A NEW MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR WINCANTON CHORAL SOCIETY

It is with regret that we will soon say goodbye to our much loved music director, Katrine Riemers. Katrine has been with the choir for the past 8years, firstly as accompanist and latterly as Music Director, during which time she has challenged the choir in her choice of music and helped us all to become better singers. Her professional background in choral music made her a sympathetic conductor, often making allowances for the inexperience and lack of technical skill inherent in an amateur choir, whilst remaining true to core musical values. We tried our best to make a good sound, but we must sometimes have made her more than a little frustrated!

Katrine’s time as MD coincided with the pandemic, which could have meant a total break from singing. However, Katrine kept the more technologically minded amongst us in good voice with her online rehearsals and as restrictions eased, we sang to the cows in a open sided local barn. On that occasion, we even made it onto the local television news!

Katrine is moving on to a prestigious appointment as Music Director of the Bath Choral Society. They will now get the benefit of her seemingly endless supply of innovative warm up exercises, as well as her boundless enthusiasm and good humour. We wish her every success in her new venture and say thank you for all that she has taught us. Her final concert with WCS will be on Sunday 21st May at the church of St. Luke & St. Teresa in Wincanton, 7.30 pm start.

 

For Wincanton Choral Society, this marks the start of a new chapter when we welcome our new Music Director, Neil Moore. He will take up his appointment on 1st June ready for the autumn season beginning in September. Neil is an experienced and accomplished musician and Music Director, who already conducts five other local choirs, based in and around Frome. He sings professionally and also with the Bath Cantata amongst other choral groups, and those of us who attended a recent rehearsal with him can attest that he has a fine counter-tenor voice and boundless energy. We look forward to new musical adventures with Neil, along with singing some old favourites.