History of the Three Spires Singers

The Three Spires Singers was formed by Richard Hickox to be the chorus for the Three Spires Festival, an ambitious programme of musical events that took place in Truro Cathedral annually from 1981 to 1996.

Mylor Church

The Mylor Festival, held in that ancient village church in the 1970s, was the brainchild of the late Albert Sinfield (universally known as Sin), a man of prodigious energy and vision. It often involved Roger Norrington as conductor, and grew to a five-day event involving international musicians as well as local teachers and children, attracting visitors from far and wide.

Truro Cathedral

The church at Mylor could not contain the crowds and a larger venue had to be found; the obvious choice was Truro Cathedral. In June 1981 the first Three Spires Festival took place under the direction of the late Richard Hickox, already an internationally known conductor.

The Chorus

A Festival chorus was formed by Richard Hickox, consisting largely of singers who had previously sung at Mylor. He chose some seventy singers following auditions, and the Three Spires Festival Singers were soon meeting on Monday nights at a local school. Paul Daniel, chorus master at English National Opera, came from London once a month, and Martin Hall, a local choir trainer, prepared the chorus for the summer concerts and a Christmas concert to keep interest alive between Festivals.

Three Spires Festival

The Festival programme became ever more ambitious; by 1991 it had become a 16-day event. The long list of international artists Sin and Richard succeeded in luring to Truro included Ashkenazy, Menuhin and Tortelier. Professional orchestras were used in his passion for excellence Sin was resolutely against local instrumental groups. So the London Symphony Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic came to Cornwall to perform in the Festival. Other national and international groups of musicians and soloists played and sang, and some of the performances involving the chorus were broadcast on Radio 3.

Three Spires Singers and Orchestra

For financial and political reasons, the chorus became independent of the Festival in 1987 and took the name Three Spires Singers. Its own orchestra was formed by David Briggs, the first local Music Director: the musicians were local people from the far South West, and they have often equalled their national counterparts in quality and excellence.