Here we look back at the reports of the Choir's activities of the last few years...

Current and Past Activity

Spring Serenade!

What a glorious evening at the Burnavon Theatre on Friday 28th May! Playing to a FULL HOUSE we were joined by our superb junior Choirs and also by the wonderful talent that is Kirsty Hughes, a former member of the Choir who is now making a name for herself in Musical Theatre in London.

Kirsty sang a number of classic solo pieces, including 'Bill' from Show Boat and the wittily delivered 'Mother Knows Best', from Tangled. She joined the Choir to sing the solo part of 'This is Me' from The Greatest Showman. Fantastic to have you with us again, Kirsty!


The Sperrin Kidz again delighted the Burnavon audience with their programme, which included numbers from the Sound of Music. They are a joy to hear and see.

And the Sperrin Youth Choir just gets better and better, with their numbers growing and their talent becoming more and more impressive with every concert.


As always, Gail Evans was a delight to hear, and she has now added choreography to her playing and conducting! The ladies put on a great routine during their piece 'All That Jazz'. And we were delighted to have Jonny Montgomery with us again. What a percussionist! New piece? no problem. Give him one minute to look at the score and he's ready!


Crom, Ballyscullion and Creeslough

A Very Busy Spring comes to fruition

On Saturday 29th May we travelled to the delightful Fermanagh Lakelands to sing in the rustic but gorgeous Holy Trinity Church in Crom. Another very enjoyable day, and the first away day for the Choir since lockdown! After a relaxing bus trip to Ennikillen, where we had lunch in the town, we were looked after so well by the good people of Crom, treated to tea, sandwiches and pastries, before a lovely concert that featured solo pieces by Peter Lant and our peerless Director Sam Cuddy, as well as top class solo parts from Hannah Bolton and Lauren Jones. This was a first away day for several members of the choir, but only the first of many, we hope.

A very special fundraising event was then held at Ballyscullion Park. The Olive Branch Charity provides Mental Health counselling in the Mid-Ulster area. Set inside the magical Ballyscullion Estate Gardens guests were treated to a drinks reception with live music from Eimear Hughes Harpist in the Strawberry Garden followed by our concert in the marquee. Canapés were served at the half time interval.

Our season then ended in Donegal with a weekend stay in Dunfanaghy and a concert at the beautiful Ards Friary in aid of some of the agencies who responded to the Creeslough tragedy last year.

Arriving at Arnolds Hotel

A HUGE thank you to all the choir members who put in such an effort to make this one of the most successful seasons for the Choir. We can all have a well deserved rest over the summer before we start it all again for what will be a great Christmas program. Thanks also to the many people who have attended our concerts and for the kind words for us all.


Christmas Concerts December 2022

at The Burnavon Theatre


Two super shows to end a busy year with our return to singing normality!.

We were delighted to welcome a very special guest to our Thursday night concert, Charlie Hughes, who gave a beautiful rendition of great Christmas favourites, including O Holy Night and In the Bleak Midwinter. Many thanks, Charlie! The audience on both nights were treated to some special and even quirky arrangements and they seemed to enjoy the shows as much as we enjoyed performing.


The 60’s at 62?

We finally had our 60’s concert, delayed from 2020! A great night and, finally, a FULL HOUSE at the Burnavon at the end of April, with super contributions from the Sperrin Kidz and the impressive Sperrin Youth Choir.


End of Year Party

We had a very enjoyable get together at the Cookstown Hockey Club in May, to wind up the Spring season. Many thanks to the Hockey Club, especially Alan Ferguson, and to Joanne Loughran, the caterer, for providing sumptuous food! A decent sing-song and a visit from the delectable ladies made it a great evening! A wee break now before we start it all up again in September, when we begin rehearsals for the Christmas concerts.


Back on Stage!

After a hiatus of eighteen months, Choir members finally got together for an almost normal first rehearsal at the end of September. It was great to see a lot of familiar faces - and some new ones - and to start on some new music for the 2021 Christmas season.


