Singing

Singing gives Mo and I great joy with many friends in several choirs.

In about 1972 I joined the Goring Chamber Choir under its most musical conductor Andrew Mackay. It was under him that I became a reluctant tenor. In 1979 the choir went to Durham Cathedral starting its cathedral weekends that have continued ever since. Durham 1979, Chester 1980, Chartres and Lichfield 1981, Lincoln 1983, Salisbury 1984, Norwich 1985, Sees, Le Mans and Winchester 1986, Chichester 1987, York 1988, Exeter 1989, Hereford 1990, Wells 1991, Beverley and Durham 1992, Bury St Edmonds 1993. I left in 1994 just after the choir's trip to a music festival in Spain. The picture shows a twinning visit to Belleme in 1993.

In the 1970s I helped with the Goring Church Sunday School alongside Liz Dowding and Nancy Harding. Teaching the under-fives to sing, including my own children, tought me a great deal. In about 1978 most of the school joined the Church choir. Mary Seymour was choirmistress and Evelyn Fisher the excellent organist. I became choir leader in about 1985. We did some good singing especially Stainer's Crucifiction in 1991 and Bach's "Jesu Priceless Treasure" in 1994. I wrote several anthems for the choir and in 1985 my Communion Service for the 1980 Alternative Service Book" words. I left the choir in 1994 handing over to Mo who had joined me as choir leader. The picture shows at the back, left to right, organist Evelyn Fisher, Diane Smith, John Gilford, Julia Slingo, Colin Windsor, Mo Watkins, Douglas Merry, Jenny Boyd, Malcolm Bates, Joanna Huhes, Alun Hughes, and in front, Elizabeth Ainsworth, Jill Tylor, Clare Nixon.

Very soon after Mo and I left Goring followed up an advert in the AERE news and joined David Dendy's "Sine Nomine" group. It met, and still meets, at David's house singing a nicely crafted mix from old favourates to sight reading, from mediaval madrigals to 20th Century, especially Finzi! In its heighday it gave several concerts church services each year. Now David's eyes are a problem and we sing for our own pleasure, always followed by a delicious feast from David's wife Ann.

In 1997, Schola Aquae Sulis, a group of about 30 singers came to Christ Church Oxford for their annual week-long Cathedral sing. They were short of tenors and Colin and Mo joined to help and have sung with them ever since. The conductor Ben Cliffe composes our responses and chants and even poetry. We have sung with them at Christchurch Oxford (1997), Chester (1998), Norwich (1999), York Minster (2000), Chichester Cathedral (2001), Canterbury (2002), Salisbury (2003), York(2004). St Paul's, London (2005), St George's Chapel, Windsor (2006), Hereford (2007), Salisbury (2008), Durham (2009). St Paul's, London (2010). Hereford (2011), Lincoln (2012), Norwich (2014), Norwich (2014), Exeter (2015), Hereford (2016), Norwich (2018), Gloucester(2022), My list from 1997 is here, including the repertoire.

In another temporary shortage of tenors, we joined the Cathedral Chamber Choir a skilled group founded by Martin Hall, now the emeritus director in 1979. It is ably managed by chairman David Clover. The present musical director is superb singer and organist Matthew O'Donovan - a young teacher at Eton. The choir meets about twice a year. We have sung at Bristol and Chester (2005), Exeter and St Albans (2006), Norwich (2007) York (2008) Chichester (2009) and St David's (2011). Ely (2012). Southwark (2013). Canterbury (2013). Worcester (2015). York (2015). Cambridge (2016). Lichfield (2016). Wells (2017). Lincoln (2017). Bradford (2018). Newcastle (2022). Chester (2023). Ely and Cambridge (2024). Salisbury (2024). The list from 2011 is here, including the repertoire.

A fellow tenor at that CCC visit to Bristol in 2005 was Tim Cook and he asked Mo and I to join the "Two-a-part" group centered on Dorchester. It has a most pleasant schedule. We meet every Tuesday in his ample conservatory with glasses of red wine before us and sing a great variety of music. Sometimes it is church music, especially for weddings which are frequent, and a nice little earner. Sometimes it is parties, or shows, or entertainment. The picture shows us at the George Inn Dorchester , doing Christmas carols. The members shown are Tim Cook, Colin, Penny Budgeon, Alison Bruckner, Mo, Janita Good, Terry Chipperfield and John Cornelius.

Last and not least must be mentioned Streatley Church Choir where Colin sung most Sundays and Mo had been the Choir Leader and organist between 2001 and 2011. It is like a happy family. Many of us have our problems and we all look after one another and sing lustily together to forget our woes. Our task is to lead the music with hymns, psalms and canticles, but we have occasional bigger ventures. We did Stainer's Crucifiction in 2003 , an Advent Concert in 2005, an Epiphany Concert in 2007 and a Rogation Concert in 2008.

Our church is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music, Oxford branch. One of its activities is an annual Choral Festival with hundreds of singers from the neighbourhood.

I am building a list of Cathedral music I have sung.

Here is a list of the cathedrals where I have sung.

Contact:
Prof Colin Windsor: Tel: 01235 812083 or email: colin.windsor@virgin.net