About Cleeve Chorale
We are a friendly choral society of about 50 members. We meet weekly in term time and usually rehearse for three concerts a year. We are based in the Bishops Cleeve/Woodmancote area to the north of Cheltenham, England but our members come from a wider area.
Concerts
We usually perform in three concerts each year. Most of our concerts are held in Bishops Cleeve but we have also performed in other venues, including overseas. Overseas tours have taken the choir to Hungary, Tuscany and the Salzburg area of Austria. Why not come and hear us at our next performance?
Musical Director: Helen McNaught
Helen McNaught gained her BA in Music at University with studies in piano, cello and conducting. After obtaining teaching qualifications in London she taught music in secondary schools for 14 years, running two school choirs and also established a Community Choir in the local area. In addition to this she was Musical Director for two Community Plays and was Musical Director for a Radio 2 Sunday Half Hour. On moving to Cheltenham she initially devoted her time to bringing up her two children but has more recently been teaching piano privately and now has a thriving practice. For the last four years she has been accompanist for Cleeve Chorale and moved to the conductor’s role in September 2015.
Accompanist: Jeremy Spence
Jerry’s full time qualifications and career is in Electronics Design, Computer Science and Information Technology. After many years as computer systems and network manager at Smiths (GE) he now specialises in the design of public space video transmission systems through wireless networks on behalf of the security industry.
His musical career has been entirely within the church having trained at the RSCM, specialising in accompaniment and conducting. He is an accomplished church musician, voice coach, and choral conductor and has held a number of Director of Music posts throughout the county. He has directed and accompanied music festivals and workshops on behalf of the RSCM and as an organist has played in many of the country’s cathedrals where his choirs have also sung services. When he was based in Gloucester, his 35 strong children’s choir often filled in for the cathedral choir during holidays.
Jerry is also a pianist and accompanist of solo singers and instrumentalists for examinations and recitals and is often seen performing at the Cheltenham Festival of Music. He has also been accompanist of a number of Choral Societies and singing groups.
Friends of Cleeve Chorale
If you would like to support the choir why not become one of the Friends of Cleeve Chorale.
Our History
Cleeve Chorale can trace its origins back to the Bishops Cleeve Choral and Dramatic Society which was founded in the early 1930s. The society originated from a small group of singers who met in Bishops Cleeve Rectory in the 1920s. Interested? Read our history!
Contact us
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On 4th July 2015 Cleeve Chorale were joined by Isbourne Valley Songwriters Choir at the Summer Concert. Find out more and hear a recording from the concert.