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  The Collati Singers
The Collati Singers
Photo: Andrew Lester
Collati is a chamber choir conducted by Trefor Farrow, which rehearses in Bittaford near Ivybridge. The choir’s name comes from the Latin word collati (col-lah-tee) which means bringing together, as in 'to collate'. Trefor and his wife Gillian (soprano) set the choir up in 2013. We sing challenging unaccompanied music from the Renaissance and Baroque periods, as well as more recent works by twentieth and twenty-first century composers. The choir has now grown to a membership of around 30. 

​We always welcome enquiries from experienced choral singers. Rather than doing formal auditions we invite potential members to come along to rehearsals for a few weeks to try us out. Please see the info for members page and do contact us if interested. We are a friendly and welcoming choir, and aspire to a high standard of performance! We are currently recruiting in the BASS section - please contact us for more details.

NEXT CONCERT: Saturday 12th July 2025, St Andrew's Church, Ashburton, 7:30pm - to include Rutter's Magnificat, Bach's Singet den Herrn, Harris' Faire is the Heaven and other accompanied works.  Ticket info to be released soon - please check back here!

Audience feedback:                                                                                                         
"... this choir is great - almost as good as The Sixteen!'
 
“...I don’t know what it is, but you just have a little bit of magic about you!"                                                       * Request to go on our mailing list here
"...Precision of tuning and timing used perfectly to convey beauty and emotion."

​
[email protected]                                              www.facebook.com/collatisingers                                  07900 553077 (Gillian) / 07713 087994 (Trefor)   

Concerts to come in 2025


date
venue
programme

Saturday 12th July 2025
St Andrew’s Church, West Street, Ashburton TQ13 7JQ, 7:30pm.

​ 
Ticket information to follow shortly - please check back!
Programme to include:
Magnificat - Rutter *
Singet dem Herrn - Bach
Faire is the Heaven - Harris
and other unaccompanied works

​* accompanied by Robin Stubbs, organ


Saturday 25th October 2025
Buckfast Abbey, 7:30pm
Programme to include:
James Whitbourn's
 Son of God Mass *
Dom Sebastian Wolff’s Missa Brevis
Palestrina's Stabat Mater

* Andy Williamson - soprano sax
* David Davis - organ

Saturday 13th Dec 2025
Venue provisionally St Mary’s, Totnes if renovations completed, 7:30pm (TBC)

(The DATE of this concert is definite, however!)
Unaccompanied Christmas concert, programme TBC


PREVIOUS CONCERTS

Concerts in 2025
venue
programme
Concerts in 2024


Saturday 10th May 2025
​Buckfast Abbey, 7:30pm

Tickets £15 online from Buckfast Abbey website,
from Buckfast Abbey Visitor Centre
or on the door on the night
An unaccompanied concert of choral music from medieval times to the present day, including works by Hildegard of Bingen, Tallis, Byrd, Victoria and Monteverdi, alongside modern composers such as Eric Whitacre, James MacMillan and M.J. Trotta
​​
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COLLATI  ANTHEM AND MOTETS
Saturday May 10th 2025, Buckfast Abbey 


Ave, Generosa                     Hildegard of Bingen                 
Cedit Hyems Eminus          from Piae Cantiones                         
Alleluia                                 from Piae Cantiones                       
Gaudete                                from Piae Cantiones                           
If Ye Love Me                        Tallis                                         
Haec Dies                              Byrd                                                  
Ave Virgo Sanctissima        Guerrero                                         
O Quam Gloriosam              Victoria                                  
Selig Sind die Toten             Schütz                                            
Cantate Domino                   Monteverdi                              
I  N  T  E  R  V  A  L
Faire is the Heaven             Harris                                            
Justorum Animae                 Stanford                                           
Hymn to St Cecelia              Britten                                                 
Seal Lullaby                          Whitacre                                   
All Seems Beautiful             Whitacre                                     
Surge Illuminare                  Trotta                                                    
Ave Maris Stella                   MacMillan                        
Sleep                                      Whitacre                                                               


​Saturday 14th December 2024
St Mary’s Church, High Street, Totnes 7:30pm

​Tickets £15/ £10 'Pay As You Feel', under 16s free
Christmas concert: a selection of accompanied and unaccompanied seasonal pieces old and new, including:
Gloria - Bach
On Christmas Night - Chilcott
Whitbourn - Winter's Wait
Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars - Dove
Todd - Softly and O Lux Beata
plus a selection of seasonal motets and carols
​- accompanied by Andrew Millington, organ
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Saturday 19th October 2024
​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm

Tickets £15 from Buckfast Abbey website, Visitor Centre or on the door.​
​Te Deum - Britten *
Missa Ascendo ad Patrem - Palestrina 
In this place - Todd
Salvator Mundi - Tallis
They Will Rise  - Dove *
Gloria - Poulenc *
* accompanied by Peter King, organ​
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Sunday 18th August 2024
Plympton St Maurice Church, 3pm

