In September 2006 I was appointed as conductor of the Solihull Chandos Choir, taking over from their long-serving conductor Michael Savage on his retirement.

Our first concert together was in November 2006 in which we performed the Mass in D by Dvořák.  This was followed by two very enjoyable Christmas concerts at which we were joined by the choirs of Knowle Junior School and the Arden School.

In April 2007 we performed Elgar's The Black Knight and The Hymn of Praise by Mendelssohn in the Bushell Hall at Solihull School.  The soloists in the Mendelssohn were Cressida van Gordon and Tanya Cutts (Sopranos) and Nick Drew (Tenor).  We were accompanied by the Sinfonia of Birmingham.

Our June concert featured a selection of sacred works, madrigals and part-songs.  Our guests were the Amirov Piano Trio, who played some Haydn and some Ragtime!

For the November, we performed the Deutsches Requiem by Brahms, with organ accompaniment from our accompanist, Darren Hogg.  The programme also included Lo, the Full Final Sacrifice by Gerald Finzi.  Our usual two Christmas concerts followed, at which Jerzy Nagorski joined us fro Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols.

2008 began with Haydn's Creation with Helen Winter as soprano soloist, and this was followwed by a miscellaneous programme of choral favourites, which we then took on tour to Poland - a splendid week in Zakopane and Kraków.

Beethoven forms the bulk of our spring 2009 concert, with the Mass in C, Elegisches Gesang and Meerestille und Glücklische Fahrt.  We will repeat most of the programme on October in Sidmouth.