2024



Spring concert
Durufle Requiem and other twentieth-century masterpieces
- Durufle Requiem
- Finzi
- Saturday 16 March 2024, 7:30pm
- Christchurch Belper
Summer concert
Flower Songs
- Britten – Five Flower Songs
- Massenet – Chansons des Bois
- Rutter – The Sprig of Thyme
- Saturday 22 June 2024, 7:30pm
- Christchurch Belper
Autumn concert
Messiah
- Handel’s Messiah
- Sunday 8 December 2024, 7pm
- St Peter’s Church Belper
2023



Spring concert
Baroque choral classics
- Vivaldi Gloria and Pergolesi Stabat Mater
- Saturday 18 March 2023, 7:30pm
- Christchurch Belper
Summer concert
My Spirit Sang All Day
Autumn concert
Petite Messe Solonnelle
2022



Spring concert
The Armed Man, a mass for peace
- Music from composers Karl Jenkins, John Rutter and Jonathan Dove
- Saturday 30 April 2022, 7:30pm
- Christ Church Belper
Summer concert
The Grand Tour
Autumn concert
A Celebration of Carols
2019
Friday 13th December 2019 at 12 noon and 2pm
Haddon Hall, near Bakewell, DE45 1LA
Christmas songs and carols, sung in the mediaeval Great Hall at Haddon, by a roaring fire! See Haddon Hall for more details.
Wednesday 18th December 2019 at 7:30pm
Tiger Inn, Ashbourne Road, Turnditch, DE56 2LH, location details
Free to customers, an informal evening of carols, all of your favourites and some that you may not know … come along, join in and have fun!
Saturday 7th December 2019 at 7:30pm
St. Catherine’s Church, Cossall, Nottingham, NG16 2RT, location details
A traditional family Christmas concert.
Saturday, 8th June 2019 at 7:30pm
St Peter’s Church, Belper, DE56 1EZ, location details
A joint concert with the Norwegian choir Brandalskoret, piano and string quartet. Belper Singers will perform during the second half, and the programme will end with the choirs singing together.
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Friday 12th July 2019 at 7.30pm
Strutts Centre, Belper, DE56 1UU, location details
Programme to include Mozart’s Requiem, accompanied by Beate Toyka and Gillian Bithel at the piano, and the first performances of motets composed by our director, Olivia Shotton.
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Saturday, 25th May 2019 in the afternoon
Various venues in Belper
Busking in Belper as part of Belper Arts Festival “Voices in the Valley”.______________________________________________________________________________

Saturday, 13th April 2019 at 7:30pm
Christ Church, Belper, DE56 1BA, location details
Concert and raffle in support of the charity “Give for Good”
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Saturday 8th December 2018 at 12 noon and 2pm
Haddon Hall, near Bakewell
Christmas songs and carols, sung in the mediaeval Great Hall at Haddon, by a roaring fire! See Haddon Hall for more details.
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Friday 14th December 2018 at 7:30pm
St. Catherine’s Church, Cossall, location details
“Mother and Child”
Our Christmas concert will focus on the Virgin Mary, and will include four settings of the Ave Maria (plainchant, Bruckner, Parsons and Rachmaninov), Britten’s “Hymn to the Virgin” and Praetorius’ “Es ist ein Rose entsprungen”. Carols new and old will include “My Lord has come” by Will Todd, “The Lamb” by John Tavener and “A Babe is born” by Mathias, and the audience will be invited to join in some favourite carols.
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Wednesday 19th December 2018 at 8pm
Tiger Inn, Ashbourne Road, Turnditch, DE56 2LH, location details
Free to customers, an informal evening of carols, all of your favourites and some that you may not know … come along, join in and have fun!
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Saturday 22nd December 2018 at 12 noon and 2pm
Haddon Hall, near Bakewell
Christmas songs and carols, sung in the mediaeval Great Hall at Haddon, by a roaring fire! See Haddon Hall for more details.
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Saturday 20th October 2018 at 7:30pm
St. Clement’s Church, Horsley, location details
Songs for an English Autumn
A selection of madrigals and songs by English composers, including three settings of poems by Robert Bridges by Finzi, Shakespeare Songs by Vaughan Williams, and “The Evening Primrose” by Britten. Other composers represented are Elgar, Stanford, Weelkes, Morley, Gibbons and Wilbye.
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Sunday 29th July 2018 at 12 noon and 2pm
Haddon Hall, near BakewellBelper Singers are pleased to have been invited to join the Summer Music Series for a third year. We will be singing a varied programme of folk songs, anthems and madrigals in the Courtyard or the Long Gallery.
Saturday 14th July 2018 at 7:30pm
St Peter’s Church, Belper, DE56 1EZ, location details
“Voices and Brass”
Belper Singers are delighted to join forces with Derventio Brass and Andy Storer (organ) for this exciting programme, including Rutter’s “Gloria”, “Blest Pair of Sirens” by Parry and the setting of “The Old Hundreth” by Vaughan Williams. This will be our first concert with our new musical director, Olivia Shotton.

