The Sitwell Singers were originally formed in 1966 by a group of friends who gathered to sing on Sunday evenings in each other's homes. One of these was Stainsby Hall, previously owned by the Sitwell family hence the name.
Since then the choir has gone from strength to strength. There have been nine resident, and some guest, conductors. The choir has worshipped and performed in Cathedrals, Churches, Stately Homes and Village Halls in Derbyshire and further afield. Currently there are 24 members with a few of the original members still singing with the group.
"the Sitwells' immaculate blend"
The repertoire is wide ranging from the Renaissance to the present day, and is performed either a cappella, with organ, or on occasion, with orchestra. In addition to a large number of smaller pieces the Singers' programmes have included Copland's In the Beginning, Palestrina's Missa Papae Marcelli, Britten's St. Nicholas, the Duruflé Requiem and memorable performances of Rachmaninov's Vespers, Bach's dramatic St. John Passion and Hadyn's beautiful Stabat Mater.
"deeply thoughtful ... beautifully sensitive "
The Sitwell Singers celebrated their fortieth anniversary in 2006 with events including a concert entitled Venice by candlelight in Derby Cathedral with the English Cornett and Sackbut Ensemble and a highly successful short tour in Germany. A highlight of the 2008 - 2009 season was a performance of Jongen's Mass for Choir, Organ and Brass with members of Bute Brass and other players from the Royal Welsh School of Music and Drama.
Malcolm Goldring has been the conductor of the Sitwell Singers since January 2008. He studied the oboe at the Royal College of Music before continuing postgraduate studies at the Universities of Durham and Nottingham.
His career has been rich and varied: teaching and
lecturing in schools and colleges, Music Inspector for the Metropolitan Borough
of Solihull, Assistant Principal at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
in Cardiff, and currently an education and music consultant. Malcolm is also
in demand as an adjudicator at home and abroad - in recent years he has
represented the UK at competitions in Germany, Catalonia, Slovenia
and Flanders, and in May 2008 joined the jury at the prestigious International
Choral Competition in Tours, in the Loire valley.
In 1990 he was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship and as a result toured the United States and Canada studying the development of youth and children’s choirs. On his return he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. His work to support young people singing has been rewarded with an Honorary RSCM (Royal School of Church Music).
Malcolm is Conductor and Musical Director of the Midland Festival Chorus and the Annual Guernsey Choral Workshop. He is frequently engaged as a guest conductor; both at home and abroad; he has conducted the closing concerts at two triennial Europa Cantat festivals in Austria and France, and has been invited to direct an international singing event in Saxony in September 2009.
Along with Karl Jenkins, John Rutter and Bob Chilcott, Malcolm is Patron of the Salisbury Community Choir.