Gotherington

The Gotherington Singers have built a growing reputation for themselves since they were formed in 1967 by Margaret Crompton. Starting as a small local WI choir in the village of Gotherington, with only 15-20 singers, some of whom had little musical knowledge, they now have about 35 singers from a wide area in and around Cheltenham. Under Margaret's... inspiring leadership they began to grow in size and ability, and their reputation grew with them. They were soon tackling more ambitious projects, and the decision was made to become an independent choir in their own right. Since then they have performed successfully in music festivals both in the UK and overseas, and have also raised thousands of pounds singing for local charities. They have been Gold Cup winners at the Cheltenham Festival of Performing Arts, and in 2006 were honoured to be invited to sing at the Thora Hird Memorial Concert at St Martin in the Fields in the presence of Sophie Countess of Wessex. They have been pleased and proud to have had the well-known broadcaster, Richard Baker, as their Patron for many years. Over the years he has joined them for several concerts as reader, compere and raconteur, and since his retirement remains a good friend to the choir. David Lawrence is also a patron, and the choir is delighted to announce that Gwyn Arch has also recently agreed to become a patron. Margaret Crompton retired in 2015, and the choir now has a new Musical Director, Jane Ward Watts. Jane is another inspiring leader and the choir is delighted that she has agreed to join them. The choir is justifiably proud of the family atmosphere it has created throughout its life and development, with mutual support for members through good and bad times.Read More