A Brief History of The Harborough Singers

The Harborough Singers was initially formed some 30 years ago.  From its early years as a predominantly competitive choir, the group has expanded its repertoire to include a vast range of music from medieval to modern, classic choral to contemporary rock and pop, full-scale oratorios to folk songs.  The choir's current repertoire includes the ever-popular Handel's Messiah, a variety of Requiems, including the German Requiem by Brahms, Durufle's Requiem, and a Requiem for rock band and choir, as well as a host of sacred and secular part songs. 

Competitive successes have included BBC Radio 3's Let the Peoples Sing, the Sainsbury 's BBC TV Choir of the Year, the Debrecen choral festival in Hungary and the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales.  Tours have included concerts in the USA and Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Poland, The Czech Republic, The Netherlands and all over the British Isles.  This year the Choir has performed in Soutwark and St Paul's Cathedrals.

Based in Leicestershire, the Harborough Singers draws its memberhip more widely, but returns to its homeland for a traditional Christmas concert each year.  The concert generally interweaves seasonal words and music with a celebrity which in the past have included Martin Jarvis, Jon Pertwee, Janet Suzman, Patricia Routledge, Simon Russell-Beale and Carole Boyd.  This most recent Christmas concert at St Dionysius Church in Market Harborough took place on Saturday, 20th December 2008 and featured guest celebrities Timothy West and Prunella Scales.