Thankfully the Autumn 2021 relaxing of Covid restrictions held, so that we were able to sing in Burnavon Theatre in December, to a reduced house and with reduced choir numbers. We also had a really enjoyable concert at Cookstown Primary School, with an audience of 120. What a joy it was to sing live!

And to celebrate our impending return to real music, we released our long awaited Virtual Concert of 60’s songs, The 60's at 60. We had been working on these for it seems forever, but they were finally completed and were released as Premieres on our Facebook page and our You Tube channel. Look it up!!

Sending You a Little Christmas

A Virtual Christmas Concert

As the pandemic and Lockdown continued through 2020, we were unable to get back to normal rehearsals and our Christmas Concerts were also cancelled. But we kept at the Zoom rehearsals and were delighted to put together a short programme of Christmas Music that was again put out on our Facebook and YouTube platforms: Sending You a Little Christmas.


The 60's at 60!

A Nostalgic Trip through the Music of the 1960's

At the start of 2020, after our Christmas and New Year Break, we went back to the rehearsal rooms to prepare a 'groovy' programme of music. There would have been versions of classic songs from the greats of this decade, including The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and The Beach Boys, as well as the thoughtful ballads of Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond and Van Morrison. Unfortunately, of course, this programme was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But several great 60's numbers have been recorded by choir members and were put up on our Facebook page and our You Tube channel. We also came together remotely (?!) to record a great combined version of Happy Together. Have a look and listen to any of our videos here: Sperrin Choir YouTube Videos

Christmas Concerts 2019!

A Feast of Christmas Music, with a special focus on the music of John Rutter

Two great Christmas Concerts at Burnavon in Cookstown this year. We had a full house for both nights, with Friday 20th December sold out over a month ahead. There was a lovely programme of well known and evocative Christmas songs and carols that really set the mood for the last few days of run-up to the Feast Day itself.

Molesworth Church, Sept 2019

A quick start to 2019 Autumn season!

We got off to a lovely start to the Autumn/Winter season of 2019 with a concert at Sam Cuddy's beautifully renovated Church in Cookstown. A very enjoyable evening of music, mostly reprising our recent repertoire. A real pleasure!

Plerin Sur Mer 2019!

Another great trip to our good friends in Brittany

Plerin group

We have great memories of a super trip to Brittany in the first weekend of May, where we spent a rather damp day in the markets of St. Brieuc, a glorious day on the beautiful Ile de Brehat and otherwise were fantastically looked after by our hosts. The Plena Voce Chorale, from first to last, pulled out all the stops to give us a holiday we won’t forget. All topped off with a rousing concert in the fabulous old church in the town centre. No pressure on us when they come here next time!!

Nashville Smash!!

Second Concert Added!

Our Spring 2019 Show, The Nashville Songbook was a rip-roaring success. The first show which was to be on Friday 26th April, SOLD OUT two months ahead of time so we added a SECOND show on the Saturday night! It was a big seller too, so a big thank you to our supporters for coming in such numbers to hear a great collection of country classics, including several superb new arrangements by Sam Cuddy. we took the show on tour to Crom in County Fermanagh and to Garvagh Presbyterian Church where we were royally received. A big thank you to the folk at both those venues.

A Celebration of Christmas!

We had another great and successful series of Christmas concerts at First Magherafelt and Burnavon, Cookstown. We were delighted to welcome Ruth Jennings as special guest on Thursday night. She is a rousing singer! Another great programme put together by the amazing Sam Cuddy and who could take the place of the wonderful Gail Evans on piano?!

Memories of the Recording Studio

In the Studio


View from the Control Room

Our first CD in many years is out and has sold really well. We are very pleased with the result and we hope you who have purchased a copy can relive the great concerts featuring the songs by listening to it. The Choir spent three tiring but rewarding days in Manor Park Studios. The album features the favourite pieces from our Elvis programme that received such acclaim last year.


