Classical Music - The Chantry Singers

Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated team and the generous support of many locals the extensive repairs that were needed to save Lewes’ oldest church from collapse have been completed, but the appeal for funds has not ended, as several thousand pounds still need to be raised to pay for the work. The church was built shortly after the Norman Conquest, and has seen many additions and alterations over the 800 years it has been in use. In recent years it developed a bulge in the tower, one of the original Norman sections of the church, notable for the gargoyles in its corbels. The great south roof, covered in Horsham slate, also needed to be weatherproofed. English Heritage Lottery Fund put up £125,000 for the repairs, but that had to be matched by money raised by the Friends of St Anne’s, a group formed for the purpose in April 2005.

The group has since then been organising events at the church to raise the necessary money, and the latest of these is a concert by the Chantry Singers, an 11-strong Uckfield-based choir who have been performing charity concerts since 1969. “We sing anything from early church music to the Beatles,” says spokesman Clive Cooper. “For this concert we have been asked to do a light set, so expect songs from the likes of John Rutter, Paul Simon, Lennon and McCartney, Elton John and Abba.” Tonight’s guest conductor is Sue Harvey. Let’s hope the choir raises the roof. Sorry about that one. AG