ONE of the area’s longest-serving choirmasters, Philip Honnor, will be conducting Huddersfield Singers for the last time tomorrow evening at the group’s annual winter concert.
Philip will be stepping down after 23 years as musical director of the singers. He has an illustrious history in the world of music.
A former lecturer in music at Huddersfield Technical College, where he led a choir and chamber choir; and a past head of music at New College, he was also well known as a jazz pianist and accompanied many of Britain’s finest players, including Bobby Wellins, Peter King and Guy Barker.
His first degree in music was attained at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and it was during his studies for a second degree in composition at the University of York that he became a member of the famed Minster choir.
Tomorrow at the St Paul’s Hall concert venue, Huddersfield University, he will be conducting a concert of early music - from Purcell, Mozart, Handel, John Travers and Bach.
The choir, which has around 30 members, will be accompanied by Sue Ogden on the piano and Kenneth Mitchell, who will lead a baroque ensemble.
Huddersfield Singers was founded in 1875 as the Huddersfield Glee and Madrigal Society and is renowned for its adventurous repertoire from all musical periods.
Jonathan Brigg, a PhD student at the University of York will be leading the choir from 2013.
Tickets for the winter concert are £11 (£10 concession) and £3.50 for students and can be reserved by calling 07802 804408 or emailing denis-murphy@btconnect.com.
Concertgoers can also pay on the door.