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2018 Beckons!

2018 will see the 30th Anniversary of the Sperrin Choir name. We are hoping to have a truly great celebration of that landmark, with a great show looking back over some of the favourite pieces covered by the Choir in that time, but focussing on the theme of “The Great American Songbook”.



What a Night!


The Great American Songbook played to a full house on 27th April last. A very enjoyable, though challenging programme of music from Cole Porter to Stephen Schwartz. Along with a wide ranging set of songs from the full choir, we had a great rendition of Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin', from Peter Lant -below-, a couple of novelties from an elderly trio, and a wonderful set of songs by the terrific Sperrin Kidz!

The Choir heads to Essex this weekend (4th to 7th May) to meet up again with the fabulous Swift Singers, whom we will join for a concert on Saturday evening. Looking forward to a bit of less controlled singing afterwards too!


Our Elvis Programme got one last hugely enjoyable outing, at a Charity Fundraising event for MacMillan Cancer Support, at the Christ Church Hall in Castledawson on Friday 9th February. A great night, with a full house, and a very successful fundraiser for a vital cause.


Christmas 2017 - 'tis the Season!



Concert Cancellation!

Sadly our now Annual Concert at First Magherafelt Presbyterian church had to be cancelled this year due to the snow fall. Apologies to all, and thanks to those who helped spread the word. See you there next year hopefully.


However our two Burnavon concerts were a great success, with Friday's show a full house. We presented a varied mix of traditional and unusual Christmas songs, including many beautiful arrangements of well known carols and Yuletide standards. We were delighted to welcome Gareth Brown, former choir stalwart, who was home from Edinburgh. He and caroline Jones performed a lovely duet on the Friday evening. On Thursday, the audience was treated to fabulous pieces by upcoming flautists the Houston Boys while The Sperrin Kidz again sang beautifully on the Friday evening.


Winter 2017 is already a busy term for the Sperrin Choir!

We were delighted to have been asked to take part in the re-dedication service at St. Swithin’s Church on 22nd October, where we reprised some of the Gospel songs that featured in our recent Elvis programme. Then on 27th October we were equally pleased to present our full Elvis programme at Woodschapel.

Sligo Trip

We had a wonderful trip to Sligo the weekend of 16th June, where we performed in the beautiful surroundings of St. John's Cathedral. A final outing - for the time being at least - for our Elvis programme and a chance to unwind before the summer break. A hugely enjoyable evening wth an appreciative audience. Sincere thanks to Rev. Arfon and the congregation for their welcome and hospitality. The evenings were long and winding. On Saturday night, with a few guitars, a tenor sax and Gail at the keyboard, there was a rousing sing-song, apparently appreciated by the other hotel guests. Even the odd impromptu solo performance too! Last man Standing award is still under Steward's enquiry, though, due to someone taking a long nap on Saturday afternoon.

There are photos and a couple of excellent videos from the weekend on our facebook page, and a couple of comments on twitter. I would give our rendition of Goodnight Sweetheart on Sunday morning a bit of a wide berth, though..

Did you Hear the People Sing?

two musical directors

Sam Cuddy and Clive Smith ready to conduct

pretending to relax

Still singing!

The joint concert with the Swift was hugely enjoyable, with, though we say it ourselves, great singing from the Essex girls and the Sperrin Choir. Hilary Pell treated us all to some beautiful solo singing, and a joint rendition of a medley from Les Mis nearly took the roof off!

We owe a great debt of gratitude to David Bell and all the staff at Desertcreat Hall who put on such a wonderful spread for us throughout the afternoon and evening. David, thanks a million for setting up the sound and managing it through the show. Delighted to know that the concert raised £900 for Church funds.

The wind-down at Glenavon Hotel went on until the small hours, with some more .. shall we say relaxed .. singing! The members of the two choirs got on brilliantly, with lots of laughs and stories shared. We're like old friends already.

