Social evening: January 2023
More pictures from the June 11th concert at St Barnabas'
Winners at the Rothwell Festival 2022. Below: Joe (conductor) and Lynne (pianist); certificate; adjudication.
The adjudication reads:
1. Gosh — well done — this is a v complex arrangement, with some awkward harmony (plus one awkward shift in key). You held it well in tune (in all parts). Back row — do watch as much as the front row do. Text is very accurate — it just needs more energy.
2. Another arrangement with demanding harmony — you respond very well — at times it needs a little more bass in volume + more focus in the altos.
Gen erally — sopranos have some lovely colour, and they tune well — but try to keep vibrato under control — it sometimes took over, and the text became much less clear.
Most of the medley worked well — but you need to sort out the entries at 154/158 and really sort out 198-201. Excellent last page … except Altos — surely A♭ in final chord (not A natural!)
Rehearsals are now held in the Community Hall at Lidgett Park Methodist Church on Wednesdays from 7.45 to 9.15pm. |
The Wendel Singers is a mixed choir of over thirty voices formerly based in Barwick-in-Elmet. We sing a great variety of four-part choral music, mainly short pieces, ranging from renaissance to contemporary, both religious and secular, just for the sheer pleasure of being together making music, performing occasional concerts anywhere in the Leeds/Garforth area.
The choir originated as the Barwick-in-Elmet Townswomen’s Guild Choir. After 1974 it became the Elmete Singers, still a women’s choir, which competed in the Pontefract Music Festival as well as performing concerts. In 1980 it became The Wendel Singers, taking its name from Wendel Hill, the site in Barwick of an iron age hill fort and later a Norman castle.
Over the years it has had a number of conductors, including Adam Tomlinson (now at Radio York), Forbes Doig, David Fligg and Glenys Heywood. Around 2006 its number had dwindled to single figures, but it gained a new lease of life when Joe Roberts took over as conductor and brought in new members, building our strength to more than 30 singers. After his retirement, his successor, Joe Reeves, has led us to a performance that gained a merit in the Rothwell Music Festival in 2019, and a commendation and First Prize in the 2022 festival.Conductor: JOE REEVES
Joe first moved to Leeds from London in 2012 to study BA Music at the University of Leeds. He completed a Choral Conducting Scholarship at Leeds Cathedral and worked as a freelance community musician for five years. His work included a music and dance project working with people living with dementia, running community shows as musical director as well as a variety of other music and theatre focused youth groups. He became conductor for The Wendel Singers in 2018 after the retirement of Joe Roberts. Through the pandemic, Joe volunteered at Leeds North and West Foodbank before starting on a new career path in mental health at the end of 2021.
Accompanist: LYNNE STAVELEY
Lynne has been active in the musical life of Leeds since her schooldays at Roundhay High.Recent Engagements
Christmas Concert with YEP Brass Ensemble at Lidgett Park Methodist Church, 20th December 2022
Christmas Concert, Barwick-in-Elmet Methodist Church, 18th December 2023
Saturday 11th June, 7.30pm, concert at St Barnabas' Church, Alwoodley
Saturday 19th March, Rothwell Music Festival competition
In 2019
Fri 18th October, Concert at Barwick-in-Elmet Methodist ChurchSat 6th April, Concert at Garforth Methodist Church
Sat 23rd March, Competed at Rothwell Music Festival
Sat 9th March, Concert at Scholes Village Hall
Rehearsals
The choir normally rehearses on Wednesdays from 7.45 to 9.15pm at Lidgett Park Methodist Church. New members are welcome (except alto section is full).
Membership normally costs £100 per year, payable in three instalments, one per term. New members can have a free trial for one month before committing themselves to paying a subscription.
Contact Choir Secretary: Gill Sinclair
Contact Conductor: Joe Reeves
Click here for photos from our concert at Barwick-in-Elmet, 18th October 2019
And here for a recording of us singing 'View Me Lord'