Weekly Updates – Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus

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Scroll down for the latest weekly update, which will be uploaded every week on the date shown on the update (often Sunday but could be earlier). Scroll even further down for pdf files of each update for those who prefer to download and print it. If you do not receive the email you should:

read it on this page
check you have informed us of a change of email – by sending a message to to ensure that your details are amended on the Membership database. You need to do this if any of your contact details change, please!
check that your email is not mistakenly marking the update as junk and returning it to sender. It may not even get as far as the Junk or Spam folder, unfortunately! To stop this, you need to add either or or the whole domain “@sheffieldphil.org” to your “safe senders” list if you can. If you use Outlook, open an email from Anne (or Marianne), then on the Home tab, click “Junk”, then “Never Block Sender’s Domain”. If you don’t use Outlook then look up how to set up safe senders for your email, either in its help facility or on Google. All emails are likely to have similar systems.

Updated Sunday 14 September 2025

NEW and/or IMPORTANT ITEMS (scroll down for further details)

Members Area: User Name member Password M4hler8D@rius22
Next rehearsal is Tue 16 Sep 2025
Messages from Librarian Alan Anderson and New Members Officer Sally Turnbull
Rehearsal tracks and recordings for next concert on website
URGENT – we still need a Secretary and a tenor voice rep!
Georgina’s workshop dates – first one next week
Reminder – Membership Survey (attachment) deadline end of Sep 2025
Reminder – AGM and social Tue 7 Oct 2025 – and goodbye to Donald Watts
Reminder – Sam West event in Sheffield Wed 8 Oct 2025
Reminder – Chorus trip to see ‘The Choral’ at the Showroom Sun 12 Oct 2025
Invitation to sing Messiah in Cutler’s Hall Mon 1 Dec 7pm
Invitation to sing Messiah with Sheffield Cathedral Choir
Patrick Russell Conducting Worksop Sat 18 Oct 2025 St John’s Ranmoor – free
Diary Dates – extra concert date added so season has SEVEN concerts
Singing Opportunities – new version on our website
Change of contact details – tell us via

First rehearsal Tue 9 Sep 2025

Our next rehearsal is on Tuesday 16 September 2025 at 19.00 in St Andrew’s Psalter Lane Church. We’ll be rehearsing for the 1 November concert again.

Message from Librarian Alan Anderson re music: “There will be two pieces of music to collect on Tuesday. One for everybody, the Young Composer Competition piece for music like the sea and the other piece just for the Sops and Altos, a Duruflé motet. There is no further charge for these extra pieces. Alan” If you were absent last week please try to be a bit early to collect all the music – there’s lots of it! The hire charge will be £5 (covers all music for this concert), correct change if you can.

Message from New Members Officer Sally Turnbull: “Thank you all who offered buddying last week, either by email or on the night. It was very exciting to have so many turn up – twelve in total, with another five due this week. I have enough offers of help now, thank you, if the same people can help settle their allocated partner for a week or so more. Thank you all as always for making visitors welcome at any time of the season. Sally”

The new people plus more music to distribute means the foyer will be full, so please don’t congregate there for any reason – move into the church as soon as you’ve signed in and collected your scores. Many thanks.

The programme for the first concert is listed on our website at Sheffieldphil.org / Current season, with links to rehearsal tracks and recordings of most of the music at Members Area / Preparing the music

Urgent – we need a Secretary and a Tenor Voice Rep

We really do need someone to take over the general Secretary duties when Anne Adams steps down at the AGM. This is now a very much-reduced role from that undertaken by Anne and previous role holders. Also, Anne will have completed the rehearsal set-up for the coming season, and the AGM organisation and papers, so the role will be more modest in the first year of taking over. Anne has created templates or blueprints for virtually every task, and a calendar of when they can be done, making the role very straight forward. She is happy to help the role holder throughout the year, of course. See Members Area / Chorus Organisation for details of the responsibilities – the page has been amended to show what has been done for this year.

If you think you might be able to take over as Secretary from October onwards, please contact any member of the committee as soon as possible.

We also need a Tenor Voice Rep – any volunteers from among the tenors please?

Georgina’s workshops start this week

Education and Outreach Officer Georgina Hulse is running a series of workshops to help participants with choral singing techniques, including sight singing, and to prepare for up-coming concerts; content can be tailored to suit those who sign up. All are welcome, including people who are trying us out. The workshops run from 18.30 to 18.55, ie just before the main rehearsal, in the back room at St Andrew’s Psalter Lane church. Below are the dates for the coming season; email Georgina at

Sep 16, 23 & 30, Oct 7,14 & 21, Nov 4,11,18 & 25

Feb 10,17 & 24, Mar 3, 10 & 17, Apr 14, 21 & 28, May 5

Reminder – Membership Survey deadline end of September 2025 (attachment)

Many thanks to all those who have responded to the membership survey which Darius sent out recently. The survey has been designed to help Darius, the committee and other helpers to plan, organise and improve the choir. The invitation is reproduced below, and the list of past concerts is attached. The link and attachment are also on the website at Members Area / Weekly Update Please respond by the end of September. Many thanks.

