History of the Choir

Basing Singers is a mixed, four-part choir with around forty members. The choir has evolved over the years and is now very different from when it first started.

The choir was formed in 1968 by Mavis Lloyd, who is now our accompanist. At first it was a ladies' choir, and all the founding members also belonged to the Young Wives group of St Mary's Parish Church, Old Basing. A few of the founder members still sing with us.

In the early years the choir sang at events in the village and regularly entered local music festivals.

In the late 1970's the choir decided to extend its repertoire by inviting some male singers to join with them for some items at the village concert. This proved to be a popular step, both from the choir members' viewpoint and in the eyes of their audiences. Soon these guest tenor and bass voices had become full members of Basing Singers, and the ladies' choir changed into a mixed choir.

In the early 1990’s the choir had two conductors, who alternated concerts – Mavis Lloyd and Una Needham. However, in 1994 the choir found itself having to find a new conductor, and Stuart Hicken became the Musical Director of Basing Singers. Stuart is a local schoolteacher with considerable experience as a choral conductor.

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