Church Fundraising Concert
The Waverley Singers, accompanied by Jill Vincent
Joan Coxon (Voice), accompanied by Molly Hull
The Pipe Quartet of Farnham Girls' Grammar School (Valerie Wetton, Jennifer Hollingdale, Diana Beeken, and Ursula Payne)
The Pipe Orchestra of Farnham Girls' Grammar School
Maureen Beeken (Piano)
The following work is mentioned in the newspaper review as having been performed by the Choir, but this is not the only work they performed:
Schubert: The Lord is My Shepherd
This is the first record we can find of the Waverley Singers appearing in a concert, which was organised by a Miss Ena Phillips as a fundraiser for the Farnham Parish Church (St Andrew's) Restoration Fund. A fulsome review appeared in the Farnham Herald - see below.
The choir had only met for the first time in March 1955, but had then gone on to take part in the Aldershot Festival in May - see the handwritten notes in the image below.
At the Festival they were only a few marks behind the winners in the 'Women's Choir' class. They entered again in 1956, when they received an 'Honours Award' in the same category, prompting a letter published in the Farnham Herald in which the writer says he would have placed them first: "Farnham can be proud of a most talented group of young singers to whose conductor, John Cotterill, high praise is due". Honour was perhaps satisfied in 1957, when they were winners in the 'Madrigals' category!
The main image (and below) shows members of the choir outside 19 Waverley Lane in Farnham, the home of one of the original members, which was the choir's regular rehearsal venue, and from which they took their name! (This picture was actually taken in March 1957, on the occasion of the Choir's second birthday.)
Reviews
Church Concert Helps Restoration Fund
An excerpt from the review of the September 1955 concert by 'V.C.C.' published in the Farnham Herald reads as follows:
"The Waverley Singers appropriately opened and closed the programme. This body of less than 20 young singers showed enthusiasm and adventure in their choice of songs and when required gave gave lively interpretations of them. In their part-singing there was good balance of tone, clear diction, and despite a tendency to harshness on high notes, a pleasing ensemble. In an arrangement of Schubert's 'The Lord is My Shepherd' for four voices, they achieved a sustained tone which marked their best effort of the evening. They responded readily throughout to the lead given by their young and vigorous conductor, John Cotterill. Jill Vincent accompanied with competence."
Gallery
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