About the choir
The Rowland Singers are based in Worthing, West Sussex, UK. We are a member of the National Association of Choirs.
There are sixty+ singers in the choir, which was founded in November 1969 by Paul and Jacky Emery. The following year we performed our first carol concert in the Assembly Hall, Worthing. We are now under the baton of Helen Emery and continue to go from strength to strength. We enjoy singing a variety of repertoire and there's always something for everyone. We sing carols at Christmas and everything from Mozart to Queen! The Rowland Singers have been on several tours, both in England and abroad.
Rehearsals
We rehearse on Wednesday evenings at Goring United Reformed Church Hall, opposite the Worthing Leisure Centre in Goring-by-Sea. Rehearsals normally run from 7:30 to 9:45 with a break for light refreshments at half-time.
New Members are always welcome, especially tenors and basses! We are a very friendly group, and will make you feel at home. You don’t need to be able to read music as we teach all of the parts. You just need to be able to sing in tune. There is no formal audition to join the choir however you will be asked to sing a simple voice test to assess your vocal range.
Please contact Helen via the contact tab above for more information.
There are sixty+ singers in the choir, which was founded in November 1969 by Paul and Jacky Emery. The following year we performed our first carol concert in the Assembly Hall, Worthing. We are now under the baton of Helen Emery and continue to go from strength to strength. We enjoy singing a variety of repertoire and there's always something for everyone. We sing carols at Christmas and everything from Mozart to Queen! The Rowland Singers have been on several tours, both in England and abroad.
Rehearsals
We rehearse on Wednesday evenings at Goring United Reformed Church Hall, opposite the Worthing Leisure Centre in Goring-by-Sea. Rehearsals normally run from 7:30 to 9:45 with a break for light refreshments at half-time.
New Members are always welcome, especially tenors and basses! We are a very friendly group, and will make you feel at home. You don’t need to be able to read music as we teach all of the parts. You just need to be able to sing in tune. There is no formal audition to join the choir however you will be asked to sing a simple voice test to assess your vocal range.
Please contact Helen via the contact tab above for more information.
Helen Emery - Musical Director/Conductor
Helen began piano lessons at the age of five and oboe at age ten. She achieved grade 8 distinctions in piano, oboe and music theory. Helen also achieved her Advanced Certificate in piano performance. A student of Boundstone Community College, Helen took A levels in French, English and Music specialising in performance. She regularly played in school assemblies both as a soloist (most notably performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto) and also accompanying her peers. She went on to study for a degree in music at Surrey University, Guildford. She also holds the Certificate of Teaching from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
An accomplished pianist and oboist she has been musical director for several local amateur dramatic societies including productions of Sweeney Todd, Honk!, The Merry Widow, Joseph and Annie Get Your Gun. Helen teaches the piano and enjoys passing on her knowledge and experience to her students. With her wife Beth they run The Emery Academy of music, Beth teaches singing, and they work collectively on group ensembles for the local festival and performances. Helen is the Chairman of Worthing Music and Arts Festival which takes place every year. Helen is also Chairman of the Thames South Group for the National Association of Choirs. Helen enjoys accompanying for exams and concerts and encourages her students to perform very frequently at different events. Helen also runs a ladies vocal group called The Emery Ensemble. She is delighted to be conducting the Rowland Singers this evening and is very proud of being the musical director for such a lovely choir.
An accomplished pianist and oboist she has been musical director for several local amateur dramatic societies including productions of Sweeney Todd, Honk!, The Merry Widow, Joseph and Annie Get Your Gun. Helen teaches the piano and enjoys passing on her knowledge and experience to her students. With her wife Beth they run The Emery Academy of music, Beth teaches singing, and they work collectively on group ensembles for the local festival and performances. Helen is the Chairman of Worthing Music and Arts Festival which takes place every year. Helen is also Chairman of the Thames South Group for the National Association of Choirs. Helen enjoys accompanying for exams and concerts and encourages her students to perform very frequently at different events. Helen also runs a ladies vocal group called The Emery Ensemble. She is delighted to be conducting the Rowland Singers this evening and is very proud of being the musical director for such a lovely choir.
Kathryn Kay - Accompanist
Kathryn started playing the piano at the age of three before adding violin and viola to her studies and went on to read music at the University of Birmingham. Interested in teaching, she went on to complete a PGCE with Specialist String Teaching and a post-graduate diploma in performance on the viola at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. Here she undertook training in the Dalcroze and Kodály methods of music education and these have influenced her playing and teaching since.
Before having children, she was the Byron House Director of Music at St. John’s College School in Cambridge. She devised, implemented and directed the successful community music project in Cambridge, Stringmoves, which combines Dalcroze and string teaching.
Since moving to Worthing, she has become the Dalcroze Eurhythmics teacher for the Royal College of Music in London where she teaches at the Junior Department on Saturdays and conducts the Junior Choir. She is an artist practitioner for the Voices Foundation charity, developing singing programmes with primary schools, empowering teachers and helping enable every child to find their voice.
She teaches piano at home, runs music workshops for teachers, and enjoys accompanying. She is delighted to have worked with the Rowland Singers for twelve years. She loves cycling, the south downs, and she can juggle!
Before having children, she was the Byron House Director of Music at St. John’s College School in Cambridge. She devised, implemented and directed the successful community music project in Cambridge, Stringmoves, which combines Dalcroze and string teaching.
Since moving to Worthing, she has become the Dalcroze Eurhythmics teacher for the Royal College of Music in London where she teaches at the Junior Department on Saturdays and conducts the Junior Choir. She is an artist practitioner for the Voices Foundation charity, developing singing programmes with primary schools, empowering teachers and helping enable every child to find their voice.
She teaches piano at home, runs music workshops for teachers, and enjoys accompanying. She is delighted to have worked with the Rowland Singers for twelve years. She loves cycling, the south downs, and she can juggle!
Jacky Hetherington - Hon. Life President
Jacky studied music teaching at Goldsmith’s College, London University and graduated from Trinity College, London with a Diploma in the Art of Recorder Playing. She taught in London for several years and was also a member of the Royal Choral Society under the direction of the late Sir Malcolm Sargent. She then moved to Worthing in 1969 and was the co-founder of the Rowland Singers.