We have really enjoyed having the Swift Singers with us and we look forward to a visit to the South of England in the not too distant future! Huge thanks to Barbara and Jean and everyone else who worked so hard to make this a successful and enjoyable weekend.



Long Live the King!

The spirit of Elvis Presley came to the Burnavon in a wonderfully enjoyable show on 28th April. It was a delight to play to a packed house that seemed to really enjoy the show. A standing ovation and an encore - two firsts I think for the choir!! And Big Davy stunned us all with a fantastic rendition of Who Am I. There was a great mix of bouncing rock, soulful ballads and a few of his magnificent Gospel songs.

And the Sperrin Kidz continue to wow the audiences with their performances. Well done again to Caroline and Gail for their terrific work with them.

We also had a full house for our performance at Tobermore Presbyterian Church on the 21st April, along with the Kidz, to help in their 280th Anniversary Celebrations. Thanks to Gareth for the invite and the welcome, as well as the too-tempting refreshments afterwards.

CD in Preparation!

We are currently finalising the recording of our first CD in many years. It will carry the favourite pieces from our Elvis programme that received such acclaim last term. The CD will be launched at a Charity Concert in early February so keep an eye and ear out for that!

A Tribute to Elvis Presley

The Choir completed the 2017 Spring season of concerts which featured a bouncing programme commemorating the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis, who left this mortal coil 40 years ago.

We had three great shows, to full houses, including the joint show with Swift Singers - see below - and we thank all those who came to see and support us. We also owe a great deal of thanks to Sam Cuddy and Gail Evans for fantastic work with the choir over the past five months, to get this great programme to such a pitch.

uhhh,thangyouverymuch!

Swift Singers in Ireland

What a joyous weekend with the lovely Swift Singers, who visited from Essex and charmed us with their friendliness and humour, as well as their singing at the joint concert in Desertcreat. We even got a lesson in Essex speak from Clive! They say they had a great holiday - well the Sperrin members were agreed that it felt like a holiday for us too! We look forward to returning the compliment with a trip to the South East in the not too distant future.

A big thank you to Barbara and Jean, who put so much work into getting this trip together. Faultless!

Singing together at Glenavon after the show


Happy New Year!

A look at our Events page will tell you that we had a really busy year, with concerts in six different towns, four different counties and two provinces. We will take a well earned break now to enjoy a restful and hopefully reflective Christmas before we start up again on 12th January with rehearsals for the Spring Concerts when we will be putting on a full programme of Elvis songs to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of his passing.


Christmas is Here!!

Final concert of 2016 at Burnavon Theatre

A great finale to the year’s concerts took place on the 15th December when we sang for a full house at the Burnavon Theatre. It’s so fulfilling to sing to a full theatre. We hope you enjoyed it. The reports suggest you did!! A huge thanks to Denver, Roy and all at Burnavon for making the show such a success and looking after us all so well. Great music from David Bell and a couple of lovely solo pieces from Caroline added to the evening. And of course the Sperrin Kidz brought a real sparkle to the show with their infectious enthusiasm. Well done them and Caroline and Gail!


Christmas is Coming!!

With Sandra Overend MLA at Stormont

What a great first concert of the season at Stormont with the Mid-Ulster Carols for Christmas. A big thrill for us to be involved. It was a really enjoyable day and evening. A trip round the Christmas Markets in Belfast and then the coach dropped us right at the doors of the Big House. The concert went superbly well with great performances from the local schools and 5 pieces from our Christmas programme, culminating in a rousing rendition of Swingin' with Santa. The Christmas Spirit is well and truly flowing now!

Then we moved on to Magherafelt for a full programme at 1st Magherafelt Presbyterian Church. Another very enjoyable night. We hope all who attended enjoyed it as much as we did. Now, finally, the Burnavon in Cookstown for the last Concerts of the Season.

