Information for singers

Festival rehearsals fall into two groups:

For the Spring concert in March, weekly rehearsals are held in the period leading up to the concert on Saturday / Sunday afternoons. It is expected that all singers will attend most of these rehearsals, which are taken by our Chorus Master and accompanied by our Festival Accompanist. The Festival Conductor usually attends one or two, as well as taking the final mandatory rehearsals on Saturday / Sunday afternoon immediately before the concert.

For the main two-day Festival in April, choirs rehearse and prepare independently for the most part. However, any choir member wishing to participate in a Festival concert must have sung in the combined rehearsals for that concert (below). There are three combined rehearsals lasting two hours for each choir group, each accompanied by the Festival Accompanist. The final afternoon rehearsal on the day of each concert is also mandatory. These rehearsals are the opportunity for the Festival Conductor to prepare the combined choirs for their performances at the evening concerts.

Rehearsal schedule

Spring Concert

Handel - Messiah

This event is open to singers belonging to Leith Hill Music Festival choirs and independent singers

Concert on Sunday 9th March 2025, 19:00 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG

Book Singer ‘tickets’ here

  • We will be using the Watkin Shaw edition and the performance is as follows:-

    Part One

    1 Sinfonia (Overture)
    2 Comfort ye my people
    3 Ev’ry valley shall be exalted
    4 And the glory of the Lord
    5 Thus saith the Lord
    6 But who may abide the day of his coming?
    7 And he shall purify
    8 Behold, a virgin shall conceive
    9 O thou that tellest good tidings
    10 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth
    11 The people that walked in darkness
    12 For unto us a child is born
    13 Pastoral Symphony
    14 There were shepherds abiding in the fields
    And lo, the angel of the Lord
    15 And the angel said unto them
    16 And suddenly there was with the angel
    17 Glory to God
    18 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion
    19 Then shall the eyes of the blind
    20 He shall feed his flock
    Come unto him
    21 His yoke is easy and his burthen is light

    INTERVAL

    Part Two

    22 Behold the Lamb of God
    23 He was despised
    24 Surely he hath borne our griefs
    25 And with his stripes we are healed
    26 All we like sheep have gone astray
    27 All they that see him laugh him to scorn
    28 He trusted in God
    29 Thy rebuke hath broken his heart
    30 Behold, and see if there be any sorrow
    31 He was cut off out of the land of the living
    32 But thou didst not leave his soul in hell
    38 How beautiful are the feet
    40 Why do the nations so furiously rage together?
    41 Let us break their bonds asunder
    42 He that dwelleth in heaven
    43 Thou shalt break them
    44 Hallelujah

    Part Three

    45 I know that my redeemer liveth
    46 Since by man came death
    47 Behold I tell you a mystery
    48 The trumpet shall sound
    53 Worthy is the Lamb that was
    slain

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls.

    We will be rehearsing Parts 2 and 3.

  • In the Martineau Hall, Dorking Halls.

    We will be rehearsing Part 1.

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls.

    We will be rehearsing Parts 2 and 3.

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls.

    Full run through of all choruses.

  • Afternoon

    13:30 Singers arrive

    13:45 Singers assemble on stage

    14:00 Rehearsal for choir starts

    15.30 (Approx) End of rehearsal for choir

    15.30 Orchestra break

    15.45 Rehearsal continues for Orchestra and soloists

    17:00 End of rehearsal

    Evening

    18:45 Choir on stage

    19:00 Concert start

    20.00 Interval

    20.20 Interval end

    21.30 Concert ends

    Dress Code

    • Black suit trousers/long skirt

    • Black long sleeved shirt/top

    • Black shoes

    • No tie

    • No jacket

    • Small black bag if required

Messiah – Rehearsal 3 – 9th Feb

All other Messiah rehearsals (not Concert day)

Festival: Friday

Will Todd's Passion Music and Jazz Missa Brevis

Choirs: Beare Green & Newdigate, Bookham, Buckland & Betchworth, Holmbury St. Mary, Horsley and Mickleham

Concert on Friday April 11th 2025 19:30 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Please make sure you register at the tables in the foyer.

    (seating plan here)

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Conductor: - Will Todd

    Please make sure you register at the tables in the foyer.

    (seating plan here)

  • Music for choirs

    Each choir will present an ‘own-choice’ recital (max. 15 mins), to include:

    i. A piece with accompaniment

    ii. A piece sung unaccompanied (a cappella)

    iii. A piece written by a living composer

    Ensemble

    There will be an optional Ensemble Competition each day where groups of between 4-12 singers will perform a piece, selected by the Music Committee.

    SATB: Rebecca Clarke - A lover’s dirge (Unaccompanied)

    Lower Voices: Amy Beach - Sea Fever (Accompanied)

    Upper Voices: Elizabeth Poston - The Water of Tyne (Unaccompanied).

    The rules for the Ensemble category:

    A choir can choose to perform up to two pieces out of the three options available.

