The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The London and Southampton Railway was first proposed in 1831 and the bill approved by Parliament in 1834 at a cost of £900,000. The section between Basingstoke and Winchester opened on 11 May 1840 – and was the final part of the London and Southampton Railway to be completed. Prior to its construction, all of the traffic between London and Southampton was carried by eight stage coaches, four wagons per week, and one barge weekly on the Basingstoke Canal!
The Dever Singers are recruiting
The Dever Singers are a well-established choir, with members from the Dever Valley area and beyond. Everybody who enjoys singing is welcome, with no need for auditions or an ability to read music although that is always a bonus.
We aim to provide an opportunity to SING alongside others in a friendly atmosphere, under the guidance of our musical director, Ben Cooper, learning to blend our voices and extend our musical skills but also, through our concerts, to share our achievements and enjoyment with those in our community.
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Our repertoire varies widely from classical choral works, sometimes performed with other choirs, to lighter programmes involving popular songs or showtunes. In 2025 we explored a variety of Operatic choruses and are currently preparing a folk-song themed programme for our summer concerts this year. Each Autumn we look forward to adding several new carols and seasonal songs to old favourites for our Christmas concerts.
We rehearse weekly on Thursday evenings during term-time and offer at least two pairs of concerts each year at South Wonston and Micheldever churches, who generously provide us with the venues for our rehearsals and performances. Whilst our concerts have free admission to allow access for all, we do provide the audience with an opportunity afterwards to leave a donation in support of the church.
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Costs such as the hire of fresh music and our musical director and concert accompanist’s fees are covered by subscriptions from the choir members. However, we always recommend new members attend a few rehearsals first, to see how they feel, before committing to join. We are always looking to recruit new members, both men and women, to join the fun and swell our sound, so PLEASE come yourself or pass this invite on to others.
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Summer term 2026 rehearsals:
Thursday 16th April-18th June at 8-10 pm
at St Mary’s church,
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No rehearsal 28th May (half term)
Autumn term rehearsals restart 3rd September