“I hope you’ve all had a great summer and are looking forward to being back in action next week! It’s a very busy season with a lot of exciting music and we hope you’ll commit to as many events as you can. It would be really helpful to us if you could follow the link below and complete the membership survey. It covers pretty much every aspect of how the choir is run, both musical and non-musical, and is really helpful for us in planning future events and how we can continue to improve our organisation. There are quite a lot of questions but it’s your choir and we’d like to take all opinions into account, so we really appreciate your time! https://forms.office.com/e/wxUUn7Bhik Best wishes, Darius and Marianne”

Reminder about the AGM and social – and goodbye to Donald Watts (attachment)

The 89th AGM will be on Tue 07 Oct 2025 at 8.30pm, after a shortened rehearsal; it usually takes just 30 minutes, so ends at the standard time of 9pm.
The formal notice and papers will be distributed by email by 22 Sep 2025 at the latest.
We will hold our wine and cheese social after the AGM; this will start with an official farewell to Donald Watts, who is leaving after an amazing 58 years of great service in the second tenors, so do try to stay for that if you can!
Social Events Officer Helen Kirk is collecting to cover the cost of the wine and cheese, so please contribute if you can; £3 is suggested.
Please let Helen know if you can help on the night.
There is one vacancy, for Secretary. The role has been much reduced compared to the Administrator role which it replaces; details at Members Area / Chorus Organisation
Anyone who has been a member for a year or more may stand for any of the roles.
A Nomination form is attached and should be completed and submitted to Anne Adams by Tuesday 23 September if possible, or by Tuesday 30 September at the latest.
Nominees must acquire and keep email confirmation that the two members listed have agreed to propose and second their nomination. Please note that no member can propose/second more than one nominee, and nominees must check this before accepting their proposer and seconder.
Members seeking re-election: Chair Jo Briddock, Finance Officer Jane Parkin, Membership Officer Marianne Grayson, Librarian Alan Anderson, New Members Officer Sally Turnbull, Education & Outreach Officer Georgina Hulse, Transport Officer Paul Duffield, Minutes Secretary Kathy Towers, Member Representatives Annie Park (Year 2 of 3), Social Events Officer Helen Kirk, EDI Officer Boo Spurgeon
Members seeking election for the first time: Event Planning Officer Rosalind Hobson, Contracts Officer Rachel Mallaband, Rehearsals & Events Officer Georgina Hulse, Member Representatives Rebecca Hutton (Year 1 of 3), Anita McKay (Year 1 of 3), Patricia Wake (Year 1 of 3) Alexandra Walton (Year 1 of 3)
Members who will continue in their volunteer roles: Webmaster Matthew Morgan, Website Officer Anne Adams, Classical Sheffield rep Anne Adams, Making Music rep Anne Adams, Archivist Penny Webster

Reminder – an evening with Sam West Wed 8 Oct 2025 19.00 for 19.45

Jane Monach has sent the Chorus an invitation to “An evening in the company of Samuel West” which is being organised as a fundraiser for Olivia Blake (Labour) and to support the Campaign for the Arts, a non-partisan charity of which Sam is a trustee. Sam, who you’ll know is one of our Patrons, is going to talk about his life, career as an actor and artistic director at the Crucible – and hopefully also about his parents, Tim West and Prunella Scales. The event is in Crookes Club on Wednesday 8th October, with doors opening at 7pm for a 7:45pm start. Tickets are £20, available online from Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-in-the-company-of-samuel-west-tickets-1643876521929?aff=oddtdtcreator

Friends and families are welcome – it should be a fascinating and entertaining evening.

Reminder – ‘The Choral’ – film at the Showroom Sun 12 Oct 2025

A number of members are planning to see ‘The Choral’ at the Showroom on Sunday 12 October 2025 at 15.30. If you’d like to join in, book a ticket and meet at the Showroom. The film, written by Alan Bennet and directed by Nicholas Hytner, is set in 1916 and stars Ralph Fiennes, Roger Allam and Mark Addy. Set in Yorkshire, it follows the members of the local choral society which recruits a group of teenage boys and girls for a performance of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. See https://showroomcinema.org.uk/film/lff-the-choral

Invitation to sing Messiah in Cutler’s Hall with Sheffield Bach Choir Mon 1 Dec 7pm

Sheffield Bach Choir have often had members of the Phil join them for Messiah and their conductor Philip Collin invites anyone who would like to take part in their 79^th offering to drop him a line at . “I obviously need to keep an eye on balance so can’t promise that everyone can join but there will be availability in all voice parts. You would need to be able to attend the two Monday rehearsals preceding (7.30-9.30 at Cemetery Road Baptist Church). The performance is at Cutlers Hall, 7pm. It would be fantastic if some of you could join us. Thank you and best wishes, Philip”. No charge.

