Barnstaple Ladies Choir 40th anniversary concert will remember Nigel Brooks

The 40th anniversary Grand Concert of Barnstaple Ladies Choir will have extra poignancy this Sunday (April 7) as the singers remember their late president Nigel Brooks, who passed away recently.

The concert at the Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple will feature a varied programme of songs from the shows plus sacred and popular music.

The choir is especially honoured to be premiering a brand new piece of music written especially for them by Nigel, who was a highly respected and talented singing coach, performer and composer.

As this year is also the 40th anniversary year of North Devon Hospice, funds raised from the show will be donated to the vital local charity.

Above: Barnstaple Ladies Choir when they first started out in 1984. 

Guest Artists appearing in the concert will include Mary Chant, who was the choir musical director for 37 years and is well known in local amateur theatre. 

Also performing is Andrew Jeffery, who was with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Co, plus talented local pianist Josh Flanagan, as well as Harmony4 - a Barbershop Quartet - and also pupils of Centre Stage School.

The choir's music director is Lorraine Homewood, who originates from Northern Ireland. She is an experienced accompanist and has worked for the Royal Opera and Glyndebourne Opera. 

Lorraine moved to North Devon in 2018 and now has a busy teaching practice. The choir’s accompanist on the night is Jean Bell who is the organist at Newport Church.

The choir is busy with many concerts over the coming months all over North Devon and in September the ladies are visiting Northern Ireland where they will sing with Ballymoney and Portadown male voice choirs.

The concert starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £12, available via www.queenstheatre-barnstaple.com or call the box office on 01271 316523.