Helen Pugh took over accompanying the choir, during the 2025 summer term, from Roger Haygreen who unfortunately had to retire due to ill health.
Roger has been with the choir for 15 years and during that time has worked with a number of the choir’s musical directors. He has been adept at adapting to each director’s specific style and approach. He has a great sense of humour and an instinctive ability to appreciate the choir’s requirements. We wish Roger all the very best for the future.
The choir held its 30th Anniversary Concert at All Saints’ Parish Church, Leamington Spa during the evening of Saturday 19th July 2025 – All the World’s a Stage – (Seven Ages of Man), with Cubbington Silver Band.
Proceeds in aid of Warwickshire Vision. During the evening the choir was accompanied on piano by Helen Pugh.
The event was a great success with a packed church and included readings by Annie Othen and Alexandra Darlington. Our musical director, Kieron Howe, did a brilliant job, as did Helen Pugh and the Cubbington Silver Band.
Some recordings from the concert:
When I’m 64 by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Excerpt of Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton Arr. Roger Emerson
Excerpt of Wherever You Are by Paul Mealor
Excerpt of The Road Home by Stephen Paulus
Excerpt of Shosholoza – traditional
Many thanks go to all those behind the scenes who helped to organise and provide for the event – including Top Nosh, refreshment servers, our furniture movers, entrance & raffle ticket sellers and those who provided and prepared the raffle prizes.
Also to All Saints’ Parish Church, Leamington.
On 12th/13th July members of the choir took a weekend away for a workshop in Bristol with Wendy Sergeant and later travelled to Yeovil to perform in an evening concert with South Petherton Ladies Pop Choir.
All very much enjoyed both events and were very grateful to Wendy and to the Ladies Pop Choir for there involvement. Please click on the following to read the full Report.
Thursday 8th May 2025 the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The choir sang in the early evening at a short service of Remembrance at Leamington Spa War Memorial.
Village Voices sang “Only Remembered” from Warhorse and the lovely hymn “Nearer My God to Thee”.
About Zimbe! A note from the composer Alexander L’Estrange.
Zimbe is an Anglicised version of the Swahili word ‘Ziimbe’. meaning ‘Sing Them’, Just as others have shared these wonderful songs with me, I wish to pass them on now. Scored for SATB choir, unison children’s choir and jazz quintet, with copious percussion, the settings reflect my own musical make up. Within the piece we find references to jazz, pop, the Western choral tradition and, of course, world music.
African songs are easy to learn and impossible to forget; that is the very nature of the communal song tradition. The songs I have chosen to arrange are fun, moving and infectiously tuneful – and through them we find ourselves in a wonderfully simple, joyous realm where music imitates life and life inspires music. I hope you enjoy ZIMBE!
The photograph of Alexander was taken at the choir’s last rehearsal on the 3rd April 2025 before the concert, when the choir made a presentation to thank him for his very energetic and inspiring session.
Alexander L’Estrange is a fresh and exciting voice in choral music. With roots in the British choral tradition and a successful international career as a jazz musician and arranger. Alexander has been described by composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall as ‘the ideal 21st-century musician’, an accolade acknowledging not just his outstanding musicianship but also his huge versatility.
Helen took over accompanying the choir during the 2025 summer term from Roger Haygreen who unfortunately had to retire due to ill health.
Helen was born in Warwickshire and started playing the piano at the early age of 5. She later took up the French horn and went on to study music performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Since coming back to the area, she has accompanied a variety of groups including Espressivo Chorus, Sing It Loud, Alcester Male Voice Choir and the Hadland School of Dance. She also frequently accompanies music exam candidates.
During the day she currently works for Warwickshire Music, teaching brass instruments in schools in and around Warwick. Helen has performed in a variety of places including Symphony Hall in Birmingham and underneath the Statue of Liberty!
On Saturday 5th April 7.30pm the choir held a concert at St Nicholas Church, Kenilworth with a jazz quintet and Warwickshire Youth Choirs.
During the evening the choir was accompanied on piano by Helen Pugh.
The concert focused on a journey into Africa including Zimbe! by Alexander L’Estrange.
Proceeds in aid of Warwickshire Vision.
The church was absolutely packed. Our musical director, Kieron Howe, did a brilliant job, as did Helen Pugh, the jazz quintet and Warwickshire Youth Choirs, in making the evening a resounding success.
Many thanks go to all those behind the scenes who helped to organise and provide for the event – including Top Nosh, our furniture movers, entrance & raffle ticket sellers and those who prepared the raffle prizes.
Also to St. Nicholas Church, Kenilworth.
Our Christmas Concert, Amid The Falling Snow, was held on 14th December 7.30pm at St. Nicholas Church, Warwick, where we raised £1,800 for New Chapters, our chosen charity for 2024.
Joining us in concert were:
Musical Director: Kieron Howe who has a long list of musical achievements and commitments, and the choir is so fortunate ‘he took us on’ in 2022.
Pianist: Roger Haygreen, our accompanist since 2010. Like Kieron he has a long list of musical achievements and we don’t know what we would do without him!
Flute: Sophie Robertson who plays flute in North Leamington Wind Band, Warwickshire County Wind Band, the recent Swan Youth Orchestra course and more.
Pianist: Julie Edwards an accomplished musician who directs and plays for Southam Melodymakers and is the accompanist for a number of singing groups.
Singing Group: Singing for Fun run by Kieron and set up in 2017 as a new enterprise of Warwickshire County Council’s Adult & Community Learning Team. It provides wonderful musical, health-giving and bonding experiences with a membership of at least 30.
Clarinet: Peter Wimpenny, a member of Village Voices and multi-instrument soloist and folk band player.
Below are some recordings from the concert:
Village Voices
Amid the Falling Snow Words: Roma Ryan, Music: Enya & Nicky Ryan
Ding Dong! Merrily on High 16th century French melody, arr. Peter Hunt
Village Voices and Singing for Fun
Te Harinui – Christmas song from New Zealand Willow Mack, arr. Wendy Sergeant
Village Voices
Coventry Carol 16th century English, arr. Martin Shaw
Shepherd’s Pipe Carol Words and music by John Rutter
Village Voices and Singing for Fun
Gaudete Piae Cantiones, 1582
Village Voices
Love Came Down Words: Cristina Rosetti, Music: Craig McLeish
Away in a Manger 19th century American, Melody: W.J Kirkpatrick
Winter Waltz Based on the poem Winter Waltz by Christy Ann Martine, Music: Wendy Sergeant
Remaining concert dates for 2025:
Saturday 13th December at St Nicholas Church, Warwick. Village Voices Christmas Concert.
More details to follow.
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