Tony Plytas, who became chairman at the Singers' annual meeting, said: "I don't come in with any modernising agenda. I just want people to enjoy singing - and that's what we do.

"But something I do want to do is to encourage younger singers into the choir. We have the university here and we have a few youngsters that stay with us while they are in Chichester, and then they go off."

Tony is looking to secure young blood on a more permanent basis.

"Recruitment can be a bit difficult. It is just not something that is on the radar for a lot of younger people. But when we occasionally have one in, they are very often pleasantly surprised."

The fun is it is a team activity: "It's about being part of a group of people that are working towards producing a good concert at the end of it."

Tony takes over at a good time for the Singers, on the back of a string of successful concerts: "My job isn't to interfere on the musical side, though. It's really an administrative team coach kind of function, trying to make sure the machinery works well -- which it does."

One challenge ahead will be to investigate whether the Chichester Singers can regain their annual Saturday night slot in the Chichester Festivities. They lost the slot last year, but then played to a full-house this year.

The stumbling block is the Singers' insistence they have a Saturday night - something the Festivities no longer felt able to guarantee them.

"There has been discussion. The line I have to take is the line that has already been taken, which is to make the point we are an amateur choir so we can really only do Saturdays, because that's the only day we can do an orchestral rehearsal in the afternoon. The cathedral cannot accommodate us for a big concert on a Sunday."

Tony's feeling is the Chichester Singers certainly should have a secure place in the Festivities: "It is certainly very disappointing, but I am sure we will attempt to talk to the Festivities again."



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