Kinder Choirs' Sing Out About 20th Anniversary
15 June 2011
Kinder Choirs.
Audiences always seem amazed and moved by their performances
”University of Derby Honorary Master of Music and Kinder Choir Director, Joyce Ellis,
An internationally renowned children's choirs group from Derbyshire will mark 20 years of success with two gala concerts.
The Kinder Children's Choirs of the High Peak was set up in 1991 by former professional opera and concert singer Joyce Ellis, the current director. Named after Derbyshire landmark Kinder Scout, the organisation's five choirs feature more than 100 choristers aged from seven to 18.
They have performed at major competitions and festivals throughout the UK and internationally, and have twice won the coveted Llangollen International Eisteddfod contest held annually in Wales.
Their first 20th anniversary concert will be held at Buxton Opera House, Buxton, at 7.30pm on Saturday June 25. It will feature 120 choristers, trainees and the 'alumni' choir performing everything from classics to pop, to James Bond film themes.
Tickets priced £13.50 and £15.50 (concessions are available) are now on sale through Buxton Opera House box office on 0845 1272190.
A second celebratory concert will be performed on Saturday 8 October at the Painted Hall at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire. It will be hosted by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire in the presence of HRH Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, and entry will be by invitation only.
Choirs' director Joyce Ellis, a former member of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera and co-founder of Opera North, is passionate about children being introduced to choral music and having the chance to find their voice. She famously failed the audition for her own high school choir and today works patiently with children previously told they were 'tone deaf'.
In 2008 she was made an Honorary Master of Music by the University of Derby Buxton.
Joyce said: "Over 20 years the choirs have grown into an organisation of over 130 children; full of pride, tradition, family and team spirit. Members commit themselves wholeheartedly to attaining excellence and the achievements are substantial.
"As choristers move on to university the choirs constantly renew themselves. It is a delight to see children come into the training groups and flourish, gaining confidence socially, and growing into choral musicians and performers of high standard by the time they are teenagers.
"Audiences always seem amazed and moved by their performances."
The Kinder Children's Choirs of the High Peak is a registered charitable trust.
Children are not precluded from joining for reasons of cost. There are no voice tests or auditions to gain entry to the choirs' vocal and choral training programme.
For more information about the Kinder Children's Choirs of the High Peak see website www.kinderchildrenschoirs.org.uk
For further information please contact, Press and PR Officer Sean Kirby on 01332 591891 or 07876 476103, or email s.kirby@derby.ac.uk
