The Singers

I have sung since Primary School. At secondary school (Simon Langton Girls' in Canterbury) I sang in the Junior, Senior and Madrigal choirs, the most memorable event being joining with King's School Canterbury and Benenden Girls' School to perform Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle at the King's School's Shirley Hall. As well as singing with the Chancel Singers I am also a member of Paddock Wood Choral Society and St Andrew's Church choir, Paddock Wood.

Anthony Bourne (tenor)

I sing first tenor and have sung with The Chancel Singers for the last eight years. I was a founder member of The Oriana Singers which was formed in 1966, singing with the group for thirty years. During those years I had the privilege of singing in every Anglican Cathedral in England as well as Notre Dame in Paris and Brugge Cathedral.

I joined St Paul's Church Choir last year and for the previous thirty six years sang at St Peter's Southborough.

Deborah Bruce (soprano)

Although coming to singing quite late in life, I have made up for it by singing incessantly ever since. I am or have been a member of Tunbridge Wells Choral Society, St Paul's Rusthall Church Choir and Matchbox Opera in addition to the Chancel Singers and also as a soloist with an extensive repertoire of sacred and secular music. In competition I won the Senior Vocal Recital Cup at the TW Music Festival in 1998. Available for weddings, funerals etc!

Trish Gray (alto)

My 3 children have now graduated from university and are embarking on their own careers, which allows me time to pursue other pastimes that I enjoy, such as walking and singing, sometimes at the same time! I love our Sussex countryside and also enjoy the occasional trip to London - but not as much as coming home!

Jane Gross (alto)

Jane has sung with the Chancel Singers since their second term, she also sings with The Ashdown Singers and St Marks Tunbridge Wells Church Choir. Jane sang with Paddock Wood Choral Society for 28 years (14 of them as chairman). Solos sung with them include Vivaldi’s Gloria, Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Imperial Mass, Britten’s Ceremony of carols, Pergolesi’s Magnificat and exerts from the Messiah. She studied music as part of her degree, gaining a Dip Mus alongside a BSc Hons and teaches music as a second subject.

Sue Hare (alto)

I've been singing for as long as I can remember through school choirs (in Derbyshire), university (Coventry) and since moving to the South East, I have sung with Tunbridge Wells Mixed Voice Choir, St Paul's Rusthall Church Choir, Matchbox Opera and for the last 11 years or so with the Chancel Singers.

Linda Abbott (alto)

Started singing via the traditional route of school, church and university choirs. Sang everything from G&S and musicals to light opera in Sevenoaks in the 70’s and 80’s before becoming an original member of the Chantry Choir in 1994 and later singing with Cantate. Now sings with Paddock Wood Choral Society and is a relative newcomer to the Chancel Singers, having joined only in the Spring of 2011!

Paul Johnson (bass)

Having sung from the age of 8, Paul first conducted his parish church choir at the age of 14. Moving to Southwark Cathedral at age 21, he sang first Alto, then Bass under Harry Bramma. After a short spell directing CODA Singers and Spring Park Choral Society in Croydon, Paul married, and took a complete break from singing for 20 years! Now, encouraged back by Paul Jeffery, our accompanist, he sings with us and The Ashdown Singers.

Stephen Lazell (bass)

From aged 8 studied under Sir David Willcocks at King’s College Cambridge as a Chorister. Aged 12 music scholarship to King’s School Canterbury. Then studied A level music under Mr. Christopher Harris at Skinners School. At 17 won Choral Scholarship to Chester Cathedral to sing Bass under Roger Fisher whilst studying for a degree in music at Liverpool University. Now runs a garage in Crowborough and a property company in Tunbridge Wells area.

Barry Leggett (bass)

I’ve loved music for as long as I can remember. Starting as a boy treble in school and church choirs I gradually descended to tenor. As well as singing for various churches (I currently help lead a small choir at St. Peter's, Southborough), have sung with the Waynflete Singers, the Birmingham Festival Chorus and the Gravesham Choral Society and enjoy a little composing/arranging. John Francis invited me to join the Chancel Singers in 2003.

Joanna McKay (soprano)

Joanna has been singing most of her adult life. This has ranged from small church choirs to large choral societies in England, Scotland and France, whose performances included formal concerts and opera productions. Now she most enjoys singing with smaller groups and was thrilled that her first occasion with Chancel Singers took place in the wonderful setting of St Paul’s.

