I blame my mother. Knowing that I had in the past enjoyed singing madrigals and belonged to various groups at various times, she presented me, at Christmas 1991, with The Penguin Book of English Madrigals for Four Voices, hoping, and expecting, me to put it to good use. A kind thought but not easy to sing all four parts by yourself At another choirs rehearsal, and ignoring the fact that I was supposed to be concentrating on learning the Mozart Requiem, I suggested, sotto voce of course, to my fellow alto and good friend, Maggie Snook, that perhaps a few of us could get together and sing some madrigals for fun on an ad hoc basis, utilising my new book. The response was more than enthusiastic Lets form a choir, she said and without further ado we planned and plotted, that evening, the beginnings of Felicitas We gave our inaugural concert in August 1992 in Chingford, London, E4. Since then, Felicitas has performed many times in North and East London, Essex, Hertfordshire and Suffolk. Originally formed to sing a cappella music from the 16th and 17th centuries, both sacred and secular, the choir has extended its repertoire to include a wide range of works, accompanied and unaccompanied, from the late mediaeval period to the 20th century.

Address: 184 Selwyn Avenue, Highams Park, E4 9NE.
Telephone: 020 8527 5978
Website: http://www.felicitas.org.uk/