COMMUNITY
Full choir singing in Hurst College Chapel June 2018
Voices In Unison S
inging brings joy to the world. Everyone can fill their lungs and belt out a good tune, but what is even more wonderful is joining together and singing in unison. Sadly, for the last 18 months, choirs and public singing has been banned, but this seems to be behind us now. I spoke to Rob Drake, the Chairman of Sussex Chorus choir, about their return to normality. “The anticipation is high within our 70 members,” he told me. “We can’t wait to get back to it, not just for our voices but for the social and health side of things too.” The members of Sussex Chorus are especially giddy this year as they are celebrating their 100 years as a choir. However, the celebrations will be a little toned down this year, with the big centenary concerts planned for March and June 2022. “September will hopefully see the start of rehearsals in preparation for our Christmas concert,” said Rob. “After 18 months of no singing we all need to build our voices back up again and singing Christmas songs is
After a tough 18 months for choirs all around the world things are hopefully looking up for singers, something the Sussex Chorus choir are very excited about. Sara Whatley looks at their story
the perfect way to do that.” Sussex Chorus started life as The Ditchling W.I. Choral Society, which was formed in the summer of 1921 within the Ditchling Women’s Institute, by Lucy Torry, wife of the Rector of Streat Church and St Martin’s Church, Westmeston, to compete in the 1923 Lewes Music Festival. The first rehearsal
We can’t wait to get back to it, not just for our voices but for the social and health side of things too took place in the afternoon of Thursday 2nd November 1922. On 5th December the Ditchling Choir was formally recognised by the W.I. with
Mrs Torry as conductor. It appears men were permitted to join the choir, as honorary members, in order to provide a balanced sound. The choir went on to win two 1st prizes and one 2nd in an open competition at the 1923 Festival. Two years later the choir won two Certificates of Merit and three passes, totalling 705 marks, the highest in the competition for the third year running. This entitled the Choir to retain the Lady Monk Bretton’s Challenge Picture and maintain the old tradition as quoted from an extract of the W.I. minutes on 22nd April 1925, ‘Bolney for Ringers, Ditchling for Singers!’ The picture was hung in the old Ditchling village hall but was lost when the hall was rebuilt in 1973. The choir continued under the conductorship of Kathleen Kenning for the next thirty years, continuing to win prizes in the Lewes Music Festivals. The baton was passed onto Muriel Philpott whose husband, Anthony Philpott, was BBC Producer of the then very popular BBC Light Programme, Friday Night is Music Night. September 2021 | SUSSEX LIVING 47