Thanks to Barbara Anderson and Archie Thomson for their work and help in getting the Magherafelt show set up so well. Thanks also to Harold Duncan for helping get the staging there and set up.


Believe it or not the programme for next Spring is already in pre-planning.

Eagle-eyed programme watchers may have seen the theme in the recently released Burnavon programme. Dust off your Blue Suede Shoes and get Way Down to Burnavon next April! We will then be welcoming, for the first time, the Swift Singers from Essex next May so we look forward to a big turnout to hear them and we are looking forward to singing with them. The Concert with the Swift Singers will be at Desertcreat Church on Saturday 6th May.



Autumn is upon us!!

Now that the Summer is well and truly over The Sperrin Choir are back in training for the Christmas concerts. We are delighted to welcome some new members. They have added greatly to the balance of the choir. It looks like being a great set of concerts this year, with an excellent programme assembled again by Sam.

The dates for the Christmas concerts are now set - check the Events page for details. We are also finalising the dates for next year's programmes. We will be welcoming, for the first time, the Swift Singers from Essex next May so we look forward to a big turnout to hear them and we are looking forward to singing with them. The venue for this concert is yet to be decided.


Roscommon 2016

The 2016 trip to Roscommon was a great weekend, augmented by fabulous weather, with a very well attended concert in the beautiful St Coman's Church.

A delegation of some 25 of the hardiest members trepidated on board a luxury coach on Friday evening to be whisked in a mere four hours to the county that was the birthplace of the first President of Ireland and four recipients of the Victoria Cross, as well as the starting point for the legendary Táin Bó Cúailnge, but I digress..

Arriving late in the evening we had a welcome supper at Gleeson's Hotel. They looked after us superbly as always. A quiet drink afterwards to help us sleep.

Our Musical Director directed a 10am start for stage assembly and rehearsal. Despite lack of microphone stands, for some reason left behind in Magherafelt, the set up was completed and rehearsal proceeded. Thereafter the group divided into shoppers and sensible people to spend the afternoon as they pleased.

Athlone Town provided a backdrop for a pleasant coffee or two while Roscommon Castle was thought by Alec to be falling down - but 'twas only a football being kicked in the grounds.

Rehearsal before St. Coman's Concert

Gleesons served up a fitting meal before the gladrags were donned and the short walk made to the Church. Andrew and Denis had by this time arrived to save the day.


The concert was excellent, greatly enjoyed by choir and audience alike, ending with a lusty rendition by all of Ireland's Call.

What an evening of song and rendition followed at the hotel, lasting until the dawn was breaking. Newcomer Donal Convery managed to hold out until the resident Last Man Standing was ready to lie down.

We bade Gleeson's farewell with Goodnight Sweetheart, sung on the patio and enjoyed, we think, by other residents and passing pedestrians. A much viewed video recording of this impromptu performance is now on the Facebook page.

We thank Gleesons, St. Coman's Church and Rev Alastair for their wonderful welcome and hospitality, We will be back!! Thanks also to Maurice Corey, our driver for the weekend with Millennium Coaches.


April/May 2016

The Spring 2016 Concerts are Just about over! The last four months of rehearsal came to a head last week with a Night at the Musicals in Burnavon. We had a marvellous concert in front of a FULL HOUSE! - the first Spring Concert full house in a long time. A million thanks to everyone who came to hear us, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Especially noteworthy was the lone red Bow Tie that insinuated itself into the male voice section. This perhaps inspired the male voices to greater heights than usual.

We are delighted that Raymond Anderson has produced a DVD and CD recording of the Burnavon concert and this will shortly be available to purchase. Watch out for details of where to buy!

Three of the stars of a Night at the Musicals, Gail, Kirsty and Caroline

We were delighted to welcome Kim Ashton, the deputy Chair of Mid-Ulster Council, who took time out from her busy schedule to hear both the main choir and the Sperrin Kidz. The enthusiastic response of the full audience further added to our enjoyment of the event.

