Annual Report for 1996
The two girls choirs have continued to grow and develop during the last year. We now have forty members altogether and a waiting list of about four.
Eleanor McKeand and Victoria Anderson completed the RSCM training necessary to become Full Choristers. Nine others are now Senior Singers and eighteen more are Junior Singers. In September Victoria Anderson and Aimee Brazier took over as Head Choristers as Eleanor McKeand moved on to new things. We are very grateful to Eleanor for her leadership as Head Chorister and wish her well in the future.
The girls choirs have taken part in an increasing number of extra services this year. The choirs have taken part in services in Dunstable Methodist Church, St. Fremund's and St. Augustine's as well as the Priory Church. We led our first Eucharist, our first evensong, our first wedding and the senior girls sang their first Cathedral evensong, in Bury St. Edmunds. We have invitations to sing in Bristol and Sheffield Cathedrals and Bath Abbey.
In June the choirs took part in an Old Tyme Music Hall to raise money for anthem books. We were able to buy forty copies of "The New English Anthem Book" and twenty copies of "Anthems for choirs book 2" which will be very useful for expanding our repertoire.
The commitment of most of the girls has been admirable, some achieving 99% attendance and three girls achieved 100% attendance for the Autumn term! I am very grateful to them and thanks are also due to Ray Barlow, Joe Kendrick and Tony Price who continued to attend girls choir practices and help out in various ways during 1996.
Marie Price