2008-9 has brought a wide range of exciting concerts...

• A recital of some Mendelssohn's shorter choral music to the Church Music Society in Doncaster Minster, following a fascinating address by Mendelssohn specialist Dr Judith Blezzard

• A recital in York Minster in honour of Dr Lindley's 60th birthday and the choir's 30th Anniversary. The recital featured music composed and conducted by four distinguised composers:

  • Dr Donald Hunt conducted his wonderful Hymnis Paschalis

  • Dr Francis Jackson conducted his famous Benedicite and the Stabat Mater he composed specially for us

  • Simon Lindley conducted his well-known Ave Maria, an introit Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house and his highly-successful arrangement of the Easter Carol Now the green blade riseth

  • Phillip Moore conducted his haunting and intensely spiritual Three Prayers of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

• A memorable performance of Messiah at the Venue in Leeds, distinguished by the solo singing of two generations of the Dutton family: William sang most of the soprano solos while Paul gave his usual spontaneous-yet-polished account of the tenor

• In February we joined with The Elgar Chorale in Worcester Cathedral under the batons of Dr Hunt and Dr Lindley for a concert celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Elgar's death. In addition to participating in the arrangement of Nimrod to the words of the Lux Aeterna from the Requiem Mass as an opening homage, and then in The Music Makers, we were treated to a fine performance of the 1st Symphony by the English Symphony Orchestra

• A more extended recital of Mendelssohn choral music in Leeds Town Hall, incorporating the multi-movement motet Lauda Sion,as well as the famous anthem Hear my prayer, in which we welcomed Claire Strafford as the soloist

• A truly stirring performance of The Dream of Gerontius on Good Friday, in which the powerful and committed playing of The Yorkshire Festival Orchestra led by Sally Wilkinson left a lasting memory, matched equally by the thrilling sound of Kathryn Woodruff's upper range in the Angel's great 'Hallelujah's

• A Choral Evensong followed by a recital celebrating the musical genius of Henry Purcell: the number and variety of the solo and ensemble singing enabled a number of the younger members of the choir, notably Tom Asher,Lucy Appleyard and Kristina James , as well as welcome guests Alan Horsey, Gareth Price and Phillip Steel, to show their wonderful abilities

And in addition to the concerts...

• we welcomed a whole host of new - and young ! - members to the choir. Welcome to

  • Neil Balfour

  • Lydia Coulthard

  • Alison Eastwood

  • Adam Hunt

  • Dominic Oldfield

  • Jessi Pywell

  • Becky Smith

  • Jamie Stark

  • Ali Stockbridge

  • Julia Tanner

  • Phil Wilcox

• SPS is now on YouTube !

  • We now have several video clips of the choir posted on YouTube, and they are proving very popular, with two having received nearly 1000 viewings each! We plan to add more over the coming months, hopefully including some of the Mallorca tour concerts. Clicking here will take you directly to the video clips.

• We're off to Mallorca ! A brief tour will take place in late October with concerts in four of the island's finest churches, including Palma Cathedral. All this arranged through the good offices of our indefatigable Chairman Tim Burleigh in concert with Nigel Keenan, a long-standing friend of SPS and now resident in Mallorca.

In 2009-10 we look forward to concerts both home and away...

• Bach's Christmas Oratorio at The Venue in Leeds

• Bach's St John Passion In Leeds Town Hall

• Haydn's sumptuous Stabat Mater and Maria-Theresa Mass at Leeds Parish Church on Good Friday

• A recital in the Parish Church of the lovely North Yorkshire village of Bishop Monkton, near Ripon, at the kind invitation of our dear friends and former choir members Christopher and Sue Cornwell. The recital, in aid of the church’s restoration appeal, will take place on Saturday 8th May at 7.30pm and will include Herbert Howells’ beautiful Requiem.

• have also received invitations to give recitals at the Minster Churches of Dewsbury and Doncaster, and hope to be able to confirm the dates for these very soon. Full details of the recitals will be posted from early 2010.

And say au-revoir and good luck to:

• Tom Asher who takes up place to study singing at The Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester

• Dominic Oldfield who takes up a Choral Scholarship at Oxford University