A new year, a new era for The Chantry Singers – Guildford. At our latest concert on November 30th we said goodbye to our conductor Roy Rashbrook as he stepped down after 20 years in charge. We are delighted to introduce our new Musical Director Peter Hicks, who will be taking over the musical leadership of the choir as 2025 dawns.
Peter is a countertenor and conductor based in Guildford. His love of choral music stems from his years as a chorister at St. John's College, Cambridge. After reading Music at Durham University, where he also sang as a choral scholar at Durham Cathedral, Peter studied at the University of York for a Masters in Solo Voice Ensemble Singing, under Robert Hollingworth, graduating in 2023 with distinction. Peter is currently a Lay Clerk at Guildford Cathedral, and is working as Conducting Assistant at Farnham & Bourne Choral Society. He has recently gained a place on National Youth Choir's Fellowship scheme, for emerging professional artists, starting in January 2025, and has also founded his own group, the Stag Consort, who regularly engage in projects in the Guildford area. We look forward working with Peter over the years to come, and to welcoming you all to our concerts.
For his first concert Peter has chosen a programme of music to mark the 500th anniversary of Palestrina's birth. It includes one of his masses and some of his other works as well as works by Byrd, Tallis and Victoria so we will be singing glorious polyphony. The concert is on Saturday 5 April at St Nic's. Put it in your diary and tell your friends now.
