Jersey Island Singers

2023-2024 Programme


Main concert programme for 2023-2024

An Evening of Edwardian Splendour 

Bavarian Highlands and Serenade for Strings - Elgar

Blessed pair of Sirens - Parry

Saturday 23rd March 2024

St Helier Methodist Centre


Summer Promenade Concert 

Thursday 11th July 2024

Victoria College




Tickets are available via Ticket Source - click on the concert tickets button, when it is showing


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News

Our new season started on Tuesday 12th September with open rehearsals for people o try out singing in the choir. We welcome potential singers of all ages as we are a multi-generational choir, open to singers from 16 years upwards. We are particularly keen to bring new singers on and to grow our tenor and bass sections. Some of our men will be getting involved with the 100 Men Aloud concert with the Harmony Men on 23rd November. 


More about our musical programme


We hope to build on the interest generated last year and our programme is designed to be something for all, with the choir preparing for a Christmas Concert at the beautiful St Columba's Church here in St Helier. Our focus for the season will be to help celebrate the music of Elgar in our Evening of Edwardian Splendour on the 23rd March. This will include works by Parry, but the main feature will be "From the Bavarian Highlands", songs which Elgar wrote following a trip to Bavaria in 1894: its almost akin to Elgar meeting the von Trapp family!  We are pleased to be joined by the Jersey Camarata who will also be performing Elgar's "Serenade for Strings". We plan to finish our musical year with a collaborative concert, at Victoria College, where we will join forces with other musicians across the island to perform in a Victorian style Summer Promenade Concert.


So if you haven't sung for years, are new to the island and want a new diversion, or just simply fancy trying something different, pop along to one of our rehearsals. We are sure you will already know the benefits that singing brings to our hearts and minds and the health benefits are completely at one with current thinking about de-stressing our lives, boosting our self-esteem and meeting new people. Jersey Island Singers will do these things for you: its a weekly boost for us all.


By the way, if you are under 24, read to the bottom of our page, there is an opportunity to apply for a bursary to help with singing lessons.

Thinking of coming along to a rehearsal?

If you haven’t sung for years, or have never really given it a go, or you enjoy singing in the shower and now want to try something different, then come to a rehearsal to see what we do. 

Tuesdays at Jersey College Prep 7-9pm

Just come along before 7 and meet up with our members who will be there to welcome you. Or send us a message via our contact form below, or on Facebook.

Jersey Island Singers - our story:
We are a mixed voice, multi-generational choir, with a large repertoire of works ranging from classical choral works to modern pieces which will become tomorrow’s classics. New members will be made very welcome at any time. We have performed around Europe as well as here in Jersey. In 2018 we participated in a music festival in Salzburg and joined a chorus of 2,000 singers to perform The Armed Man under the baton of the composer, Sir Karl Jenkins, in Berlin. We often join The Really Big Chorus for performances in the Royal Albert Hall, London. Joining in concert with visiting choirs is an additional pleasure. 2019 saw us join forces in concert with local orchestra, Sinfoniettia, in which we sang the Vivaldi Gloria.

28th November 2021, Advent Sunday was an important day for the choir as it marked our first public performance following Covid and this was soon followed by our "Genius and Madness" Concert, which included Mozart's "Coronation Mass" in April 2022. Last year' finished with Faure's sublime "Requiem" and in March 2023, Rutter's "Magnificat!" with Musical Originals. We finished our year with a Summer of lighter music at Georgetown Methodist Church.


Jersey Island Singers was founded by Arthur Lobb when he brought together the Jersey Ladies Choir and the original Island Singers. Arthur was its first conductor, passing over the baton to Mel Davidson who, in 1995, passed it on to Nicholas Cabot, MBE. In 2020, the baton of leadership moved to Francis Murton, the Director of Music at Victoria College. 


Singers Choral Bursary

Aged between 16 and 24?

Do you enjoy singing? Then keep on reading…

As one of the island’s long established choirs we want to enable younger singers to experience the fun and excitement of singing in larger groups. If you are aged 16-24, like singing and want to do more, then please get in touch. Our recent recruiting drive has brought seventeen new members and we continue to recruit new singers over 16 to join us.


Benefits of membership:

  • Singers 16-24 have free membership.
  • Attend rehearsals with expert musicians. 
  • Become part of a multi-generational choir.


Being a part of our choir is not just about singing, it is an opportunity to experience being part of a team, getting involved with concert management, publicity and fund-raising but also about joining a choir with a reputation for fun and being sociable. The Co-operative Society Community Fund has recently given us a donation to help support the development of the choir and to that end we are able to offer a number of bursaries to support our singers aged 16-24.

Bursaries: We recognise that young singers may be interested in, or be receiving vocal training: we offer bursaries worth up to £200 to support music lessons with singing teachers in Jersey. If you would like to apply for a bursary, please go click on the link here.


What do we do?

We regularly perform in Jersey and we love to travel. Pre the pandemic we participated in a music festival in Salzburg and joined a chorus of 2,000 singers to perform The Armed Man under the baton of the composer, Sir Karl Jenkins, in Berlin. We often join The Really Big Chorus for performances in the Royal Albert Hall, London. Joining in concert with visiting choirs is an additional pleasure.


Our Choir leaders: 

Emma is a passionate musician who enjoys conducting, accompanying and singing. She studied Music at the University of Durham and has performed with a number of orchestral and chamber ensembles here and in UK. Emma teaches at Victoria College and is also a published and recorded composer. 

Michael moved to Jersey in 2022 to be the Director of Music at St Luke’s church. He has a reputation for his engaging and inspiring performances across the UK. As a conductor and vocal coach, Michael has recently worked on Dido and Aeneas by Purcell and Puccini’s operas, Tosca, La Boheme and La Fanciulla del West. 

Francis has been our Musical Director since 2019. He has conducted many of the major choral works with school choirs and choral societies as well as directed musicals.  As a teacher and examiner he has a reputation for engaging and developing young musicians. He is also Director of Music at Victoria College.


Further information: please contact our Musical Director, Francis - fgmurton@gmail.com 


Apply for a Bursary

REHEARSAL LOCATION:

Jersey College Preparatory School,
Claremont Road,
St Helier.
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