    Each ensemble doesn't need to be unique, e.g. if a choir chooses to enter more than one ensemble then their tenors could sing in both ensembles

    Seating plan

  • Festival Adjudicator

    We are delighted to announce that Joanna Forbes L’estrange will be our adjudicator for both days of the Festival

    Morning

    09:30 - Choirs to be ready in the Grand Hall

    9:40 - Choirs on the stage for a warm up and the draw for the order for choir recitals and ensembles

    9:50 - Warm up including Song for a Spring Festival

    10:00 - LHMF Competition begins

    c.12:00 - Recitals competition finishes

    c.12:05 - Ensembles competition begins

    c.12:30 - Adjudication

    12:45 - LHMF Competition ends

    Afternoon

    14:00 Singers arrive

    14:15 Singers assemble on to stage

    14:30 Rehearsal for choir starts

    15.45 Break

    17.00 End of rehearsal for choir

    17.00 Band rehearsal continues

    17:30 End of rehearsal

    Evening

    19:15 Choir on stage

    19:30 Concert start Missa Brevis, Jazz set, Prize Giving (allow 15 minutes)

    20.25 Interval start

    20.45 Interval end

    21.30 Concert ends

    Dress Code for Competition

    Choirs are free to choose their own dress code (if any)

    Dress Code for Concert

    • Black suit trousers/long skirt

    • Black long sleeved shirt/top

    • Black shoes

    • No tie

    • No jacket

    • Small black bag if required

    Seating plan

Festival: Saturday

Elgar: Dream of Gerontius

Choirs: Capel, Dorking, Epsom, Leatherhead and Oxshott

Concert on Saturday 12th Apr 2025, 19:30 in the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls, Reigate Road, Dorking, RH4 1SG

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Please make sure you register at the tables in foyer

    (seating plan here)

  • In the Grand Hall, Dorking Halls

    Please make sure you register at the tables in foyer.

    (seating plan here)

  • Music for choirs

    Each choir will present an ‘own-choice’ recital (max. 15 mins), to include:

    i. A piece with accompaniment

    ii. A piece sung unaccompanied (a cappella)

    iii. A piece written by a living composer

    Ensemble

    There will be an optional Ensemble Competition each day where groups of between 4-12 singers will perform a piece, selected by the Music Committee.

    SATB: Rebecca Clarke - A lover’s dirge (Unaccompanied)

    Lower Voices: Amy Beach - Sea Fever (Accompanied)

    Upper Voices: Elizabeth Poston - The Water of Tyne (Unaccompanied).

    The rules for the Ensemble category:

    A choir can choose to perform up to two pieces out of the three options available.

    Each ensemble doesn't need to be unique, e.g. if a choir chooses to enter more than one ensemble then their tenors could sing in both ensembles

    Seating plan

  • Festival Adjudicator

    We are delighted to announce that Joanna Forbes L’estrange will be our adjudicator for both days of the Festival

    Morning

    09:50 - Choirs to be ready in the Grand Hall

    10.00 - Choirs on the stage for a warm up and the draw for the order for choir recitals and ensembles

    10:10 - Warm up including Song for a Spring Festival

    10:20 - LHMF Competition begins

    c.12:00 - Recitals competition finishes

    c.12:05 - Ensembles competition begins

    c.12:30 - Adjudication

    12:45 - LHMF Competition ends

    Afternoon

    14:00 Singers arrive

    14:15 Singers assemble on stage

    14:30 Rehearsal for choir starts

    16.00 Break

    16:30 Rehearsal continues (choir finished by around 5)

    17:30 End of rehearsal

    Evening

    19:15 Choir on stage

    19:30 Prize Giving (allow 20 minutes)

    19:50 Concerts stars – Part 1

    20.20 Interval start

    20.40 Interval end - Part 2

    21.50 Concert ends

    Dress Code for Competition

    Choirs are free to choose their own dress code (if any)

    Dress Code for Concert

    • Black suit trousers/long skirt

    • Black long sleeved shirt/top

    • Black shoes

    • No tie

    • No jacket

    • Small black bag if required

    Seating plan

How do I get my music?

For the Spring concert:

When enrolling for the Spring concert you will have the option to include music hire within your fee and you can collect your music at the first rehearsal. It is important to use the correct editions when singing at the Festival which will be advised when the concert is announced.

For the April competitions and concerts:

The music to be sung at the Festival in April is chosen by a Music Committee chaired by Jonathan Willcocks.

The music is announced well in advance and is sourced and distributed to Choir Librarians by the Choral Librarians, to ensure consistency of editions and fairness for all and to help with the cost.

Competitions

Each choir will present an ‘own-choice’ recital (max. 15 mins), to include:

i. A piece with accompaniment

ii. A piece sung unaccompanied (a cappella)

iii. A piece written by a living composer

Ensemble Competition:

As a ‘prelude’ to the Competitions, there will be an optional Ensemble Competition each day where groups of between 4-12 singers will perform a single unaccompanied piece, selected by the Music Committee. Choirs may enter as many groups as they wish.