In 2009 Benedict Preece was invited to become the organist of Wickhambreaux and Ickham churches in East Kent, which shared a small choir. In 2010, before Benedict left the post of organist to take up studies in London, a larger choir was formed to perform the Fauré Requiem. And this was the start of East Bridge Chorale.

That first performance of Fauré’s Requiem, on 20 August, 2010, in Ickham church, was directed by Benedict, with organ accompaniment by Dr. David Flood. It was a huge success and as a result of the concert the choir was invited to appear on BBC South East Today.

In 2025, we are celebrating our fifteenth anniversary, we have around 120 registered members and between 80–100 active singers. Members are primarily drawn from Canterbury and the surrounding villages, but some travel from as far away as Dover and Deal on the East Kent coast and Whitstable and Herne Bay to the north!

While we are an amateur, non-auditioned, choir, we are fortunate to work with outstanding professional musicians, at our  rehearsals and concerts. We perform five times a year in varying venues in East Kent. These range from village churches to St Mary’s Art Centre in Sandwich and the world-class Colyer- Fergusson Concert Hall at Canterbury University.

Our main concert is at the beginning of September so that people who want to keep singing through August can join us from other choral societies which do not rehearse then.

We generally have ten rehearsals ahead of each concert, and these are held on Friday evenings from 7.30pm–9.30pm, at Littlebourne Village Hall, CT3 1ST. This is a spacious room with plenty of free parking.

We warmly welcome new members, and no auditions are required, so why not come and try us out? We encourage potential new members to come and sing with us for a few weeks before making a commitment. Read more about how to join here.

The Joy of Singing