We also had a very enjoyable concert of secular and sacred music at Agherton in Portstewart on Sunday 2nd May. Sincere thanks to Peter Mitchell and all at Agherton Parish for their hospitality.









Plena Voce visit 2016

After their arrival on Thursday 5th May and a meal at their hosts homes, the Plerin visitors had a well needed restful night after their long journey over.

A trip to the Maiden City of Derry/Londonderry...

...on the warmest day of the year so far was enjoyed by all, with a tour of the Tower Museum and the City Walls, followed by a lovely meal at Timber Quay who looked after us wonderfully well.

On Friday night we had a wonderful evening at Parkanaur, where we held a joint Entente Chorale concert with the Plena Voce Chorale. The proceeds for this show went to the Smile Foundation, who organised ticket sales. They had a great response and we are delighted that the show raised a good deal of money for this worthwhile cause. Many thanks also to Marlene and her staff at Parkanaur for her help throughout the preparations for the show and on the night.

The Stage Hands Richard and Davy relax before the Parkanaur show

We would like to express our gratitude to Mid-Ulster Council for their generous financial support for the visit of Plena Voce Chorale.

  • Plena Voce on Derry's Walls

    The View from the Choir

    On Saturday the Coach carried us off the the Lakeland County to see the Belleek Pottery and the Marble Arch caves. The weather was a little less kind, but did not spoil the day.

    The Plerin visitors were our guests for a grand barbecue in Cookstown Hockey Club on Saturday night. Some Gusto filled singing ended the evening, with rapturous applause regardless of the quality of delivery

    Luckily the departing Plerinians did not have an early start for the airport on Sunday!


    The Singing that ended the evening..

    Busy 2016 Programme

    This Spring Programme has seen the choir take a great step forward, with a welcome influx of very good male voices, who have certainly added to the ‘beef’ in the bass.

    We welcome Plena Voce to Mid-Ulster this week, with a concert in Parkanaur Manor on Friday 6th May. We will be happy to see them again and show them a little more of our wonderful landscape and history.

    The Choir will then set off for Roscommon on the weekend of 13th May, where we will sing at St. Coman's Church before letting our hair down (those of us that can) to mark the end of a long Spring season.


    2015/16

    Christmas 2015 saw a momentous development for the choir. Caroline Jones took on the herculean task of devising, promoting and setting up a Sperrin Kidz group. The children who joined her put on a brilliant performance as part of the Sperrin Choir Concerts at 1st Magherafelt Presbyterian Church and Burnavon. Greatly helped by the tireless Gail Evans, Caroline drew a wonderful performance from the group after just one term of practice. Caroline and Gail are also educating the group in Kodaly Principles, a musicianship scheme. This project has great potential and will hopefully be the source of many fine members of the main choir in years to come.

    Thanks and Acknowledgements

    The Sperrin Choir gratefully acknowledges that their project has been supported by the Workspace Group through the Workspace Community Fund. May 2016

    Thursday 1st August, 2013

    The first weekend in June saw the locally-based Sperrin Choir pack bags and music and set off for their annual weekend away. This weekend has become something of an institution, representing the culmination of a year of successful concerts and affording members some essential 'down-time' together. Already well-established friendships are deepened, the 'craic' is mighty and, as a bonus, they perform a concert in their destination of choice. This June they wowed a most receptive audience in the town of Roscommon, their third visit to this particular venue. Last year the weekend was spent in Donegal and plans are already afoot for the 2014 trip which will be to Cookstown's twin-town of Plerin-sur-Mer in France. The choir has already travelled twice to France and has hosted the French choir here in Mid-Ulster, also on two occasions.

    So - if you are a singer, whether with experience of choir-singing or not, look through the rest of the site, or link to our Facebook page or Twitter page for more details of this vibrant local choir who aim to bring great enjoyment to their audiences, whilst simultaneously gaining much personal enjoyment from their music.

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