Sue Pegram, our alto part rep, answers questions about her love of music.

What is your earliest memory of music in your life?

My first music memory is my father singing nursery rhymes to us as children (and later on, music hall songs and Gilbert & Sullivan!) He was always singing, and he was still singing at his nursing home until just before he died aged 89. 

What was your first 'public performance'?

Richard Prince, pictured here as an 8 year old choir boy was for many years Musical Director of Royston Choral Society and is now a stalwart member of the basses, writes about his life in music.

Early influences

I’d love to be able to say that my Mum and Dad met through singing in a choir together. The latter is true - they both sang with the Liverpool Welsh Choral Union (where my Mum would apparently swoon over principal conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent) but they knew each other before that.

A lasting memory is of my Mum’s enthusiasm for Wednesday nights when us kids were put to bed by my Dad and she went off to choir rehearsal. ‘Me time’ was how she described it and she always said that having one night a week to sing in the choir saved her sanity as a mother with four children!

We are trying to find out as much as we can about our audiences – to target our publicity and attract more concert-goers! Before our concert in Ashwell on 6th April, we distributed survey cards with very four simple questions. Despite someone saying “oh no, not another feedback request – I’m overwhelmed by them!” we had a fantastic 48 responses (of an estimated audience of 140). This is what we learned…

Andrew O'Brien joined Royston Choral Society as Musical Director in September 2015 making no concessions in his choice of concert content, to this being an unauditioned community choir. In his first year with the RCS the choir successfully tackled Brahms’ A German Requiem and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. In 2016 Andrew became Director of Music at Haileybury School.

Review of St John's Passion by J.S.Bach, Ashwell Church
6th April 2019

This beautiful piece of work was undertaken by Royston Choral Society and Haileybury Choral Society. In the first part we commenced with the choir giving an accomplished opening singing in the original German text. The singing and diction was clear and built up the excitement of the opening piece with hushed tones when required and strong crescendos.

Royston Choral Society put on a festive treat for their Christmas concert.

In November 2018, in collaboration with Haileybury College Choirs, and Hertfordshire Phiharmonia the choral society performed Britten's War Requiem to a sell-out audience. This picture is from the performance showing the performers. A recording of part of the performance is here

Other photographs include:

The society performed to a very appreciative audience in Barkway Parish Church for their last concert of the 2017-18 season.

The choir sang John Rutter's "The Sprig of Thyme" as well as Vaughan Williams' "Serenade to Music". Lighter items included a couple of spirituals arranged by Ken Burton and "The Seal Lullaby" by Eric Whitacre. We were joined by Alistair Watson on the piano, who also contributed "Toccata in D" by Bach - a wonderful virtuosic display, and the very talented Edward Davies, a student at Haileybury College, who performed Vivaldi's guitar concert in D.

In the run up to Valentine's Day, we asked five couples who sing together in the choir about their shared love of music and the role it has played in their relationships.