Ignite Arts Grant for Warwickshire Singers

Warwickshire Singers has been awarded a grant from Warwick District Council’s Ignite Arts Programme for a year-long project to improve its vocal skills, widen its repertoire and help the choir to perform an additional concert in Warwick District.

In-keeping with the choir’s ethos, it will continue to seek village venues where live choral music is seldom heard.

Chair of the choir, Kenilworth resident Janet Snoad, is delighted that the District Council has decided to support the choir:

“I am so grateful for this grant, which will help our choir to develop its vocal technique through workshops, and will mean that we can provide a paid opportunity for four up-and-coming singers to help improve the balance of our choir. It will also support our Musical Director, Jim Bate, as he continues his search for a more diverse repertoire.”

Most recently, the choir performed at Harbury Church with a programme of music spanning six centuries. Jim Bate is passionate about performing music by the widest range of composers:

“My vision is to perform works by composers who have been situated in the margins of musical performance. With the support of this grant from WDC, we will be able to materialise my vision and aid the effort to project the voices of composers silenced by society. This will help rebalance the artistic world, inspiring engagement and facilitating access to music for so many, whilst embracing the richly diverse world in which we live”.

In the coming weeks Warwickshire Singers will begin its search for four enthusiastic singers to join the choir. They will be advertising the opportunity across Warwickshire and are keen to hear from tenor and bass singers who are good sight readers and have some choral singing experience with school or youth choirs. Auditions will be held in September.

See the full article in the Warwickshire World here.