Saturday 17th March 2018
St Clement’s Church Horsley
“Sweet Lovers Love the Spring” A programme of English songs and madrigals including pieces by Elgar, Vaughan Williams, Morley and more… Location details
Tickets £7 on the door or for reservations call 07990 658071, or contact us.
Wednesday 13th December 2017 at 8pm
Tiger Inn, Ashbourne Road, Turnditch, DE56 2LH, location details
Free to customers, an informal evening of carols, all of your favourites and some that you may not know … come along, join in and have fun!
Saturday 18th November 2017 at 7.30pm
Christ Church, Belper DE56 1BA Location details
“Songs of Light” This programme of unaccompanied choral works will include music from the 16th to 21st centuries by Tallis. Byrd, Whitacre and others.
Tickets £6 on the door or Contact us. In aid of Treetops Hospice.
Read a review of this concert: Artsbeat blog: Edmund Hunt
Friday 14th July 2017 at 7.30pm
Strutts Centre, Belper, DE56 1UU, location details
“Summertime” – an evening of music from both sides of the Atlantic including Vaughan Williams’ “Shakespeare Songs”, Tippett’s “Five Negro Spirituals” from “A Child of Our Time” and works by Finzi, Parry, Eric Whitacre and others.
We are delighted to be joined by guest artist Beate Toyka, who will perform George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue”.
Tickets £10, please call 07990 658071, or contact us.
Saturday 3rd June 2017 at 12 noon and 2pm
Haddon Hall, near Bakewell
Belper Singers are pleased to have been invited to join the Summer Music Series for a second year. We will be singing an enchanting programme of fine English songs, anthems and madrigals in the Courtyard or the Long Gallery. See Haddon Hall’s website for further information: Haddon Hall
Saturday 29th April 2017 at 7.30pm
Unitarian Chapel, Field Row (off Green Lane), Belper, DE56 1DH, location details
The gift of re-birth and renewal is our theme for this concert in Belper’s historic Unitarian Chapel. Our programme of English and European a capella music of the 16th Century includes well-known favourites, Allegri’s Miserere and Byrd’s Ave Verum Corpus, with works by Tallis, Palestrina, Tomas Louis de Victoria, Orlando de Lassus and others.
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Saturday 8th April 2017 at 8pm
The Priory Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Tutbury, location details.
An evening of sublime English and European music from the Renaissance period in this beautiful Norman church. We will be joined by Dr Gareth Williams playing his lap harp.
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Saturday, 17th December, 2016
St. Luke’s Church, Church Street, Heage, DE56 2BG, location details
A wonderful evening of Advent and Christmas music in this beautiful setting. Entrance by ticket only; be sure to book early as there is limited space.
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Wednesday 14th December 2016 at 8pm
Tiger Inn, Ashbourne Road, Turnditch, DE56 2LH, location details
Free to customers, an informal evening of carols, all of your favourites and some that you may not know … come along, join in and have fun!
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Saturday 19th November 2016 at 7:30 pm
Christ Church, Church Street, Holloway, Matlock, DE4 5JP Location details
“Behold! The Sea”
An evening of music representing the source of life: water. The concert will include music by Parry, Palestrina and more.
Tickets £8 Proceeds will be given towards funds for roof repairs.
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Saturday 23rd July 2016 at 5:15pm
Derby Cathedral, Irongate, DE1 3GP, location details
Belper Singers will be singing Evensong at the cathedral.
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Sunday 19th June 2016
Haddon Hall near Bakewell
During the afternoon we will be singing in the gardens or in the Long Gallery.