Emily McMorran (soprano)

Has been a member of the Chancel Singers since 1997. She has also been the Treasurer of the Choir for the majority of that time. She has a Music Degree and is a trained singer, having performed solos at various of the Chancel Singers concerts over the years, as well as piano and violin solos from time-to-time. She keeps up her music making on an amateur basis as she runs two businesses full-time in Financial Services and Tax Planning.

Anna Morgan (alto)

I took up singing shortly after my son was born and have been lucky enough to sing with the Chancel Singers for the past 7 years. I also sing with the Worth School Choral Society alongside my infinitely more talented son, Luke.

David Peacock (tenor)

Signwriter and beekeeper David sang in Seal Church Choir from the age of eight. Sang G&S at Sevenoaks in the '60s, joined Royal Tunbridge Wells Orpheus Male Voice and Mixed Voice Choir in 1964 until 1974. He was with the Orianas in the 1970s and was an early member of the Chancel Singers.

Richard Sheppard (bass) 

Sang with the choir 1990-99 and rejoined after the appointment of CRH as conductor. Currently Director of Music for a village church, running a modest SATB choir. Have always enjoyed conducting and singing with various vocal ensembles, dabbling in composition and playing the organ. Real life is spent tuning and repairing pipe organs throughout the south-east, surely the perfect blend of life and art ? 

Graham Soar (alto)

Born Sept 1950 sung in church choirs since aged 7 starting Ashford (Kent) Parish church. Trained under Mark Deller as a counter tenor from 1968 to 1972. Conducted Yalding Church Choir from 1985 to 1989. Joined Chancel singers 1990 under the leadership of John Francis singing alto.

Total loss of voice in 1999, took a year off singing and returned to Chancel Singers as a bass in 2000.

'Peter Westley (tenor)

Peter Westley was a Canterbury chorister. For many years he sang and recorded with the Corydon Singers. He has sung with and conducted several local choirs including the Chantry/Cantate Choir, Temenos, Shoreham Singers, Sevenoaks Philharmonic and Tonbridge Philharmonic.

Vicki Westley (soprano)

Vicki Westley started singing at school. She was a member of the Royal Choral and has sung in many local choirs. She founded the Sevenoaks-based Chantry/Cantate Choir which she ran for 12 years. She now sings wherever and whenever a busy B&B permits. Hobbies include painting and an allotment

Paul Crook (Alto)

Paul has been singing alto for very nearly 50 years. He doesn’t look old enough! He began singing as a boy treble in Holy Trinity Church choir, Folkestone in May 1961, reverting to alto in July 1963. Paul is a founder member of the Chancel Singers formed in 1990 under the direction of John Francis. Prior to that he sang with the Oriana Singers from 1986 to 1989. Church choirs past and present include Holy Trinity, Folkestone; St Paul's Church, Rusthall; St Peter’s Church, Pembury and currently St Mark's Church, Tunbridge Wells.

Bernard Sparrow (bass)

My singing career has been rather spasmodic. I started singing as a boy in a local church choir on the North Hampshire Downs and subsequently sang in the choirs of Calcutta and Karachi Cathedrals. When my career took me to the Middle East I effectively gave up singing for about 30 years - apart from a brief interlude in Bahrain. I resumed singing in the early Nineties, initially with the church choir in Rotherfield and subsequently with the chamber choir, Quorum, in Tunbridge Wells. I joined Chancel Singers about four years ago

Probably my most unusual singing experience was whilst I was a student at the 'spy school' in Lebanon. I joined one of the tutors at his church and found myself singing psalms and hymns in Arabic, fortunately without music as reading the words from right to left and the music from left to right might have proved too challenging!

Oliver Hemingway (bass)

My first experience of singing in a cathedral came at the age of 11 with the RSCM choir in Winchester Cathedral. Subsequent trips to King's Cambridge and Gloucester Cathedral convinced me that singing in a large acoustic was one of the great joys of life.

When I worked in London I joined the London Orpheus Choir, performing in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and Westminster Abbey. On moving to Bristol I sang first with the Cathedral special Choir in many choral works by Elgar, then joined the Bristol Bach Choir whose repertoire ranged from the baroque to 20th century English music.

Since 1986 I have been a member of the Sackville Singers in Sevenoaks, singing solos in works by JS Bach, Purcell, Fauré and Duruflé

My ambition is to sing with the Chancel Singers in as many cathedrals as possible.

Updated 03 Jan 2012

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