Staxton Singers celebrate 40 years with summer concerts in and around Bridlington

The choir started life in Staxton in 1985 with Sue Hartley (then Parker) as musical director.

It moved to Scarborough, holding rehearsals at Queen Street Methodist Church, then at St Mary’s Parish Hall, The Street and St Mark’s Church Hall, Coldyhill Lane, where they continue to meet each Monday.

Known for their four-part harmonies and varied repertoire, with a tagline ‘from Bach to the Beatles’, they have performed as far afield as London and France, raising thousands for charity.

Janet McNay, who has sung soprano with the Staxtons from the outset, says there have been numerous highlights.

“Early on we sang at Burton Agnes Hall for Saint Catherine’s Hospice – which celebrates 40 years this year, too. We hired a piano but the next year the owner had bought a wonderful grand piano for us, which is still there. In the 1990s we held Good Friday concerts at Cross Hill Methodist Church in Hunmanby, which belonged to the school. It had fantastic acoustics and we’d have an audience of 200.

“The most fantastic was when we sang at the Royal Albert Hall at a mass gathering of choirs from all over the country. We travelled by coach, had tuition in the morning, sang in the afternoon and got home at 2am. I also remember an amazing trip to the West Riding to sing with the Dewsbury Sellers Engineering Band.”

At their largest – in 1995 – the Staxtons had 83 members; today they number 41, a quarter of whom are men – the greatest proportion to date.

Last year they doubled in size for a day when holding a ‘come and sing’ workshop to learn Mamma Mia in Scarborough Library Concert Hall, masterminded by musical director Robyn Keech.

Robyn, who joined three years ago, studied musical theatre at Westwood College before completing a degree in popular music and performing at Leeds College of Music.

She leads several choirs as well as teaching at Beverley Grammar School and giving singing lessons.

“Sue was outstanding – she could make anybody sing,” said Janet.

“Chris Wright was a marvellous organist who put his heart and soul into it. Jackie Stephenson, a member of the choir, did a marvellous job standing in. We’ve always had an accompanist too: one who stands out is Frank Wardle, who played with into his 80s. Rebecca Wood, who we have now, is up with the top.”

Uniform has also evolved – from strict to more relaxed – as soprano Liz Griffiths said: “When I joined 25 years ago, for concerts we wore a long black skirt, white shirt, a black bow that was like a huge moth, and black stockings or tights. You could wear gold earrings but nothing dangly, and a simple gold chain. Anyone with open-toed sandals was sent home. The men had black bow ties. You also had to have a good excuse to miss a rehearsal.”

Today the concert dress code is ‘black with a flash of pink’ for both men and women, but for this summer’s anniversary concerts the choir will wear black with a red rose buttonhole to mark the ‘ruby year’.

All are welcome at Staxton Singers concerts – which are also an opportunity for would-be new members to hear the choir in action. No audition is necessary – just turn up to a rehearsal.

Concert dates

Sunday, June 22 at, 1.30pm: Willerby Church, Staxton; £5 at the door, incl refreshments.

Sunday, June 29 at 2pm: Orangery Concert at Sewerby Hall, near Bridlington; entrance fee applies; sewerbyhall.co.uk

Friday, July 4 at 7pm, St Laurence’s Church, Scalby, Scarborough; raising funds for the Friends of St Laurence’s.

Sunday, July 20 at 3pm: Garden Party and Concert at Ebberston Hall, Ebberston; £10, including fizz and scones.