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: Heather Parker
Heather Parker graduated with a degree in Music from Trinity College, Cambridge, where she also studied singing with Ashley Stafford.While at Trinity, she was a Choral Scholar in the Chapel Choir, under the direction of Richard Marlow.
Since graduating Heather has worked professionally as a singer, teacher and choir trainer, and thoroughly enjoys this diversity of work. Her soprano engagements have included performances with Academy of St Martin-
As a teacher, she worked for two years at Christ Church, Greenwich (USA), training their four choirs, and preparing two young soloists for performances of Britten Turn of the Screw in Washington DC, conducted by Lorin Maazel has also worked as a vocal coach for the Royal School of Church Music, Leicester Cathedral and the choristers of St James the Greater, Leicester.She now has a private teaching practice in Gloucestershire.
Heather moved to Bishop’s Cleeve with her young family in summer 2016. She is delighted to be the new Musical Director of Cleeve Chorale. She has been warmly welcomed into the group and is having a wonderful time, socially as well as musically!
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!
