The Needwood Singers are a choral society based in Barton under Needwood, Staffordshire

What We Sing

We love the classics! We sing serious choral works and lighter music. Our main spring concerts have included Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle, Mozart Requiem, Rutter Magnificat – and lots of others – accompanied by a chamber orchestra and professional soloists. Summer and autumn concerts contain lighter music such as: Gershwin’s Summertime, Chilcott’s Londonderry Air, Autumn Leaves, Shearing’s Who Is Sylvia? and compositions by our accompanist, Paul Glover.

When And Where

Our ‘home’ village of Barton under Needwood has kindly hosted our summer concert at St. James’ Church for the past couple of years. A larger venue is required for our major spring concert, this was performed at St. John’s Church, Horninglow for their 150th Anniversary celebrations and has previously been held at St. John’s Church, Shenstone, where we enjoy a full audience of keen supporters. We have recently sung at St Michael on Greenhill, Lichfield, and in the past at various other locations around the Lichfield area.

Our Conductor is Margaret Langford
GNSM, LRAM, PGCE, ABSM

Margaret has been the conductor of the Needwood Singers since 1990. She studied at the Northern School of Music under Irene Wilde and Ellis Keeler. Further studies continued at London University and the Birmingham Conservatoire, where she was awarded the Recital Diploma and won the Vincent Lieder competition. Margaret is an accomplished soprano soloist and a member of Ex Cathedra, the Birmingham based internationally renowned chamber choir.

Our Accompanist is Paul Glover
GRSM, ARCM, LRAM

Paul Glover studied at The Royal Academy of Music and the Institute of Education, London and moved to Lichfield on his appointment as Head of Music at The Friary School. He held a variety of roles at St John the Baptist Church, Shenstone; choir master, organist and conductor of the village choir and orchestra. Paul continues to enjoy composing, arranging and acting as accompanist to The Needwood Singers. Paul has now left Shenstone for Leicester to be nearer his family.

Past History

The Needwood Singers began over 40 years ago as an evening class with just four members, and has grown over the years to over thirty, with Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass voices. The group was formed in 1972, when a resident of Barton under Needwood requested Stanley Langford to take over a night school choral class at the John Taylor High School. Of course he agreed, and that resident became one of the four founder members of the Needwood Singers. The numbers gradually increased over the years.

Some memorable concerts have been held with chamber orchestra and professional soloists:

Handel’s Samson at St Peters Church Stapenhill.

Magical Magnificats at Shenstone St Johns.