The Luton Girls Choir was an English

vocal ensemble A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

that performed between 1936 and 1977, and made popular radio broadcasts and recordings between the 1940s and 1960s. It was established and directed throughout its existence by Arthur Ernest Davies (1897–1977).

History

Arthur Davies, who was an agricultural agent by trade, and a church choirmaster, formed the choir in

Luton Luton () is a town and unitary authority with borough status, in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 census, the Luton built-up area subdivision had a population of 211,228 and its built-up area, including the adjacent towns of Dunstable an ...

Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated Beds) is a ceremonial county in the East of England. The county has been administered by three unitary authorities, Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Borough of Luton, since Bedfordshire County Council wa ...

, in 1936. He was motivated by the desire to revive what he saw as the dying art of

choral singing A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

.BBC Beds, Herts and Bucks, ''Luton Girls Choir goes into print'', part 1, 2002
Retrieved 4 November 2013 Initially, the choir performed locally in and around Luton. By the end of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, they were sufficiently well-known to perform elsewhere within Britain. The girls, who were all aged between 12 and 23, were "expected to conduct themselves at all time as Ambassadors of Luton." They performed in

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...

, at the 80th birthday celebrations of Queen Mary in 1947, and at the opening ceremony of the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

and the

Royal Command Performance A Royal Command Performance is any performance by actors or musicians that occurs at the direction or request of a reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Although English monarchs have long sponsored their own theatrical companies and commis ...

in 1948. The choir became such a household name that comedians such as

Terry-Thomas Terry-Thomas (born Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens; 10 July 19118 January 1990) was an English character actor and comedian who became internationally known through his films during the 1950s and 1960s. He often portrayed disreputable members of th ...

made fun of it. ''Shop Window'': CD - Luton Girls Choir
Retrieved 4 November 2013 According to a

Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

celebration programme in 1953, the choir received some 800 membership applications each year. ''Luton Coronation Pageant Booklet'', 1953, pp.24, 28
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"Limitations were put on membership. The girls must live within five miles of Luton's Town Hall. They resign at 23 or marriage. They pay fourpence a week to be members. Their reward is the friendship of 120 other girls, the guidance of their Musical Director, the knowledge of the joy they give to their audience, and the help they bring to deserving causes. The girls are not professionals. They go to rehearsals twice a week straight from school or from the office desk or factory bench. They return after a Sunday concert, tired but happy, and after a good night's sleep go about their daily tasks as usual at nine o'clock the following morning."

They travelled to

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in 1952, and then more widely, including a successful trip to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

in 1959. BBC Beds, Herts and Bucks, ''Luton Girls Choir goes into print'', part 2, 2002
Retrieved 4 November 2013 The choir also broadcast on

BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

, and made many recordings. A charitable trust was established on behalf of the choir, and during its existence it raised over £100,000 for charities. Arthur Davies was awarded the

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for services to music, and in 1962 was profiled on the TV programme ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

''. He became too ill to remain as Musical Director in 1976, and after his death the following year it was decided that the choir should not continue. The choir gave its final performance at a tribute concert for Arthur Davies on 5 November 1977. Luton Girls Choir, ''Music You Know and Love'', Concert programme, 5 November 1977
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References

{{authority control English choirs Culture in Luton