Joining Us

We welcome anyone with an interest in the music and/or its historical and social context or who has an associated interest such as historical costume. Most of what we perform is church music but we are not a religious group.  Members are of all faiths and none and we are also interested in the secular music as well as the social customs of the period. 

Singers don’t need any training or music reading skills. They do however need to be able to sing in tune and confidently (after a while) hold their part. Music is provided for all our pieces but we learn it by singing it.

A typical West Gallery band would have included stringed and woodwind orchestral instruments such as fiddles, flutes and ‘clarionets' and the quire is fortunate to have some historical instruments, including the serpent and ophicleïde. We welcome players of orchestral instruments from around grade 5 standard but the music is not suitable for chordal or keyboard instruments.

We have enthusiastic and knowledgeable members who can help you get together an appropriate costume for performance and it needn’t be expensive. 

Potential new members are welcome to come along to a few rehearsals to have a chat and experience our music. Please contact our Musical Director, Ken Baddley.

Diddington 20th
White Horse 2019 Xmas Rehearsal


Top left: Lunchtime at our 20th Anniversary Workshop 2023, Top right: our first rehearsal following covid, outdoors at Diddington in July 2021, Above left: carol singing with friends at The White Horse, Bedford 2022, Above right: Christmas open rehearsal 2021. Below: a newer member gets a helping hand with costume 2024

We met via Zoom throughout 2020 and 2021 and enjoyed a wonderful open-air rehearsal on 31st July prior to our summer break. We returned to face-to-face meetings from September 2021 on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursdays of every month except August at:

Brickhill Community Centre
12 Avon Drive
Bedford
MK41 7AF

A helping hand with costume
Picture, Josephine Spray

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