Tickets £10 to include tea and cake / a cream tea.
To reserve tickets email [email protected] 
​A concert of light choral music.
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Saturday 4th May 2024
​ Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm

Tickets from Buckfast Abbey website or on the door.​
​Veni Sponsa Christe - Palestrina (unaccompanied)
Give us the Wings of Faith - Whitbourn
Missa Brevis - MacMillan (unaccompanied)
Singet dem Herrn - Bach
Magnificat - Rutter, accompanied by Peter King, organ​
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Concerts in 2023
venue
programme

Saturday 16th December 2023
St Mary's Church, High Street, Totnes TQ9 5NN
7.30pm

Tickets £10 on the door on the night.
​A Christmas Concert - Trefor Farrow - director, Andrew Millington - organ.

Excerpts from Handel's Messiah and Bach's Cantata Wachet Auf alongside familiar and new seasonal music. 
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Saturday 14th October 2023 - A celebration of 10 years of The Collati Singers
​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm

Tickets £15 from Buckfast Abbey website or on the door.​
Palestrina: Stabat Mater, Byrd: Teach me, O Lord,   Rachmaninov: Cherubic hymn, Bruckner: Locus iste, Whitacre: All seems beautiful to me, Palestrina: Ascendo ad patrem.

Rachmaninov: Come, let us worship, Rachmaninov: Bogoroditsye, Todd: Vidi speciosam, Byrd: Sing joyfully, Lukeszewski: Cantate domino,   ​         
Gjeilo: Ubi caritas, Bach: Lobet denn Herrn              
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Sunday 13th August 2023 - a summer concert with cream tea
Plympton St Maurice Church, 3pm

Tickets £10 - including a cream tea! 
​A relaxed concert of familiar sacred music plus lighter songs in a jazz style. The second half of the concert will be in the church hall accompanied by a cream tea.
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Saturday 29th April 2023
​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm

Tickets £15 from Buckfast Abbey website or on the door.​
The programme included one Requiem by 16th century composer Victoria and another Requiem by Bob Chilcott, alongside two shorter, uplifting pieces: Eriks Esenvalds' arrangement of Amazing Grace and a recently composed anthem by Jonathan Dove ​They Will Rise.

Soprano solo (Victoria): Fee Machen
Soprano solo (Esenvalds): Janet Hooper
Soprano solo (Chilcott): Alison Naftalin
Tenor solo (Chilcott): Jonathan Woods

​Organ: Peter King
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Concerts in 2022
venue
programme

Sunday 11th Dec​ 2022, Christmas concert ​
Stoke Damerel Church, Paradise Road, Devonport, Plymouth PL1 5QL, NB at 3pm
​
Part of Jeanie Moore's 28th International Concert series 2022, all tickets £10 cash on the door (no cards) or book here.
This Collati Singers’ Christmas concert included music composed to celebrate the festive season throughout the ages. It journeyed from Hildegard of Bingen (12th century), through Byrd and Palestrina (16–17th centuries) to Bach and Handel (18th century), and onwards to the wealth of music composed in the 20th–21st centuries, including Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols and more recent settings by modern composers.
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Saturday 5th November 2022
​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm

Tickets £15 from Buckfast Abbey website or on the door.
Programme included two works by Jonathan Dove, his Missa Brevis and Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars, both accompanied by Peter King on organ, plus Byrd's unaccompanied Mass for Five Voices and other pieces by Tallis, Gibbons, Parry and Todd.
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Saturday 14th May 2022 - COLLATI SINGERS
St Mary's Church, High Street, Totnes TQ9 5NN
7.30pm 
​
Tickets £12 (£10 early bird) with online booking. Also available on the door.
Programme included Bach's Gloria (Cantata 191) accompanied by Peter King on organ.  Also Owain Park's Five Shakespeare Songs and Richard Rodney Bennett’s Missa Brevis, and pieces by Will Todd and Pawel Lukaszewski.
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Sunday 3rd April 2022 - THE DAMEREL BELLES
​Bittaford Methodist Chapel, 3pm

FREE entry, with retiring donations invited 
- in aid of the chapel maintenance fund
​A varied programme of classical and light music for women's voices in 3 and 4 part harmony, accompanied and directed by Trefor Farrow.
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Concerts in 2021
venue
programme

Sunday 12th December 2021
Stoke Damerel Church, Paradise Road, Devonport, Plymouth PL1 5QL, 3pm
​

FREE ENTRY - retiring donations invited.
 A varied programme including Christmas motets, some seasonal settings and a selection of lighter carols. The Damerel Belles women’s singers (made up mainly of Collati members) also did two short sets. All conducted by Trefor Farrow.
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Saturday 6th November 2021
Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm

​Tickets £15 from Buckfast Abbey website www.buckfast.org.uk/boxoffice, from Buckfast Abbey gift shop, or from the Abbey stewards on the door on the evening of the concert.
​Unaccompanied and accompanied choral works by composers ranging from the 16th to 21st centuries, plus Rutter's Gloria with organ and percussion accompaniment.
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VIRTUAL COLLATI RECORDINGS - four recordings made during covid19 lockdowns - click here to see our video page

Saturday 17th April 2021- CANCELLED due to covid19
​​​​​​St Mary's Church, High Street, Totnes TQ9 5NN
7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​​
Programme was to be confirmed.


