Per Piacere

Romantic, Classical and Baroque Music

Players and Choir

Paul Ingram – Conductor

Paul Ingram studied at the Universities of Southampton and Leicester, reading Music and Management respectively.

He began conducting in 1995, working with the Southampton University Symphony, Pre-Term and Chamber Orchestras.

In 1997, Paul founded the Southampton University Sinfonietta and remained Music Director until 2004. Paul has also worked with Essex Youth Orchestra, Young Sinfonia, Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra, COMA South, Showstoppers and the City of Southampton Orchestra. In 1999, he reached the final of the British Reserve Insurance Conducting Competition.

As well as conducting Per Piacere, Paul also conducts the Southampton Concert Orchestra as well as several musical marathon events for Comic Relief.

Per Piacere Chamber Orchestra

Our name means ‘for pleasure’ in Italian.  We chose this when we began making music together in 2007 with just string players, and focusing on early Italian music. 

Since then, the orchestra and its repertoire have grown, with a focus on music from the late 18th and early 19th century, known as the Classical Period.  We also perform works from the earlier Baroque and later Romantic periods.  Recently, we have been venturing into 20th century music as the orchestra continues to gain strength.

We are delighted to celebrate our Tenth Anniversary in 2017 and hope you join us at one or more of our concerts which promise an entertaining and diverse programme of music.

Romsey Choral Society

Established in 1981, Romsey Choral Society numbers about 80 singers – drawn from the local area and as far afield as West Sussex, Wiltshire and Dorset – and presents four concerts each year, two of which are in the historic surroundings of Romsey Abbey.  The Society is now widely recognised as one of Hampshire’s most interesting and vibrant choral groups, having programmed a wide range of music, with everything from plainchant to jazz.

From time to time, the choir joins forces with other groups to mount large-scale works. Notable concerts have included Bach’s St Matthew and St John Passion (with Romsey Singers), Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius (with Nantwich Choral Society in Romsey Abbey and Chester Cathedral) and Verdi’s Requiem (with Guildford–based Vivace Chorus in Guildford Cathedral).  In 2011 the choir teamed up again with Vivace Chorus and also the London Chorus, the London Symphony Chorus and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to perform Mahler’s 8th Symphony in the Royal Albert Hall.

Recent milestones for RCS include a highly successful joint concert with the BBC Singers in London in April 2013 and a collaborative venture with the South Holland Chamber Choir and two world premiere concerts in Romsey Abbey during November 2014.  In October 2015, RCS joined their Dutch colleagues once more for a ground-breaking ‘3 nations’ concert series in Krakow, Poland.