Look out for our next concert at Grimsby Minster – DN31 1EP, on the 18th November 2023 at 7.00pm.
Details on our events page.
Choir History:
The Choir was formed in November 1968 by its first conductor, Robert Walker, and developed its own identity by performing, annually, two concerts of major works and a Christmas Wassail.
Jeffery Babb was appointed as the Choir’s 3rd conductor in 1979, during his time the choir continued to sing with considerable success with works ranging from a cappella16th Century music and Bach’s B Minor Mass, to specially commissioned Madrigals composed by its first Conductor along with music by 20th Century composers including by Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Britten, Bernstein, Ravel and Debussy. The Choir has joined forces with other Choral Societies to perform larger 19th century works such as Verdi’s “Requiem”, while intending to remain a small chamber choir for authentic performances of the Baroque and Classical repertoire. The Choir has visited Germany and has sung with the National Sinfonia and the English Chamber Orchestra. The Choir has also performed on BBC Radio.
The Choir is keen to work with future generations of musicians, and frequently works with local young musicians, as well as using up and coming musicians as soloists and within orchestras, often current students of the country’s top music colleges or conservatoires.
November 2001 saw the appointment of Steven Maxson as the Choir’s fourth Musical Director since which time the Choir has performed music by composers including Bach, Brahms, Karl Jenkins, Handel, Haydn, Faure, Mozart, Poulenc, Verdi, Walton amongst others as well as a concert of Jazz. April 2009 saw a performance of Handel’s Messiah, as part of the Choir’s 40th Anniversary Season, with a further performance in April 2019, for the Choir’s 50th Anniversary Season. We performed J S Bach’s B Minor Mass in Grimsby Central Hall in October 2014, with the Grimsby Philharmonic Choir.
The choir is very excited to have a new Musical Director, Dr Alison Willis. She joined us in November 2022.
We performed our Christmas concert with her in December 2022 and are looking forward to performing with her for many years to come. For more details about Ali see out home page and visit her website http://www.alisonwillis.com
Here is a message from her:-
“Hello and welcome! Grimsby Bach Choir is a small, friendly chamber choir with over fifty years of singing experience and I am delighted to have been appointed as its new Musical Director from November 2022. We sing a wide range of musical styles from classical to opera choruses to more contemporary works, performing in and around Grimsby including frequently at the Minster. We are always happy to hear from anyone who might like to join us. We aim to create high quality music while enjoying the camaraderie and friendship that being part of a choir brings. We also have tea and cake at half-time in rehearsals…
Do get in touch if you would like to find out more.”
Dr Alison Willis
Alison Willis: Musical Director: Alison (b. 1971) is a Musical Director, pianist, organist and award winning composer whose works have been performed and broadcast internationally. She studied composition with Alan Bullard (Colchester) and George Benjamin (RCM) and has recently completed a PhD with Paul Mealor and Phillip Cooke at the University of Aberdeen. Her music has been described as, ‘Stunning’, ‘Intensely moving’, ‘Beautiful yet pragmatic’ and ‘Saying what you have to say and then stopping’.
She finds particular inspiration in historical sources and events, forgotten voices, social issues and enjoys working collaboratively with both young people and adults. She has recently been appointed as Musical Director of the Grimsby Bach Choir. Recent compositions include the Derby Service for Derby Cathedral, ‘We’re Nor ‘avin’ It’, a micro-opera about the Luddites for Streetwise’s Re:Sound project and ‘In Peace Eternal – A Blessing for Leo’ broadcast as part of BBC Radio 4’s Daily Service.
For more information or to listen to Alison’s music please visit www.alisonwillis.com or Alison’s YouTube channel – Alison Willis Composer.
David Parker: Assistant Musical Director and pianist: David’s early musical career was centred around singing. His radio debut was as a boy treble singing “Where’er You Walk” at the age of eleven, on The Home Service, a month before it became Radio 4. Later, while a counter-tenor choral scholar at Christ Church Oxford, he also sang in the pioneering early music group The Tallis Scholars where he met fellow undergraduate and future wife Gill at a concert in Merton Chapel.
Since retiring from A Level teaching in the classroom at Franklin College David has extended his role of pianist. He is now pianist and deputy conductor for Grimsby Bach Choir and Louth Choral Society and is much in demand as piano accompanist for degree and diploma level exams giving recent recitals in Boston, Sheffield, Nottingham and Glasgow. He studied piano locally with Shirley Kemp and in London with Max Pirani at the Royal Academy of Music and has worked as accompanist with artists such as Peter Pears, Thomas Hemsley, David Willcocks and Raphael Wallfisch.