ABOUT US
The choir was originally formed in 2002 by Alistair MacKenzie as the King Edward and Queen Mary Singers whilst he was Director of Music at the school in Lytham St Annes. He gave an open invitation to staff, parents and friends to come and enjoy singing together. From there the choir quickly grew, performing both at school events and on other occasions.
After Alistair left to work at Bolton School, the new Director of Music, John Pennington, took over the baton for several years. Following the merger of KEQMS with Arnold School to form AKS, John Pennington moved to a new job in Gloucester and the choir decided to become fully independent.
The choir was renamed The Lidun Singers and was fortunate to once again come under the direction of Alistair MacKenzie.
The name Lidun (pronounced Lie-dun) is taken from the original name for Lytham as recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086.
The choir meets to rehearse on Wednesday evenings at St Annes Parish Church and performs a wide repertoire of music at several concerts each year.
Musical Director - Alistair MacKenzie
Alistair MacKenzie hails from the Wirral and was born in 1960; his first appointment was that of organist and choirmaster of a local church at the age of 14. He is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music where he studied organ, piano, harpsichord and choral conducting and has studied with Dr. Francis Jackson OBE and Dame Gilliam Weir for whom he has also performed in master classes. His post-graduate study was at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music where he was awarded a major scholarship in organ studies and became Sub-Organist at Glasgow Cathedral.
Alistair has performed in many cathedrals, churches and concert halls throughout Great Britain, directed courses for the Royal School of Church Music, adjudicated for and performed in local and national music festivals and conducted choirs in Austria, the Czech Republic, France and Germany. His recordings and broadcasts include those for the BBC, national and local radio and television.
Following a lengthy career in education at independent schools across the UK, along with a busy schedule as conductor, organist and pianist, he is Organist at St. Annes Parish Church, teaches music at Heyhouses C of E School, and is Musical Director of Fleetwood and District Choral Society and The Lidun Singers.
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