Shaldon Singers – a history
Adapted from an article by Viv Wilson in 2019 and extended.If you lived in Shaldon in 1979, the chances are that in the run-up to the festive season you attended a Christmas concert in St Peter’s Church. Most members of the newly-formed Shaldon Singers were already involved in the church choir but Phyl Tatlow, a newcomer to the village, worked with organist Eric Yeo to encourage Rev Harvey Phillips and Churchwarden Owen O’Connell towards the formation of the new choir. The first concert was a huge success and shortly afterwards plans were laid to invite Phyl’s former choir members at North Creedy to augment Shaldon Singers to perform Stainer’s Crucifixion during Holy Week. The first AGM (April 1980) put Rev Phillips as Chairman with Eric Yeo as Vice Chairman and, more importantly, Conductor, a role he fulfilled for 6 years. He trained the singers to a high standard and by the following year, a reviewer opined that their Hallelujah Chorus was Albert Hall standard. In 1983, when Father Ashley Manhire took over pastoral care, he added his competent tenor voice to the choir. He also introduced Wyn Turner as Musical Director.
But membership waxed and waned and the challenge of Britten’s Gloriana with too few singers, left the choir at an all-time low. Nigel Crabtree rode to the rescue from Trinity School in 2001 having been recruited by Ro Rickett, the then chairman. He imposed his boundless sense of fun onto the choir which extended in membership and repertoire. By their 25th anniversary in 2004, the choir was strong enough to take on Carmina Burana (of Old Spice fame) and elicited a frenzy of appreciation and a standing ovation from the audience. Nigel also stayed for 15 years until he took a sabbatical and the position was filled by Bob Carter who took over when Nigel finally retired. There followed a couple of years with the choir’s first lady Music Director, Shirley Taylor who directed their 40th Anniversary concert in May 2019. This featured a composition by Laura Rossi, Song of the Teign, which had been commissioned by the choir. Sadly, when covid hit in 2020, Shirley needed to live elsewhere, so resigned as MD. Her place was taken by another Trinity School Head of Music, Tim Crompton, who kept the choir together during lockdowns by running zoom sessions each week. When group singing was allowed again, the Singers returned to St. Peter’s Church under Tim’s baton and the choir has regained strength owing to Tim’s boundless enthusiasm and training. In 2024, encouraged by Tim, the choir started running Choral Workshops with guest conductors. The first was the Verdi Requiem with MD, Gavin Carr, which was very successful. Hopefully, this was the beginning of a series of such occasions.
Shaldon Singers continues to give two concerts each year, one in December which includes audience carols, the other with soloists and an orchestra in May.
