Welcome to the Chevin Singers website
The Chevin Singers choir was formed in January 2011 with the simple aim of singing for pleasure.
We are a mixed choir meeting weekly to rehearse in Belper, Derbyshire, during term time.
"...even the greyest days are flecked with song...."
from 'Traffic' by Jo Bell
We are a mixed choir meeting weekly to rehearse in Belper, Derbyshire, during term time.
"...even the greyest days are flecked with song...."
from 'Traffic' by Jo Bell
It is with a heavy heart the the Committee have decided to temporary suspend the Choir until further notice.
We hope you will all agree that this is necessary for the health of the choir and their loved ones. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation, please continue to follow NHS advice https://www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
and KEEP SINGING! WE WILL BE BACK!
Choir update ......
2019
Our Christmas concert on 17th December was at our usual venue, Babbington Hospital. As usual we were welcomed very warmly by staff and patients and sang our festive Christmas repertoire. We were rewarded afterwards by coffee and biscuits and had chance to chat to everyone.
We recently returned from a very successful and enjoyable trip to Riga, Latvia on the 1 - 5 October. Our trip was organised by our MD, Andris who produced a wonderful itinerary for us together with help from his wife, Janina and daughter, Eva.
We stayed in the Old City Boutique Hotel which was perfectly placed for accompanied walks led by Andris and his family to Riga Old City, Riga Central Market and other places of interest in the City Centre. We enjoyed a wonderful choir trip dinner together at the Blue Cow Restaurant with European cuisine and of course a few rounds of singing! The next day we visited Sigulda, and enjoyed visiting the Gauja National Park, Turaida castle and some of us even braved the cable car ride across the park. Dinner followed later in a rustic windmill-style building with our hosts in national dress, traditional Latvian food and live music and dancing. Our next visit was to the Districts of Majori and Dzintari, Jumala. We headed to the Jurmala Culture Centre to meet the Latvian Choir 'Lira' for a social singing evening. Andris arranged for us to sing a few of our songs to them, they entertained us with songs from their repertoire ending with us all singing a rousing Latvian Folk Song Put Vejini. We all enjoyed socialising with Lira and their inspirational MD, Jānis, afterwards. They kindly provided a wonderful buffet and drinks too which was very welcome!
The highlight of our trip was our visit and short performance at the Riga Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral. After a short talk by one of the junior priests (translated by Andris) about the Cathedral we sang Tibie Paiom in Russian. It was a very powerful and emotional performance and we felt very privileged to have had that opportunity to sing in such a beautiful Cathedral. Later that evening the choir split into two groups with one group visiting the Latvia National opera for a performance of Hamlet, Tell me (No) Tales ballet and the other to the Great Guild to see Pucinni's Messa Di Gloria
All our thanks go to Andris and his family, Clare and Rosemary for all their hard work to make this trip a great success.
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We sang at the Farmers Market in Belper on Saturday 11 May. Despite the wet weather forecast, it was a bright sunny day and we sang a selection of songs entertaining shoppers and stallholders.
As part of the Belper Arts Festival we sang at St Peters Church on 25th May. Four of our choir members also sang around Belper, in St John's Chapel, No 28 and the Co-op! Feedback was good from both events!
On 21st July, our Summer Concert took place at St Peters Church. Singing together with Rough Truffles it was a huge success. The audience was very appreciative and generous, raising a whopping £652.60p to be shared between Derby Refugee and Duffield Homeless charities as a donation from both choirs. We all agreed it was lovely to sing with and listen to, Rough Truffles. A big thank you from the Chevins to Francis, Rough Truffles Musical Director, and our own Andris for all their hard work in preparing for the concert and directing us on the day. We couldn't do it without you! A big thank you too to everyone who helped with serving refreshments, washing up and our volunteer fire wardens who kept us all safe on the day!
2018
Our first performance in 2018 took place on 30th January, it was also our first performance directed by our new Musical Director, Adris Ugulis. We sang to friends and family in the Strutts Community Centre to raise money for the Beth Shalom Memorial Holocaust Centre at Laxton near Newark. Poems and information on the Centre and Kinder Transport were read by choir members and our songs, chosen to remember victims of persecution, included Adio Kerida, Tibie Paiom, Donna Nobis Pachem, Alle Brider and Peace like a River. We raised £260 which was a wonderful result.