Come and Sing Messiah in Sheffield Cathedral Sat 22 Nov 2025

Sheffield Cathedral Choir is hosting a Come and Sing Messiah event on Sat 22 Nov 2025. Morning workshop with conductor Tom Daggett, afternoon rehearsal with choir and orchestra and evening concert at 7.30 pm. Singer tickets £25. Proceeds support the cathedral’s School Singing Programme. Details & registration at Come and Sing Messiah

Patrick Russell Conducting Worksop Sat 18 Oct 2025 St John’s Ranmoor – free

Young choral conductors from around Sheffield, including our own young conductors Joe Banerjee and Naomi Isaacs, will be working with Professor Patrick Russill, Emeritus Head of Choral Conducting at the Royal Academy of Music and one of the leading choral conductors of his generation. Anyone is welcome to drop in and out anytime from 1 to 4pm, informal performance at 4.30pm or thereabouts. Refreshments during the breaks, around 2-2.30pm and 3.30-4.00pm). Members might find it interesting to see how conducting can shape the sound of a choir and the level of detail that choral conductors need to put into their approach to rehearsal. Music will include Clemens non Papa, Palestrina, Victoria, Morales, Howells, Amy Beach, Purcell, Rheinberger, Stanford and Monteverdi. No charge, donations welcome.

Rehearsal schedule

Darius has completed the rehearsal schedule for next season and it is on his website at http://www.dariusbattiwalla.com/currentschedule.pdf,. There’s also a link from the members area of the Chorus website (in Rehearsals). See also Diary dates (below and Chorus website at Members Area / Diary dates)

Diary dates (dates in italics are voluntary electives; attendance expected at all others)

Confirmed concert, piano and tutti rehearsal dates, times and locations, are posted on the Chorus website as soon as they become available, at Members Area / Diary dates

2025-26 – all seven official season dates now confirmed (see below) and on our website at https://sheffieldphil.org/home/concerts/current-season/

Saturday 1 November 2025, St Marie’s Cathedral, organ 150th anniversary concert. Soloists from choir. Organists Neil Taylor and James Mitchell. There will be seating for the choir when we’re not singing (and for those who need it on the altar).
Tuesday 9 December 2025, City Hall. Halle orchestra live accompaniment to big-screen showing of the film “Home Alone”; we’ll sing the main theme and the in-film carols
Saturday 13 December 2025, 30, City Hall (SICS) Carol concert with Black Dyke Band, BBC presenter Josie D’Arby, programme to include a carol composed by Rachel Fright. Carol concert running order is at Concert Arrangements
Sunday 14 December 2025, 2pm cathedral, St Luke’s carol service – date confirmed
Friday 6 February 2026, 19.00, City Hall (SICS) Arvo PartLament with Manchester Camerata. Compulsory conductor piano rehearsal Tue 27 Jan 2026
Saturday 21 March 2026 – Come and Sing event – Vivaldi Gloria plus other works
Friday 9 May 2026, Crookes Social Club, SPC Ceilidh plus Pie and Pea supper, date confirmed
Friday 16 May 2025, cathedral, Last Night of the Proms with Brigantes orchestra conducted by Quentin Clare. The Planets, Blest Pair of Sirens, Rule Britannia, Land of Hope and Glory
Sunday 7 June 2026, City Hall, 16.00 (SICS) Elijahwith Halle conducted by Matthew Hamilton

*SICS = concert is part of the Sheffield International Concert Season

Darius concerts

See Darius’s website at http://www.dariusbattiwalla.com/concerts/concerts-2025.html

Reminder – what to do if locked out of the website

If you are unfortunate enough to be locked out of the website (usually due to typing in the wrong password three times), rest assured – it is set such that you can try again after just 5 minutes! The user name and password are at the top of every weekly update.

Rehearsal tracks from Choraline

If you purchase rehearsal tracks from Choraline, please note that we have a discount of 20%. To claim, use code SHEFF and type ‘SINGER’ in the discount code on the basket page. If ordering by telephone, quote these when asked.

Singing opportunities – new version on our website

All up-coming opportunities for singing locally are on the Chorus website, along with a list of wider singing opportunities compiled by Phil Harrison and provided by John Morgan, in the Members Area, Information, Singing opportunities.

What’s On

Classical Sheffield’s website lists all local concerts: https://classicalsheffield.org.uk/events

What to do if your contact details change

If any of your contact details change, including address, email or telephone number, please send a message to to ensure that your details are amended on the Membership database and that you continue to receive the weekly update.

Weekly updates, Chorus & Classical Sheffield websites/passwords, WhatsApp

If ever you don’t receive the weekly update, please read it on the website at Members Area / Weekly Updates.

The Members Area lists rehearsal details, rehearsal notes and links to recordings, concert and re-audition arrangements, as well as dates for the following season, our official stage procedure, Darius’ rehearsal schedule, how to look after your voice etc.

The Chorus WhatsApp group is at SPC Social. Please don’t post personal or music-related details about other SPC members or ex-members without their permission!

Contact emails

These are all listed at Members Area / Chorus Contacts

SPC Update Sunday 14 September 2025

SPC Update Sunday 7 September 2025

SPC Update for Tuesday 2 September 2025