It all started in 1960 on the 08:20 commuter train from Harpenden to St Pancras, when a chance meeting between music enthusiasts sparked the idea of forming a small four-part choir based in Harpenden.  On 21 September 1960 seven singers – two each of sopranos, altos and basses and just one tenor (‘twas ever thus!) – met at the house of Clive Bright, conductor of the Harpenden Salvation Army Band. The Lea Singers were born, named after the river at the heart of the local community.

 Here are some key statistics from our 50 year history.

• Nearly 200 singers – of whom 15 stayed for over 20 years
• 10 conductors – Clive Bright, Victor Bowden, Clive Simmonds, Paul Ellison, Peter Collis, Simon Berry, Geoffrey Davidson, Craig McLeish, James Sherlock and Madeleine Lovell (twice!)
• 350 concerts – in 105 different venues
• 1,500 different pieces of music – the Top 5 most frequently performed being by William Byrd, Boris Ord, John Bennet, Orlando Gibbons and Charles Villiers Stanford
• 12 cathedral tours – including Canterbury, Stirling, Wells, Winchester and of course St Albans
• Tours to 6 different countries  – including France, Germany, Scotland and Sweden
• 6 recordings – the latest of which will be released in time for Christmas 2011 to commemorate our “Jubilea” 2010/11 sea

Download Lea Singers history