We ended our summer term on a high note! On a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon, on the 15th July, directed by Andris, we performed a wonderful concert joined by special guests, The Shiremen in Harmony, accompanied by Janine Ugulis, singing their own version of music from the shows and we thank them warmly for performing alongside us and making the concert so successful. All Andris' hardwork encouraging our intensive researsals certainly paid off on the day!
Over 100 people packed the hall and balcony at Strutts to support out concert and we raised an amazing £360 in aid of the Duffield, Derby and Belper homeless charity.
In November and December, getting ready for the festive season, we sang Christmas songs at the Shottle Hall Christmas Craft Fair and also performed Christmas songs at our 'usual' venue, Babington Hospital. We were also invited to sing for the residents of Smalley Hall Residential Home. Both occasions were very enjoyable and well received by both residents and staff who kindly welcomed us and rewarded us with coffee and mince pies!
Last year we raised a total of £425.50 for the Duffield Churches Homeless , their committee has expressed a huge gratitude and we hope to continue to support them during the coming year.
2017
We ended the year with our annual visit to Babington Hospital to sing our own version of Christmas carols to the patients. We were warmly welcomed by both staff and patients and were treated afterwards to a very welcome mince pie and tea! Several members of the choir also sang later at local care homes in the area.
Our new musical director, Andris Ugulis joined us on 5th September. A very warm welcome to Andris!
Andris is from Latvia, where he achieved a Bachelor Degree at the J. Vítols Academy of Music, formerly the Music Conservatory, in Riga, specialising in choir and symphony orchestra conducting. Whilst still living in Latvia he took part in many international choir festivals and tours in Italy, Germany, Norway, Finland, Australia, Canada and the USA, working as a musical director, choir, symphony orchestra conductor and professional chorister.
Since moving to the UK in 2007 with his wife Janina and daughter Eva, he has continued to work freelance as a professional musician in a variety of roles. These include organist, vocal coach, piano teacher and Musical Director (MD). As well as being MD of Chesterfield Male Voice Choir (since June 2013), Andris is also MD of Barnburgh MVC near Doncaster, Conductor of Castleford MVC and Director of Music at St John the Baptist Church in Dronfield.
We said a sad goodbye to our inspirational leader, Beth de Lange on 23 May. Beth has been our leader since the Chevins started in 2011 and we were very sorry to lose her.
We were very pleased to accept an invitation to sing at the Beth Shalom Memorial Holocaust Centre at Laxton near Newark on 21st February. The choir visited the centre and we all found it a rewarding and inspirational visit. We were made very welcome by all the staff and enjoyed a lovely lunch before singing three songs, Tumbalalaika, Shof Mayn Fegele and M'ariv Niggun.
2016
Our first performance of 2016 was a wonderful evening of songs and poetry to remember victims of persecution. It was held on Holocaust Memorial Day
(27 January) at the Strutts Centre. Our own choir member, Hilary Fender was MC for the evening and three choirs participated, Rough Truffles, The Duffield Singers and ourselves together with the Belper Poetry People reciting some very moving pieces. Beth de Lange, our own inspirational musical director concluded the evening by leading everyone, including the audience in singing M'ariv Niggun by Alexander Massey, from London.
The evening raised £550 for the National Holocaust Museum at Laxton near Newark.
Later in the year we sang twice at the Royal Derby Hospital to help raise funds and again at the Belper Stroke Club and Babington Hospital - venues that have become annual events which we look forward to!
We enjoyed a very different type of performance this summer singing to a year group at St Johns Church of England Primary School in Belper. They were studying various types of singing and so we were able to 'demonstrate' our choir harmonies and singing in rounds. We were made very welcome by the children who were intrigued by our travelling washing line! All was revealed when they quickly learned 'black socks' joining in our rounds with great enthusiasm!
2015 was another busy year for the choir!
On the 15 October at the request of Belper Town Council, following the East Midlands in Bloom Competition, we sang 'We can Grow Love' written by Tracey Wilkinson at the Strutts Centre.
On the 13 October the Choir had a rousing and harmonious afternoon with the Belper Stroke Club, Club members and their guests were an appreciative audience and enjoyed singing along with our 'rounds' at the end. Before leaving we received a vote of thanks but it was our pleasure to entertain them and we were back again on the 11th October 2016 for another enjoyable afternoon singing and enjoying the lovely cakes and scones baked by their members.
