Priory Singers is a friendly and high-quality chamber choir based in the East Neuk of Fife. Comprising between twenty and thirty singers, we welcome choristers from East Fife and St Andrews. We perform three times a year and give lively and varied programmes ranging from early classical works to contemporary compositions.

The choir with Sarah Moerman, May 2024

Our inspirational and highly experienced musical director is Sarah Moerman, who invariably makes rehearsals positive and enjoyable occasions. We rehearse weekly on a Monday night from 7.30pm in the Pittenweem Church Hall, 28 James Street, Pittenweem, KY10 2QN.

Succeeding the Pittenweem Madrigal Group, a choir of long standing in the East Neuk, the Priory Singers began life in the 1990’s. We initially rehearsed in St John’s Church and Priory, after which the choir was named. Twice a year concerts were given of religious or secular pieces, often a capella, ranging from Byrd to Ye Banks and Braes.

A love of early music, church music and madrigals, together with G & S in the early days, was maintained through a succession of wonderful musical directors, including Betty Penman, Albert Cochrane, Richard Evans, Jim Martin, Christopher Symons and Jill Craig. Then from 2015 until 2022 the amazing Walter Blair expanded the choir and broadened the repertoire to include works with a more popular appeal, which has continued.

Musical Director
Dr Sarah Moerman is currently a research fellow in the School of Divinity at St Andrews University, where she researches and lectures on music and theology. In addition to her academic work she regularly guest conducts local choral and instrumental ensembles and is a cantor at a local episcopal church.

Previously, she was a choral conductor and music teacher in Canada and the United States. She studied violin performance at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, and choral conducting at Westminster College in Princeton, New Jersey.

Sarah has prepared choirs for performances of Brahms’ Requiem with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, Handel’s Messiah with the Masterwork Chorus at Carnegie Hall in New York, and Rachmaninov’s All Night Vigil in Princeton. She has performed with renowned conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Jacques Lacombe, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Daniel Harding and Sir Roger Norrington. Prior to her move to Scotland she was assistant conductor for Masterwork Chorus, Masterwork Camerata, Westminster Community Chorus, and Westminster Chamber Ensemble, all based in New Jersey.

Committee

Beth Kennaway – Chair
David Allan – Secretary
Ian Dorward – Treasurer
David Kennedy – Librarian
Eric Priest – Member

If you are interested in joining Priory singers or trying us out, please contact our musical director Sarah Moerman (email: [email protected]), who will arrange a gentle audition.

We rehearse weekly on a Monday night from 7.30pm – 9pm (starting 23rd September 2024) in the Pittenweem Church Hall, 28 James Street, Pittenweem, KY10 2QN. If you need a ride, please contact our secretary who will help arrange one. Several of our singers travel in from St Andrews, a ride of less than 20 minutes.

For other inquiries about Priory singers please contact our secretary David Allan (email: [email protected]) (phone: 07774 647 367)