St Peter's Singers is a mixed choir of about forty voices based in the City of Leeds, directed by Dr Simon Lindley.
For thirty years the Singers have enjoyed a very close relationship with Leeds Parish Church [St Peter-at-Leeds], where the majority of concerts and liturgical appearances take place. At the same time, the choir performs at many other venues in and around Leeds, including Leeds Town Hall, Leeds Cathedral and Holy Trinity Church, Boar Lane to name but a few.
York Minster has been the venue for two memorable presentations in recent years and the members of St Peter’s Singers enjoyed a special collaboration with the Chapter House Choir at York Minster as a very special highlight of the Chapter House Choir’s fortieth anniversary in 2006. The Singers have also presented special concerts at Derby and Ely Cathedrals in recent seasons and appeared as special guest artists at the Congress of the Incorporated Association of Organists.
The members of St Peter’s Singers sustain an enviable reputation for the performance of standard baroque choral works involving the presentation of major works by Bach and Handel each season, mostly in conjunction with St Peter's Chamber Orchestra. Messiah and the B minor Mass are regularly presented, along with Bach's two great Passion settings. Other masterpieces by Monteverdi, Mozart and Haydn are not neglected, and in both 2000 and 2007 Elgar's Dream of Gerontius received memorable performances.
The choir is equally at home in a cappella and organ-accompanied programmes, an activity often setting Renaissance masterpieces alongside modern English repertoire and endeavour including the commissioning a fine Stabat Mater from Dr Francis Jackson.
St Peter’s Singers has also become well-known in reviving two major monodramas by actor-dramatist John Stuart Anderson with music by Francis Jackson [Daniel in Babylon, available on Amphion PHI 145 and A Time of Fire - a fascinating account of the life and times of biblical translator William Tyndale, on Amphion PHI 146].
St Peter’s Singers was founded by Harry David Fearnley [1939-2002] and its development was greatly enriched by the long service of two other stalwarts of the musical life of city and county – Principal Soprano and Singing Tutor Sybil Chambers [1938-1998] and visionary Harpsichordist Dr Roger Bullivant MBE [1921-2004].
The group’s Music Director, Dr Simon Lindley, began his work for the first concert in June 1977.
St Peter’s Singers celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Choir’s formation in some style during the course of 2007 with extra Summer and Autumn Concerts and a Concert Tour of Romania in early November with memorable recitals at major churches in Sibiu and Bucharest.
Plans for 2008 and 2009 include special concerts in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the death of Ralph Vaughan Williams [Monday 11 February 1.05 pm at Leeds Town Hall], Bach’s immortal Mass in B minor [Good Friday 21 March 7.00 at the Parish Church] and a complete performance of Handel’s Messiah at The Venue, Leeds College of Music [Saturday 6 December at 7.00]. There will also be a special concert in celebration of Dr Lindley’s 60th birthday.
Click here to go to the official site www.stpeters-singers.org.uk