Penn Singers
Penn Singers is a friendly, 70 members, mixed voice choir based at Penn United Reformed Church.
As a choir it has a wide range of repertoire and this includes for example – gospel, sacred, folk, classical, pop, contemporary and songs from theatre and films.
Ben, our Musical Director, creates an atmosphere where mistakes can be made without stress and he has a pleasant way of helping you correct those mistakes. Yes we work hard and we are challenged but rehearsals are rewarding and fun! Ben through his eye contact, facial expression and body language give us all confidence to achieve a lovely warm sound with an expressive understanding of what we are singing in items of emotion, diction and dynamics. We are so lucky to have Ben and our accompanist Martin. They have a wonderful harmonious working relationship and the choir certainly benefits from that.
We rehearse on a Monday evening, 7-30pm to 9.30pm during term time at Penn United Reformed Church, Penn Road, Wolverhampton, WV4 5QF. The choir is a member of the National Association of Choirs (NAC) and is a Registered Charity.
Musical Director - Ben Batt
Ben has been Musical Director at Penn Singers since 2019,k and he finds great enjoyment in
working with such enthusiastic and talented choristers, They are always ready for the
challenge of a new repertoire, and work hard to give shape and meaning to each
performance.
Outside of the choir, he offers private tuition in Piano, Vocals, and Music Theory, supporting
students of all ages and abilities - from complete beginners to advanced musicians
preparing for exams, auditions, or performances. He also provides expert guidance for all
areas of GCSE and A Level Music, helping students build confidence and achieve their best.
As an arranger and composer, Ben enjoys creating music for choirs and ensembles and
media projects, and has a growing selection of arrangements published at
sheetmusicplus.com. He performs and accompanies too, whether it's playing for weddings,
recitals, exams, or musicals. Alongside the Penn Singers, Ben has worked as a Musical
Director for a number of local theatre groups and choirs, currently StarCross Youth Theatre
Company at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton.
When not music-making, he is also a qualified Personal Trainer, specialising in chronic
conditions and low back pain, along general fitness and nutrition.
Ben wishes you all a Joyful and Peaceful Christmas season.
Accompanist Martin Fox
Martin became our accompanist pre-covid and he has brought with him a range of
experience to Penn Singers.
Until recently he was the keyboard player with Maet Live, a Meat Loaf tribute band and
prior to that he worked as keyboard player and vocalist for ‘Out of the Shadows’ – a band
playing music by Cliff Richards, ‘The Shadows’ and other 60’s artists. He has been music
co-ordinator for St Joseph’s Church, Merry Hill and he has also acted as accompanist for
various choirs and theatre groups over the years, as well as playing for candidates in their
musical examinations.
Martin is currently the accompanist for the ‘Much Wenlock Male Voice Choir’. He has also
been recently appointed as Organist and Choir Leader at St. Chad’s Church in Pattingham,
a new challenge for him.
Penn Singers look forward to a continuing association with him.