We sang at the Royal Derby Hospital as part of their arts programme last summer and in December we sang our 'Christmas / winter seasonal' repertoire both at the Royal Derby and Babington Hospitals.
We became members of the National Association of Choirs.
2019
Our Christmas concert on 17th December was at our usual venue, Babbington Hospital. As usual we were welcomed very warmly by staff and patients and sang our festive Christmas repertoire. We were rewarded afterwards by coffee and biscuits and had chance to chat to everyone.
We recently returned from a very successful and enjoyable trip to Riga, Latvia on the 1 - 5 October. Our trip was organised by our MD, Andris who produced a wonderful itinerary for us together with help from his wife, Janina and daughter, Eva.
We stayed in the Old City Boutique Hotel which was perfectly placed for accompanied walks led by Andris and his family to Riga Old City, Riga Central Market and other places of interest in the City Centre. We enjoyed a wonderful choir trip dinner together at the Blue Cow Restaurant with European cuisine and of course a few rounds of singing! The next day we visited Sigulda, and enjoyed visiting the Gauja National Park, Turaida castle and some of us even braved the cable car ride across the park. Dinner followed later in a rustic windmill-style building with our hosts in national dress, traditional Latvian food and live music and dancing. Our next visit was to the Districts of Majori and Dzintari, Jumala. We headed to the Jurmala Culture Centre to meet the Latvian Choir 'Lira' for a social singing evening. Andris arranged for us to sing a few of our songs to them, they entertained us with songs from their repertoire ending with us all singing a rousing Latvian Folk Song Put Vejini. We all enjoyed socialising with Lira and their inspirational MD, Jānis, afterwards. They kindly provided a wonderful buffet and drinks too which was very welcome!
The highlight of our trip was our visit and short performance at the Riga Nativity of Christ Orthodox Cathedral. After a short talk by one of the junior priests (translated by Andris) about the Cathedral we sang Tibie Paiom in Russian. It was a very powerful and emotional performance and we felt very privileged to have had that opportunity to sing in such a beautiful Cathedral. Later that evening the choir split into two groups with one group visiting the Latvia National opera for a performance of Hamlet, Tell me (No) Tales ballet and the other to the Great Guild to see Pucinni's Messa Di Gloria
All our thanks go to Andris and his family, Clare and Rosemary for all their hard work to make this trip a great success.
*************************************************
We sang at the Farmers Market in Belper on Saturday 11 May. Despite the wet weather forecast, it was a bright sunny day and we sang a selection of songs entertaining shoppers and stallholders.
As part of the Belper Arts Festival we sang at St Peters Church on 25th May. Four of our choir members also sang around Belper, in St John's Chapel, No 28 and the Co-op! Feedback was good from both events!
On 21st July, our Summer Concert took place at St Peters Church. Singing together with Rough Truffles it was a huge success. The audience was very appreciative and generous, raising a whopping £652.60p to be shared between Derby Refugee and Duffield Homeless charities as a donation from both choirs. We all agreed it was lovely to sing with and listen to, Rough Truffles. A big thank you from the Chevins to Francis, Rough Truffles Musical Director, and our own Andris for all their hard work in preparing for the concert and directing us on the day. We couldn't do it without you! A big thank you too to everyone who helped with serving refreshments, washing up and our volunteer fire wardens who kept us all safe on the day!
2018
Our first performance in 2018 took place on 30th January, it was also our first performance directed by our new Musical Director, Adris Ugulis. We sang to friends and family in the Strutts Community Centre to raise money for the Beth Shalom Memorial Holocaust Centre at Laxton near Newark. Poems and information on the Centre and Kinder Transport were read by choir members and our songs, chosen to remember victims of persecution, included Adio Kerida, Tibie Paiom, Donna Nobis Pachem, Alle Brider and Peace like a River. We raised £260 which was a wonderful result.
We ended our summer term on a high note! On a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon, on the 15th July, directed by Andris, we performed a wonderful concert joined by special guests, The Shiremen in Harmony, accompanied by Janine Ugulis, singing their own version of music from the shows and we thank them warmly for performing alongside us and making the concert so successful. All Andris' hardwork encouraging our intensive researsals certainly paid off on the day!
