The concert was held at 7.30pm Saturday 28th March at Leamington Baptist Church, 13 Chandos Street, Leamington Spa CV32 4RN.
Songs from Stage and Screen with North Leamington Orchestra.
At the concert the choir was raising funds to support the local charity Women Stepping Out.
The event was a great success with a packed church and our musical director, Kieron Howe, did a brilliant job, as did Helen Pugh our accompanist & North Leamington Orchestra.
Some mobile phone recordings from the concert:
Can You Feel The Love Tonight – Elton John & Tim Rice arr. Keith Christopher
James Bond Theme – Monty Norman arr. Paul Honey
Rhythm of Life – Cy Coleman & Dorothy Fields arr. Richard Barns
Shenandoah – American Folk Song arr. Jay Althouse
Down to the River to Pray – Traditional Banjo: Peter Wimpenny Soloist: Merrady Wickes
Too Darn Hot – Cole Porter arr. Mark Hayes
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 and entrance ticket sellers.
Also to Leamington Baptist Church.
It was a brilliant evening of favourites from films, musicals, and more.
Harriet and Margaret from Women Stepping Out, the charity Village Voices is raising funds for in 2026, gave a short introduction about the charity to the choir on Thursday evening 5th March.
Harriet and Margaret
Margaret, Lottie & Harriet
Thanks to Lottie, Village Voices choir member, for organising this.
In 2025 we raised funds for Warwickshire Vision and at our 19th July 2025 Concert we raised £2,500 for the charity. By far the largest sum of money we’ve ever raised from one concert, and over the year we raised a total of £6,000, the largest sum we’ve ever raised in a single year for one charity.
Saturday 13th December 7.30pm at St Nicholas Church, Warwick. Village Voices 30th Anniversary Concert – Sing Out, Rejoice, raising £2,100 for the charity Warwickshire Vision.
The concert included songs & carols old and new, the instrumentalist, Dave Pugh and Christmas Readings by individual members of the choir.
The event was a great success with a packed church and our musical director, Kieron Howe, did a brilliant job, as did Helen & Dave Pugh and those who gave the Christmas Readings.
Choir and Audience
Kieron Announcing
Recording of Sing Out, Rejoice, Sing Out by Fiona Lander:
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.
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.
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.
Narrator Annie Othen
Raffle Prizes
Ken Speaking
Warwickshire Vision Representative
Village Voices Choir
Audience
Part Choir & 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.
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.
Kieron Engaging the Audience
Jazz Quintet & Choir
Jazz Quintet & Part Choir
Jazz Quintet
Audience & Choir
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.
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.
On Saturday 20th July 7.30pm at Dale Street Methodist Church, Leamington CV32 5HL Village Voices presented a concert to a packed audience in aid of the local charity New Chapters, which included:
Movements from Zimbe! – Alexander L’Estrange, Adiemus – Karl Jenkins, Sing Gently – Eric Whitacre, Greater Love – Ireland, Locus Iste – Bruckner, Tears in Heaven – Eric Clapton, Something Inside So Strong – Labi Siffre.
As Alexander L’Estrange turns 50, Karl Jenkins turns 80, and Anton Bruckner would have been 200, Village Voices celebrated some of their fabulous music with space for celebration and reflection.
We also remembered the 110th anniversary of the start of WWI and the 80th anniversary of D-Day with John Ireland’s music setting the words ‘Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’.
We invited the audience to bathe in the beautiful sounds of Eric Whitacre’s Sing Gently and finished the concert back in Africa with Labi Siffre’s empowering Something Inside So Strong.
Those attending were also captivated by the amazingly talented brothers: Edouard Scherer on alto saxophone and Martin Scherer on Euphonium, who added an extra musical dimension to the evening.
Very many thanks to our musical director, Kieron Howe and accompanist, Roger Haygreen, for making the evening such a resounding success.
Also many thanks to all those behind the scenes, including those who prepared the raffle prizes and sold tickets; provided the delicious refreshments and the catering team; and those who moved all the furniture before and after the concert.
Not forgetting those who organised the concert and created and distributed the publicity material.
Finally, many thanks to Dale Street Methodist Church for allowing us to use their lovely venue.
Below are some recordings from the concert:
This is Home by Sophia Efthimiou
Tears in Heaven by Eric Clapton arr. Roger Emerson
Something Inside So Strong by Labi Siffre arr. Jonathan Wikeley
Siyahamba & Freedom is Coming Traditional arr. Alexander L’Estrange
Sing Gently by Eric Whitacre
Roses of Picardy lyrics by Fred E. Weatherley music Haydn Wood arr. Peter Irvine
At the start of our choir session on Thursday evening 16th May, Irene, who had requested we support the local charity Rufus’ Friends’ Fund in 2023, presented a cheque for £4,325 on behalf of the choir to representatives of the charity.
Village Voices and guests held a ‘Spring Sing’ Concert on Saturday 23rd March at 7.30pm St Nicholas Church, Radford Semele, which raised £1,125 in aid of the local charity New Chapters.
The packed audience was entertained by a variety of popular songs – old and newish – and enjoyed listening to the wonderful soloists Abby Taylor and Eva Hope, plus a rare public appearance of the Front Room Attic Band, with special guest Peter Wimpenny on banjo and saxophone. Please click on the link below for the full programme details.
Very many thanks to our musical director, Kieron Howe and accompanist, Roger Haygreen, for making the evening such a resounding success.
Also many thanks for all those behind the scenes, including those who prepared the raffle prizes and sold tickets; Top Nosh for providing the delicious refreshments and the catering team; and those who moved all the furniture before and after the concert.
Not forgetting those who organised the concert and created and distributed the publicity material.
Finally, many thanks to St Nicholas Church for allowing us to use their lovely venue.
We have one video from the concert, Kiss from a Rose:
Below are some audio recordings of the concert:
Village Voices
Wind Beneath My Wings by Harry Henley & Jeff Soilbar Arr. Roger Emerson
When I’m 64 by John Lennon & Paul McCartney
Kiss from a Rose by Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel Arr. Timothy Allen
Can You Feel the Love Tonight Music Elton John, Lyrics Tim Rice Arr. Keith Christopher
Front Room Attic Band & Village Voices
Wagon Wheel by Bob Dylan & Ketch Secor of the Old Crow Medicine Show
Slow Train by Hans Theessink
Singing The Blues by Melvin Endsley
Village Voices
Sloop John B Traditional Bahamas folksong Arr. Gwyn Arch
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen Arr. Roger Emerson
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life by Eric Idle
Believer by Daniel Reynolds, Daniel Sermon, Benjamin McKee, Daniel Platzman, Justin Tranter, Mattias Larsson & Robon Fredricksson Arr. Mark Brymer
The Choir + Peter Wimpenny on Sax, Roger Haygreen on piano, Ian Moore on Bass Guitar & Nigel Hulme on Drums
Rock Around the Clock by Mac C Freedman & Jimmy De Knight Arr. Geoff Funk