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Saturday 9th April 2016 at 7:30pm
Unitarian Chapel, Field Row, Belper, DE56 1DH, location details Tickets £6 at the door
European Sacred Music – a journey through 400 years….. Our programme will include Palestrina’s Missa Aeterna Christi Munera and works by Monteverdi, Bruckner, Casals, Stravinsky and Poulenc. Takings from this concert will be shared with the chapel.
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Wednesday 16th December 2015 at 8pm
Tiger Inn, Ashbourne Road, Turnditch, DE56 2LH,location details
Free to customers, an informal evening of carols, all of your favourites and some that you may not know … come along, join in and have fun!
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Saturday 28th November 2015 at 7:30pmStrutt Centre, Belper, DE56 1UUAdmission £10 (students £8)
Durante: Magnificat;Pizzetti: Messa di Requiem; Monteverdi: Beatus Vir;
Schubert Psalm 23
with string ensemble and Guest Artist, Beate Toyka (Piano)
Ildebrando Pizzetti’s Messa di Requiem was composed in 1922, but is based firmly on the Gregorian chant of much earlier times. The setting of the Magnificat by the eighteenth century composer Francesco Durante, likewise refers back to an earlier polyphonic style.
Tickets available from 07990 658071, or contact us and on the door.
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Saturday, 11th July, 2015, 7:30pm
Holy Trinity Church, Brackenfield, DE56 6AN, location details.
Admission £10, including a glass of wine/soft drink and light refreshments
Anniversaries: From Renaissance to Rutter
A celebration of summer through the finest English choral music and some favourite choral classics.
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Saturday, 23rd May, 2015, 1:30pmHoly Trinity Church, Brackenfield, DE56 6AN, location details.Free admission; donations to Well Dressing charities most welcome
Well Dressing weekend: Flower Festival Concert
Unaccompanied choral works from the “pops” of the classical repertoire to some more contemporary pieces. Join us in celebrating a summer festival in this lovely village. If the weather is suitable there will also be al fresco singing outside the village hall from 12 noon to 12:30pm.
Refreshments available in the village hall tea room.
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Saturday, 14th March, 2015, 7:30pm
St John’s Church, Hazelwood, DE56 4AL, location details.
Admission £6
From Schubert to The Salvation Army.
Schubert’s elegant and prayerful Mass in G will be followed by a selection of songs from The Salvation Army tradition, and some music from the repertoire of The King’s Singers.
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Saturday, 20th December, 2014, 7pm
St. Luke’s Church, Church Street, Heage, DE56 2BG, location details
A Christmas concert with a selection of traditional and more modern seasonal music, including readings and a chance for you to join us singing carols. Rosemary McChesney will be our accompanist.
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Wednesday, 17th December, 2014
Tiger Inn, Ashbourne Road, Turnditch, DE56 2LH, location details
Free to customers
An informal evening of carols, all of your favourites and some that you may not know … come along, join in and have fun!
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Saturday, 1st November, 2014, 7:30pm
St. Mary’s Church, Cromford, location details
Tickets £5
“Lyrics and Stories”, an autumn concert.
A programme of two halves! Acknowledging the season of remembrance, the major work will be the Office for the Dead, Officium Defunctorum, by the Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria. Composed in 1605, this requiem was his last work, and is a triumph of Renaissance polyphony.
In a lighter mood, we move from the seventeenth century to settings of traditional songs by Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Rutter, including Linden Lea, The Owl and the Pussycat, Monday’s Child and Sing a Song of Sixpence.
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Saturday, 17th May, 2014, 6pm to 7pm
Number 28, The Market Place, Belper, DE56 1DD, location details
A “Pay what you can afford” event
As part of Belper Arts Festival, we present a selection of Music for Springtime. This will include church anthems by Tallis, Victoria, Gibbons and Bruckner, madrigals by the best Elizabethan composers, poetry settings by Elgar, Stanford and Finzi, and some beautiful recent settings by Rutter and Chilcott.________________________________________________________________Saturday, 24th May, 2014, 1:30pmHoly Trinity Church, Brackenfield, DE56 6AN, location detailsAdmission free; donations gratefully acceptedJoin in the Well Dressing celebrations at this lovely village. Our programme will be the same as at Belper on 17th May. We shall also sing on the village green at about noon for half an hour.
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Wednesday, 18th December, 2013, 7:30 pm
St. Peter’s Church, Belper, DE56 1FD, location details
Retiring collection
Music and readings for Christmas, including “On Christmas Night” by Bob Chilcott and familiar carols.
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Saturday, 26th October, 2013, 7.30pm
Christ Church, Belper, DE56 1BA, location details

