Conductor: Alan Burgess
Chairman: Angus Mackintosh, St. Algar’s Farm, West Woodlands, Frome, BA11 5ER, Tel: 01985 844233
Secretary: Mrs Ann Coventry, Rainbow, Portway House, Warminster, BA12 8QQ, Tel: 01985 213594
“The Athenaeum Singers” is Warminster’s Choral Society, open to all and no audition required.
The choir was founded in 1977 and sings a range of mainly classical, sometimes contemporary works.
Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings at 8.00 pm in the Warminster School chapel.
The normal routine is to have two concerts a year. Rehearsals start on the first Tuesday of January for a concert in early June. Then after the Summer break we have the A.G.M. on the first Tuesday of September starting rehearsals the next week for a concert at the end of November or early December.
We occasionally manage other events as well as our regular concerts. For instance, the choir has sung in Marston House and Longleat House in aid of the N.S.P.C.C. In 1991 and 1995 the choir visited Flers, Warminster’s twin and sang with Flers’ “La Lyre Chorale” and they in turn visited Warminster twice, sharing concerts with the Athenaeum Singers.
Our growing reputation and ambition has to be matched by greater efforts at fund raising, enabling us to put on concerts with orchestras and visiting soloists of a very high standard.
To Become A Member
Ring our secretary Ann Coventry for information on 01985 213594.
Come along to the Warminster School chapel at the beginning of a session; September or January. We do not normally allow people to join the choir once we are five weeks into rehearsals.
Subscriptions are £5 in January, April and September, plus 50p each week. The total for the year is therefore about £30 depending on the actual number of rehearsals.
There is no audition and it is not necessary to be able to read music.
Our concerts are usually on a Saturday evening in either The Minster or Christ Church (Warminster).
New members are always made welcome, particularly basses and more particularly tenors which are always in short supply.
To Become A Patron
If you have enjoyed our concerts perhaps you would like to be involved with supporting this important element in the cultural life of Warminster.
The Athenaeum Singers is funded entirely by the subscriptions of the members and help from Patrons or Sponsors.
We try to put on two concerts every year. The cost of a sizeable orchestra and visiting soloists for a concert can be over £2,000. Our ambitions have risen with our reputation, but without help we cannot realize them. An assured income from a list of patrons gives us the security to be able to plan ahead to produce concerts of the highest standard, which are more exciting for both us and our audiences.
We ask Patrons for a minimum contribution of £25 per year. We will keep Patrons informed of future events and send two complimentary tickets for each concert.
For more information contact the Secretary, Ann Coventry, on 01985 213594 or the Chairman, Angus Mackintosh, on 01985 844233.
Registered Charity No. 290909.