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Saint Peter's Singers of Leeds
Background
[edit]Saint Peter's Singers (SPS) is a chamber choir of approximately forty mixed voices. It forms a key component of the choral foundation of Leeds Parish Church (St Peter-at-Leeds) and is one of the North of England's leading chamber choirs.
Founded in 1977 by the late Harry Fearnley, then senior alto lay clerk in the Choir of Leeds Parish Church, SPS has been directed since its foundation by the Leeds organist and conductor Dr Simon Lindley, the church's Master of the Music.
The majority of SPS concert performances and recitals are given in the Leeds area, including regular appearances at the Leeds International Concert Season Monday lunchtime recitals held at Leeds Town Hall, and other celebrated Yorkshire venues including Fulneck Moravian Church, Denton Hall near Ilkley, and the Friends' Meeting House at Ackworth near Pontefract.
The choir has also undertaken a number of favourably-received visits in recent years to venues including St Paul's Cathedral, London, Worcester Cathedral, York Minster, Derby Cathedral and Ely Cathedral. In November 2007, by special invitation, SPS gave its first overseas concert tour in Romania, with recitals in Sibiu (the joint 2007 European Capital of Culture) and Bucharest.
Repertoire
[edit]SPS has an extensive repertoire of sacred and secular choral music spanning five centuries, from sixteenth century polyphony to contemporary composers. The choir has established an enviable reputation for its performances of the music of Bach and Handel, many in conjunction with Saint Peter's Chamber Orchestra. In recent years SPS has pioneered performances of two monodramas with music by Dr Francis Jackson OBE, Organist Emeritus of York Minster - Daniel in Babylon and A Time of Fire. Both works have been recorded commercially by Amphion Recordings to critical acclaim.
Collaborations
[edit]SPS has engaged in a number of collaborations with other chamber choirs. Recent examples include concerts in 2006 with the Chapter House Choir of York and their conductor Stephen Williams, and with the Elgar Chorale of Worcester under their conductor Dr Donald Hunt OBE.
References
[edit](1) http://www.leedsparishchurch.org.uk (2) http://www.stpeters-singers.org.uk (3) http://www.ackworthconcertsociety.org.uk (4) http://www.amphion-recordings.com