“Songs for Peace”
A programme by English composers (and an American) on the theme of peace and tranquillity, including excerpts from Karl Jenkins “The Armed Man : A Mass for Peace”, and motets by S. S. Wesley (“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace”), John Tavener (“Song for Athene”, as sung at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales), Sir Arthur Sullivan (“Evening”), Stanford (Peace; come away”), Rutter (“A Gaelic Blessing”), Chilcott (“I lift my eyes”) and Eric Whitacre (“Sleep”).
This concert was in support of The Red Cross.
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Sunday, 4th August, 2013
Lichfield Cathedral, location details.
Belper Singers will be singing at Sung Eucharist at 10:30am and at Evensong at 3:30pm in the Cathedral. Movements from Stainer’s Mass in F and the anthem “View me, Lord” by Richard Lloyd will be sung in the morning. In the afternoon the responses by Philip Radcliffe, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Stanford in C, and Gibbons’ anthem “Almighty and everlasting God” will be sung. Visitors will be most welcome.
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Saturday, 13th July, 2013, 9:30 am to 5 pm
Strutts Community Centre, Derby Road, Belper, DE56 1UU, Strutts location details.
Cost for the day will be £12, finger buffet lunch available to order at £4.50
“Come and Sing” — — Fauré’s Requiem and John Rutter’s “Gloria”
A choral workshop on these two contrasting pieces in the classical repertoire, led by our music director Mitchell Holland. Everyone with an interest in singing is welcome. Copies of the music can be provided.
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Saturday, 20th April, 2013, 7:30 pm
Strutts Community Centre, Derby Road, Belper, DE56 1UU, Strutts location details.
Vivaldi’s joyful “Gloria” will form the centrepiece of this concert, in which the Belper Singers will be joined by Wirksworth Music Centre Chamber Ensemble. Other works will include Stanford’s Te Deum in C, Finzi’s “God is gone up” and Parry’s stirring anthem “I was glad”.
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Saturday, 22nd December, 2012, 7:30 pm
St. Peter’s Church, Belper, DE56 1FDA Christmas programme, including modern settings of traditional texts and new songs by Will Todd, David Blackwell and Jussi Chydenius, “On Christmas Night” by Bob Chilcott and familiar carols. Our soloist will be organist David Redfearn.
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Friday, 19th October, 2012, 7:30 pm
Christ Church, Belper, DE56 1BA
Programme included the Mass for Four Voices by William Byrd, and motets by Lassus, Tallis, Gibbons and Will Todd. Cello soloist Tim Roberts played suites by Bach and Shostakovich.
Friday, 11th November 2011, 7:30 pm
Christ Church, Church Street, Holloway, Matlock, DE4 5AY
Admission £6, which includes interval refreshments.
From Buxtehude to Brahms
German sacred music in a variety of styles, including Schubert’s famous setting of “The Lord is my Shepherd”, performed by The Belper Singers and a string and recorder consort from Wirksworth Music Centre.
Saturday, 16th July 2011, 7:30 pm
St. Mary’s Church, Cromford

