The Chorus..

Chanctonbury Chorus is a well respected choir of singers of all ages
who enjoy rehearsing together weekly for major concerts throughout the year.
Our next concert is on Saturday May 11th 2024 at 7.30 PM and is titled "Now is the Month of Maying". It includes favourite madrigals by Morley and Bennett; Songs and Sonnets by Shearing; Little Jazz Madrigals by Chilcott and Vivaldi's Magnificat.
There will also be solo performances from our guest soloists.
Perfect entertainment for a spring evening!
The winter concert will be Haydn's Creation to be performed on Saturday 7th December. Rehearsals from wednesday 11th September.

THE Orchestra

We perform with our orchestra in the beautiful Steyning Parish Church and also at a number of other local venues.
Our guest soloists are professionals, some of whom have been appearing regularly with the choir.

All about us

Come and sing with Chanctonbury Chorus

Siobhan Denning

SIOBHAN DENNING began learning violin and piano at an early age and won a scholarship as a Junior Exhibitioner to the Guildhall School of Music at the age of 13. She read music at Sussex University, where she was secretary of the Music Union and a Choral Scholar studying choral conducting under Laszlo Heltay and John Birch. She was awarded a Masters degree at the same university.

Liz Kirkland

KIRKLAND (assistant conductor) studied bassoon at Birmingham Conservatoire before taking a Master’s degree and then training as a music therapist. After a further spell in higher education, Liz qualified as a teacher in 2002, and started her teaching career at The Beacon School in Banstead. As head of music, she supports the development of education.

The Choir

Chanctonbury Chorus is a thriving mixed choir based in the lovely town of Steyning, West Sussex. We hold concerts during the year, performing some of the greatest choral works to the highest standards possible, using professional soloists and accompanied by an orchestra.We believe that choral music repertoire of the past – including the present day - is a treasure-trove.

Performances

The culmination of our weekly rehearsals are two major concerts throughout the year. We strive for the highest level of musicianship and our choir is complemented by professional solosists and orchestra. We also have included ballet, bringing a whole new dimension to performances and making choral music accessible to a wider audience.

Our Concerts

Notable concerts, and some sell-out performances

What a fabulous performance of Handel's Messiah. The musicianship and passion of the choir was simply outstanding.
Concertgoer

We can teach you to sing

We welcome all voices and our members come from all walks of life.

The benefits of singing

It’s official. Chanctonbury hearts beat as one. The latest medical research has shown that choir singers not only harmonise their voices, they also synchronise heartbeats.
Researchers in Sweden monitored the heart rates of singers as they performed a variety of choral works.They found that as the members sang in unison, their pulses began to speed up and slow down at the same rate. Medics believe the synchrony occurs as singers coordinate their breathing.
Dr Bjorn Vickhoff, from Gothenburg University in Sweden, said: "The pulse goes down when you exhale and when you inhale it goes up.
The researchers also found that choral singing had the overall effect of slowing the heart rate saying: "When exhaling you activate the vagus nerve, we think, that goes from the brain stem to the heart. And when that is activated the heart beats slower.
There have been studies on singing which show long-terms effects on lowering blood pressure.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals take place from 7 to 9pm every Wednesday evening (during term time) at The Towers campus of Steyning Grammar School, Upper Beeding.

We prepare for at least two major choral works throughout the year. Our rehearsals are demanding but we're a friendly lot and have members of many ages and abilities.

The Towers reheasal room suits the process of learning the pieces of music, but before each concert we always have a few rehearsals in St Andrews Church to adjust to the very different acoustic.

On the day of the concert there is always a rehearsal in the church with orchestra and soloists - putting the whole piece together.

Rhearsals restart wednesday 10th January.

Learn more about how to get involved...

I can't sing!

  • Everyone has a voice!
  • You will be learning new skills.
  • Singing is proven to be great for health
  • The choir has regular weekly rehearsals
  • Make new friends.
  • Help keep live music alive in the community.

What to do next

There are no auditions in joining Chanctonbury Chorus.

We have two open evenings throughout the year for those interested but we welcome anyone to our weekly rehearsals inrespective of any previous musical experience.

We just ask for a commitment to learn and a passion for singing.

Call us on 07592 810828 or email to info@chanctonburychorus.org to learn more.

Chanctonbury Chorus is one of the finest choirs in Sussex.

Chanctonbury Soloists

Some of our recent guest performers

Get in touch today

Contact us for more details

Bringing a rich and diverse musical landscape to audiences.

Contact Us

Phone:

+44 (0)7592 810828

Email:

info@chanctonburychorus.org

Join our mailing list and get notified of upcoming concerts and events.