording at the Methodist Chapel, Callington; 23rd April - Concert at St Ive Church; 25th April - Concert at L'Eglise de St Patern, Vannes, France; 26th April - Concert at L'Eglise de Gourin, France; 30th April - Choir party at Callington School; 13th September - Concert at Stoke Climsland Church; 26th September - Wedding at St Mary's Church, Callington; 27th September - BBC TV live broadcast from Looe; 21st November - Concert with Liskeard Silver Band at Callington Comprehensive School; 4th December - BBC Spotlight TV recording at St Mary's Church, Callington; 10th December - Concert at Menheniot Methodist Chapel; 13th December - Concert at Liskeard Methodist Church; 13th December - BBC recording for Radio Cornwall at St Austell; 15th December - Carols at the Coachmakers Arms, Callington; 17th December - Concert at St Ive Methodist Church; 20th December - Carol Service at St Ann's Church, Gunnislake; 22nd December - Concert at St Ann's Church, Gunnislake; 23rd December - BBC TV Spotlight broadcast; 25th December - BBC Radio Cornwall broadcast; 28th December - BBC Radio Cornwall broadcast.
	Tour to Germany with concerts on 29th May at Thomaskirche (Hamburg-Bramfeld) and 1st June at Kirche Barsbuttel.  9th October - Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour broadcast from St Anne's Church, Gunnislake.
	Trip to Denmark with concerts on board ship and at Hjorring and Bindslev.  Visit of Barsbuttel choir.
	27th June - joint concert at Stoke Climsland Church with Bindslev Koret.  Programme includes Panis Angelicus (Franck), Insanae at vanae curae (Haydn), Celtic Benediction (Pelmear) and Sweet was the song the virgin sang (Williams).
	Choir sung their first office at Lichfield Cathedral on April 11th.  Another was sung at Exeter Cathedral on July 14th.  For the latter, the order of service included Stanford canticles in B Flat and the Smith responses.
	A year of cathedral singing!  Salisbury and Truro in April and Westminster Abbey on 31st August.  At Truro all the services for the day were sung (including Schubert in G, Franck's Panis Angelicus and Byrd's Responses) and at Westminster we sang the Choral Evensong (Stanford in C, Smith Responses)
	10th Anniversary concert at Truro Cathedral on 24th April.  Programme includes Mozart's Mass in C, I was Glad (Parry) and Cantique de Jean Racine (Faure).  Choral Evensong on August Bank Holiday Monday at Westminster Abbey.  Music for service was Byrd's Responses, Stanford canticles in B Flat, Crown of Roses (Tchaikovsky) and Let All the World (Vaughan Williams).  Visit of Funbashi City Chorus (Japan) in October.
	Visit of Nagano Children's Choir (Japan) in March.  Trip to Northern Denmark (Bindslev and Hirtshals) in May..
	Concert at Harrowbarrow Village Hall on May 11th.  Trip to Germany and visit to Callington by a choir from the USA.
	Performance of Carmina Burana (Orff) with Plymouth Symphony Orchestra at the Guildhall, Plymouth.  Concert for Dobwall's Methodist Church Chapel Anniversary on 16th May (programme included Wood's "O Thou the Central Orb", Howells' "Like as the Hart" and Stainer's "God So Loved the World".  Trip to Empoli, Italy.  Joint concert at Exeter Cathedral with Pia Societa Chorale "S.Cecilia" (From Italy) on 26th August.  Hosts to choir from Germany.
	Tour to Ireland October 25th to 29th October, singing at services at St Saviours Church, Avoca and Dublin Protestant Cathedral.  A joint concert was held with our hosts, The Avoca Singers.  More locally, concerts were held at All Saints Church, Millbrook on 11th November and at St Dominick's Parish Church on 29th November.
	Visit by Chorale Chanterelle, Guipavas, France.  Joint concert with them at Stoke Climsland Church on 11th April.  Programme includes Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai, Handel's Messiah and Mozart's Laudate Dominum.
	Last Night of the Proms concert at Tavistock Town Hall  with the Tavistock Town Band.  BBC broadcast on Sunday Half Hour - recorded at Tavistock Parish Church on 25th November and transmitted on 19th December.  Programme includes Parry's Jerusalem, Stainer's Come, thou long-expected Jesus and Ravenscroft's Hark, the glad sound.
	Tour to Denmark, with concerts in Bindsle and Tversted.  International Millenium Concert held at St Eustachius Parish Church, Tavistock, on 28th October.  The Callington Singers were joined by The Avoca Singers (Ireland), Chorale Chanterelle (France), Corale Santa Cecilia (Italy) and Kantorei Barsbuttel (Germany).  This concert featured the specially commissioned work 'De Profundis'.
	Tour to Italy, with concert in Empoli.  Matins at St George's Chapel, Windsor..
	Tour to France, visiting Guipavas and Vannes.  Singing at services at Bath Abbey and St Paul's cathedral.  Taking part at a 'Proms in the Park' at Whiteford, Stoke Climsland.  Featured on BBC Spotlight.
	Visit to St Pol de Leon Church, Penzance.  Concerts at Callington Methodist Church and St Dominick Parish Church.  Service at Exeter Cathedral.  Tour to France, singing at La Madeleine and Notre Dame in Paris and Reims Cathedral.
	Tour to Germany, with concerts at Berlin Dom (Berlin), St Peter's Dom (Schleswig) and Thomasskirche (Leipzig).  Four evensong services sung at St Paul's Cathedral, London, 23rd to 26th August.  The Smith Responses were sung at all services.  The canticles were Stanford in B Flat, Stanford in G, Stanford in C and Stanford in A.  The anthems were Bach's King of glory, King of peace, Mendelsohn's He watching over Israel, Brucker's Locus iste and Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine.
	Tour to Italy, singing in Rome (St Peter's and San Pietro in Vincoli), Florence (Duomo) and Empoli (Duomo).  BBC broadcast on Sunday Half Hour from Abbotsbury Parish Church, Newton Abbot.  Christmas Concert in Tavistock Catholic Church with Charles Cross Band from Plymouth.
	Worcester Cathedral.  May: tour to Paris and Switzerland.  Christmas Concert in Tavistock Catholic Church with Charles Cross Band from Plymouth.
	March 31st:  Choir members wedding at St Dominick Parish Church; April 9th: Wells Cathedral, Somerset for lunchtime concert and choral evensong (Stanford in G Major, Smith Responses and Haydn's Insanae et vanae curea); May: tour to Spain with concerts in Barcelona and Toldeo;  July 14th/15th: weekend services at Gloucester Cathedral;  September 30th: Harvest Festival at St Dominick Parish Church.
	25th Anniversary Year!  And it will be celebrated in style!  Watch out for details.
	Continuing success at making music!