Ampleforth College

Ampleforth Singers

The Ampleforth Singers, founded in 1978, is a small concert choir consisting of some of the most enthusiastic and advanced students from the Schola Cantorum, Schola Puellarum and some members of staff.

The choir is managed by Mr Hardie, but is predominantly student-led, and performs at concerts once or twice a term, both within and outside the College. Recent venues, outside the College, have included:

• St John the Evangelist, Easingwold - Saturday, 12th March 2011
• Elvington Church - Saturday 14th May 2011
• Stamford Bridge Village Hall - Sunday 16 October 2011

This year (2011/12), the choir is directed by Ava Podgorski (A), a current upper-sixth music scholar and head of the Schola Puellarum, who has sung with the National Youth Choir and is a present member of the Yorkshire Youth Choir. Ava is currently working towards a diploma in singing, and plans to read Music at university next year.

The choir’s repertoire not only includes music performed in the Liturgy within the Abbey Church, but also a great deal of secular music and commissioned compositions and arrangements. Members of the choir are also encouraged to compose and choose repertoire. In December 2010, a current year 12 student, Harriet Hunter, had her stunning carol (‘Eya Jesus Hodie’) performed at the Ampleforth Singers’ Christmas Concert in December 2010, accompanied by Pro Musica.

The Ampleforth Singers have given concerts and sung at services all over the North of England, and have been on tour throughout the UK, Eire, and to Hong Kong in 1994. In March 2010, the choir provided many of the soloists and chorus members for the College’s striking production of Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas.

REHEARSALS: The choir meets once a week on Thursday evenings in the New Music School Schola Room at 5.20 – 6.20pm.