Over 100 people packed the hall and balcony at Strutts to support out concert and we raised an amazing £360 in aid of the Duffield, Derby and Belper homeless charity.
In November and December, getting ready for the festive season, we sang Christmas songs at the Shottle Hall Christmas Craft Fair and also performed Christmas songs at our 'usual' venue, Babington Hospital. We were also invited to sing for the residents of Smalley Hall Residential Home. Both occasions were very enjoyable and well received by both residents and staff who kindly welcomed us and rewarded us with coffee and mince pies!
Last year we raised a total of £425.50 for the Duffield Churches Homeless , their committee has expressed a huge gratitude and we hope to continue to support them during the coming year.
2017
We ended the year with our annual visit to Babington Hospital to sing our own version of Christmas carols to the patients. We were warmly welcomed by both staff and patients and were treated afterwards to a very welcome mince pie and tea! Several members of the choir also sang later at local care homes in the area.
Our new musical director, Andris Ugulis joined us on 5th September. A very warm welcome to Andris!
Andris is from Latvia, where he achieved a Bachelor Degree at the J. Vítols Academy of Music, formerly the Music Conservatory, in Riga, specialising in choir and symphony orchestra conducting. Whilst still living in Latvia he took part in many international choir festivals and tours in Italy, Germany, Norway, Finland, Australia, Canada and the USA, working as a musical director, choir, symphony orchestra conductor and professional chorister.
Since moving to the UK in 2007 with his wife Janina and daughter Eva, he has continued to work freelance as a professional musician in a variety of roles. These include organist, vocal coach, piano teacher and Musical Director (MD). As well as being MD of Chesterfield Male Voice Choir (since June 2013), Andris is also MD of Barnburgh MVC near Doncaster, Conductor of Castleford MVC and Director of Music at St John the Baptist Church in Dronfield.
We said a sad goodbye to our inspirational leader, Beth de Lange on 23 May. Beth has been our leader since the Chevins started in 2011 and we were very sorry to lose her.
We were very pleased to accept an invitation to sing at the Beth Shalom Memorial Holocaust Centre at Laxton near Newark on 21st February. The choir visited the centre and we all found it a rewarding and inspirational visit. We were made very welcome by all the staff and enjoyed a lovely lunch before singing three songs, Tumbalalaika, Shof Mayn Fegele and M'ariv Niggun.
2016
Our first performance of 2016 was a wonderful evening of songs and poetry to remember victims of persecution. It was held on Holocaust Memorial Day
(27 January) at the Strutts Centre. Our own choir member, Hilary Fender was MC for the evening and three choirs participated, Rough Truffles, The Duffield Singers and ourselves together with the Belper Poetry People reciting some very moving pieces. Beth de Lange, our own inspirational musical director concluded the evening by leading everyone, including the audience in singing M'ariv Niggun by Alexander Massey, from London.
The evening raised £550 for the National Holocaust Museum at Laxton near Newark.
Later in the year we sang twice at the Royal Derby Hospital to help raise funds and again at the Belper Stroke Club and Babington Hospital - venues that have become annual events which we look forward to!
We enjoyed a very different type of performance this summer singing to a year group at St Johns Church of England Primary School in Belper. They were studying various types of singing and so we were able to 'demonstrate' our choir harmonies and singing in rounds. We were made very welcome by the children who were intrigued by our travelling washing line! All was revealed when they quickly learned 'black socks' joining in our rounds with great enthusiasm!
2015 was another busy year for the choir!
On the 15 October at the request of Belper Town Council, following the East Midlands in Bloom Competition, we sang 'We can Grow Love' written by Tracey Wilkinson at the Strutts Centre.
On the 13 October the Choir had a rousing and harmonious afternoon with the Belper Stroke Club, Club members and their guests were an appreciative audience and enjoyed singing along with our 'rounds' at the end. Before leaving we received a vote of thanks but it was our pleasure to entertain them and we were back again on the 11th October 2016 for another enjoyable afternoon singing and enjoying the lovely cakes and scones baked by their members.
We sang at the Royal Derby Hospital as part of their arts programme last summer and in December we sang our 'Christmas / winter seasonal' repertoire both at the Royal Derby and Babington Hospitals.
We became members of the National Association of Choirs.