Concerts in 2020
venue
programme

Sunday 13th December 2020, 3pm, 2020 - CANCELLED due to covid19
​St Mary's Church, Totnes, TQ9 5NN 3pm!!
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​​​
​Christmas concert - ​programme was to be confirmed.

Saturday 14th November 2020 - CANCELLED
by Buckfast Abbey due to covid19
​​​​​​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm
​
Tickets £10. These can be bought online through the Abbey website www.buckfast.org.uk, from the Abbey gift shop, or from the Abbey stewards on the door on the evening of the concert, if there are any remaining.
​Excerpts from Rachmaninov Vespers, anthems by Byrd; Dove’s Seek Him that Maketh the Seven Stars and Rutter’s Gloria, both accompanied by Peter King (organ).

Saturday 18th July 2020 - CANCELLED 
due to covid19
St James's Church, Christow EX6 7LZ
7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​​​
​A concert of light music including selections from Jenkins - Motets, selections from By Popular Request (arrangements of well known songs in a light jazz idiom) plus a few Church anthems ancient and modern.

Saturday 25th April 2020 - CANCELLED          due to covid19
​St Petroc's Church, South Brent TQ10 9AG
7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​​
​Les Chansons des Roses - Morten Lauridsen
Shakespeare Love Songs - Owain Park
Five Anthems - Henry Purcell
​Four Sacred Part Songs - Felix Mendelssohn


​PREVIOUS CONCERTS
2014 – 2019
venue
programme

Sunday 15th December 2019
St Andrew's Church, Ashburton TQ13 7DT​
Christmas Concert 3pm.
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​​​​
Seasonal music including 16th century motets by Palestrina and Victoria, alongside modern pieces by Chilcott and Rutter amongst others. In addition The Damerel Belles will perform Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols (SSA), with harp accompaniment by Emma Graham, all conducted by Trefor Farrow.
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Saturday 2nd November 2019 ​
Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm

​Tickets £10 from Buckfast Abbey website www.buckfast.org.uk, from Buckfast Abbey gift shop, or from the Abbey stewards on the door on the evening of the concert.
Bernstein - Chichester Psalms
Palestrina - Missa Brevis
and pieces by Rachmaninov and Esenvalds. Organ: Peter King, harp: Emma Graham, percussion: Shan Chana.

Many thanks to the Bryan Foster Charitable Trust for their support for this concert.
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Saturday 13th July 2019
​Plympton St Maurice Church, PL7 1NH
7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​
Rutter's Birthday Madrigals and a selection of English anthems, plus lighter music including motets by Karl Jenkins and some jazz standards. ​Solos by Fee Machen, Janet Hooper, Clare Lash-Williams and Gillian Webster.
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Saturday 11th May 2019
St Andrew's Church, Ashburton, TQ13 7DT 7.30pm
​The Damerel Belles women's ensemble, conducted by Trefor Farrow, performed as part of the second Ashburton Choirs Festival 2019 
Tickets £6 (£2 under 15) from choir members, from Ashburton Information Centre or on the door.
​The programme included a mixture of classical and lighter genres, including pieces by Purcell and Willcox, and ending with a performance of 'Jazz Songs of Innocence', five poems by William Blake (1757-1827) set to music by Bob Chilcott (b. 1955).
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​​The Ashburton Choir's Festival is non-competitive. The Damerel Belles performed in the first half of the concert, whilst the second half of the evening featured The Big Noise Chorus.

Saturday 6th April 2019
​​​St Mary's Church, High Street, Totnes TQ9 5NN
7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​​