Saturday, 2nd April 2011, 7:30 pm
Christ Church, Belper, DE56 1BA
Saturday, 18th December 2010, 6:30 pm
Holy Trinity Church, Tansley
Christmas carol service, with seasonal carols for congregation, featuring the Belper Singers in carols and motets by Weelkes, Britten, Hadley, Rachmaninov, Arensky, Willcocks and Walton.
Saturday, 17th July 2010 3 pm
Birmingham Cathedral
Choral Evensong, with introit by Tallis, preces and responses by Radcliffe, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Wills, anthem “Seek Him that maketh the seven stars” by Jonathan Dove.
Saturday, 6th March 2010, 7:30 pm
St. John’s Church, Hazelwood

A mixed programme of secular madrigals and ballets, and sacred motets from 16th. to 19th. centuries.
Saturday, 4th April 2009, 5:45 pm
Southwell Minster
Choral Evensong.


Belper Singers rehearsing for Evensong in the cathedral.
Sunday, 20th July 2008, 3 pm
Coventry Cathedral
Choral Evensong, with introit by William Mundy, preces and responses by William Smith, Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis by Stanford, anthem “From the east unto the west, who is so wise as Solomon” from the oratorio “Solomon” by Handel.
Belper Singers rehearsing for Evensong in the cathedral

Concert History
2000 March BELPER – Herbert Strutt School Belper Festival
April BELPER – Christ Church European Sacred Music
May BELPER – River Gardens Madrigals & Songs
August BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL Morning & Evening Service Murrill
October SHEFFIELD CATHEDRAL Evensong – Purcell & Howells
November GLOSSOP Church Madrigals, European Sacred Music & Tudor Anthems
December BELPER – St Peter’s Church Seasonal Music
2001 April BELPER – Christ Church Brahms, Buxtehude, Bruckner & Mozart
May BELPER – St Peter’s Church Seiber Hungarian Folk Songs, Madrigals
July BELPER – St Swithun’s Church Walmsley, Palestrina & Weelkes
October DERBY – St Peter’s Church Poulenc, Rachmaninov & Palestrina
December WIRKSWORTH – St Mary’s Britten “Ceremony of Carols” and others
2002 April BELPER – Herbert Strutt School Madrigals
August BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL Morning & Evening Service – Howells
December BRADBOURNE Church Carols & seasonal music
2003 March BELPER – St John’s Chapel Madrigals
? MUGGINTON Church (?)
? BRADBOURNE Church (?)
? HADDON HALL (?)
? KIRK IRETON Church (?)
2004 October BELPER – St John’s Chapel Motets & Madrigals
December TISSINGTON HALL Carols
2005 July DUFFIELD – Wesleyan Chapel European Sacred Music & Madrigals
December HOLLOWAY Church Motets & Songs
2006 February BREADSALL Parish Church Motets & Songs
May BELPER – Herbert Strutt School Vivaldi “Gloria”
June WILLERSLEY CASTLE Mozart, Haydn & Madrigals
October BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL Choral Evensong – Jackson in B
December BREADSALL – Parish Church Motets & Carols
2007 March CHILWELL – Christ Church Songs & Madrigals
June MUGGINTON – All Saints Church Songs & Madrigals
July BRADBOURNE Church Dowland, Vaughan Williams
November WIRKSWORTH – St Mary’s Elgar – Sacred Music
2008 March BELPER – Christ Church French Sacred Music – Fauré, Poulenc &
Duruflé “Requiem”
July COVENTRY CATHEDRAL Choral Evensong – Stanford
November CROMFORD – St Mary’s Church Byrd Mass, Tallis & Handel
December HOLLOWAY – Christ Church Advent Music & Carols
2009 April SOUTHWELL MINSTER Sung evensong
July CROMFORD – St Mary’s Church “Zadok the Priest” & Madrigals
November BELPER – Christ Church Purcell, Britten, Holst & Finzi
December BELPER – Osmaston Grange Carols
2010 March HAZELWOOD Church Bruckner, Byrd & Tallis
June WILLERSLEY CASTLE Madrigals & Songs
July BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL Choral Evensong – Tallis & Wills
December TANSLEY Church Carols
Belper Singers sang for the services during two days in 1991 at Lincoln Cathedral, and earlier at Beverley Minster and Derby Cathedral.