English Renaissance and early Baroque motets:
by Gibbons, Byrd, Parsons, Tomkins, Purcell and Tallis, contrasted with modern pieces:
Lukaszweski – Like As the Waves and Two Lenten Motets
Esenvalds – Only In Sleep and O Salutaris Hostia ​(soprano soloists Fee Machen & Janet Hooper)
Todd – Vidi Speciosam
Rutter – Hymn to the Creator of Light
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Saturday 24th November 2018
​​​​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm. 
​
Tickets £10. These can be bought online through the Abbey website www.buckfast.org.uk, from the Abbey gift shop, or from the Abbey stewards on the door on the evening of the concert, if there are any remaining.
​Featuring Goodall's stunning Eternal Light Requiem with tenor soloist Matthew Oakes and soprano soloists Teresa Stubbs and Gillian Webster, accompanied by acclaimed organist Peter King, alongside unaccompanied baroque and Renaissance motets.
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Saturday 14th July 2018
​St Bartholomew's Church, Yealmpton PL8 2HG
​7.30pm
​Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​
​Programme based on choral settings of the words of Shakespeare, to include:
O Mistress Mine Murrrill 
Three Shakespeare Songs Vaughan Williams
Silence and Music Vaughan Williams
Greensleeves Vaughan Williams
To Daffodils Farrar
Fear Ye More Tavener
It Was a Lover and His Lass Harris 
Tell Me Where is Fancy Bred Harris
PLUS
a set by the small women's ensemble
​ The Damerel Belles, also conducted by Trefor Farrow
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Saturday 5th May 2018
​​​St Mary's Church, High Street, Totnes TQ9 5NN
7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​
​Programme to include Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor; Monteverdi Dixit Dominus and Two Motets; Whitacre Water Night, Sleep and Her Sacred Spirit Soars; Gjeilo Serenity and Gorecki Totus Tuus
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16th December 2017
​

St Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0DA 
​7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.
​​​Christmas Concert - to include Bob Chilcott's On Christmas Night, Vaughan Williams' Fantasia and a selection of more familiar Christmas music.
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Saturday 18th November 2017
​​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​​
The autumn programme concert in Buckfast Abbey was Palestrina’s Stabat Mater, Taverner's Western Wynde Mass and Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna. Organ - Richard Lea.
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Saturday 17th June 2017
St John's Church, Bridgetown, Totnes, TQ9 5AJ 
​7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​
​Programme included Trois Chanson by Ravel,
A Boy and a Girl and Sleep by Eric Whitacre, a selection of arrangements of folk songs by the Kings Singers and various motets and part songs.
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Friday 19th May 2017
​Ashburton Choirs Festival: St Andrew's Church, Ashburton, TQ13 7DU 7.30pm 

​The Collati Singers are performing in the first half of this concert, which is shared with The Singers Upstairs and The Devonly Singers who will sing in the second half.
Tickets £6 available from choir members or on the door.
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Saturday 4th March 2017
​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​
​Programme included Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb
and unaccompanied ancient and modern church music (Byrd, Gibbons, Parsons, Bairstow, Walton etc). Soloists in the Britten: Clare Lash-Williams (soprano), Cheryl Stead (alto), Sue Hadow (tenor), Den Anderson (bass). Solo in Walton: Terry Ash (tenor). 
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Saturday 17th December 2016
St Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0DA 
​7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.
​​Christmas concert - Poulenc Christmas Motets and seasonal music ancient and modern. 
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Saturday 17th September 2016
​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​
Programme to include Bach Lobet den Herrn, Tye Euge Bone mass, Britten Hymn to Saint Cecilia and Richard Rodney Bennett Missa Brevis.
Soprano soloist: Clare Lash-Williams
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Saturday 16th April 2016   ​
St John's Church, Bridgetown, Totnes, TQ9 5AJ 7.30 pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​
Programme to include a selection of English 16th century madrigals and some modern light music arrangements.​ ​
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​Wednesday 16th December 2015   
St Luke's Church, Buckfastleigh, TQ11 0DA  7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.
​Christmas concert - advent and seasonal music.
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Thursday 10th December 2016                     
 ​
​St Mary's Church, Rattery, TQ10 9LD
7.30pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​
Christmas concert - advent and seasonal unaccompanied music.      ​
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Sunday 22nd November 2015          ​
St John's Church, Bridgetown, Totnes, TQ9 5AJ N.B. 3pm 
Entry free, retiring collection. 
​No tickets - just turn up.​
Howells' Requiem, Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli and motets by Jenkins, Gjeilo & Lukaszweski.        ​
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Saturday 24th October 2015                               


Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection.
No tickets - just turn up.​
​
Howells' Requiem, Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli and motets by Jenkins, Gjeilo & Lukaszweski.
​
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Saturday 4th October 2014     
​Buckfast Abbey, Buckfast TQ11 0EE ​ 
7.30pm
Entry free, retiring collection.
No tickets - just turn up.​
Byrd Mass for Four Voices, Lauridsen Lux Aeterna, Palestrina motets.
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Saturday 5th April 2014    

The first concert by the choir newly formed by Trefor and Gillian before it became The Collati Singers.
St Bartholomew's Church, Yealmpton
7.30pm
​Tickets £5 on the door or from choir members.
Richard Rodney Bennett Missa Brevis, Lauridsen Chanson des Roses, Palestrina motets, two songs by Gillian Webster sung by Clare Lash-Williams, and a selection of familiar songs in light jazz style.
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