About the choir

Rivarate is a mixed choir for all ages and levels of experience. It was formed in Caversham Heights in September 2008 with a membership of just over 20 enthusiastic singers. It did not take long for word to spread and within a year the choir had trebled in size and going from strength to strength has been gaining in popularity ever since. We currently have around 80 members.

We rehearse in Caversham Heights Methodist Church on Tuesday evenings during term time between 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm.

Sarah Scotchmer
Sarah ScotchmerMusical Director
Sarah Scotchmer has a degree in music from Bristol University and a singing diploma from the Royal Academy of Music. Since retiring as Head of Music at The Holt School in Wokingham, she has been able to devote more time to her own music making. As well as being the conductor of Rivarate, she is a member of Erlegh Cantors and Farley Singers, narrator and keyboard player for the Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra and chief lullably singer for her three granddaughters.
Pam Asbury
Pam AsburyAccompanist
Pam Asbury trained at The London College of Music where she studied piano and voice. She works as a freelance accompanist and teaches voice and piano. Her work in primary schools enables her to encourage children to enjoy singing. Well known locally as a choral soprano and soloist, she has performed in St. George’s Chapel, Windsor with Erlegh Cantors and has appeared as soloist with Reading Male Voice Choir.

What’s in the name?

The name ‘Rivarate’ goes back a few years to when a group of women from a previous choir decided to set up a new one and they chose the name because it means ‘relaunched women’ in Italian (none of them was Italian and we can’t find anyone who can verify this translation but we hope you’ll agree it has a more attractive ring than the English equivalent). When the men came along the name stayed put (and no objections have been raised so far).

Examples from our repertoire

TitleComposer
A Gaelic BlessingRutter
AfricaPaich and Porcaro
Amazing Gracearr. Philips
Ave MariaCaccini
Be Our GuestMenken
Bogoroditse Devo Rachmaninoff
Bohemian RhapsodyMercury arr .  Bennett
Bridge Over Troubled WaterPaul Simon
California Dreamin'John Phillips arr .  Milt Rogers
Calon LanJohn Hughes
Close to YouBacharach
Come Gentle SpringHaydn
Crazy Little Thing Called LoveFreddie Mercury
Dear Future HusbandKadish and Trainor
Diamonds are a girl's best friendRobin and Styne
Do You Hear the People SingSchonberg & Boubil
Don't Cry For Me ArgentinaLloyd Webber arr .  Turner/Billingsley / Golby
Erev Shel ShoshanimHadar
Fields of GoldG.M . Sumner arr. Emerson
Five Spirituals from 'A Child of our Time'Tippett
Fix YouColdplay
Gloria and Domine Fili Vivaldi
Hail Gladdening LightWood
HallelujahLeonard Cohen
Hallelujah, Get HappyArlen, Koehler and Hawkins
HeroesBowie
I Have a Dream / Mama MiaAndersson & Ulvaeus arr .  Marsh
If Ye Love MeTallis
Just as the Tide was FlowingStephen Scotchmer
Killing Me SoftlyGimbel & Fox
Laudate DominumMozart
Let it BeLennon & McCartney
Let the River RunCarly Simon
Locus IsteBruckner
Londonderry Airarr Bob Chilcott
Lord, Make me to Know Thy WaysByrd
Moon RiverH e nry Mancini
Oliver medleyLionel Bart
On My OwnSchonberg & Boubil
Only TimeEnya
Porgy and Bess medleyGershwin
See You AgainPuth
SkyfallEpworth and Adkins
Sleepytime BachJ .  S .  Bach arr Bennett Williams
The Anvil ChorusVerdi
The BluebirdStanford
The Long and Winding RoadLennon & McCartney
The Lord Bless You and Keep youRutter
The Lord is My Sheph erd (Vicar of Dibley)Howard Goodall
The Rhythm of LifeCy Coleman & Dorothy Fields
The Toreador's SongBizet
Think of MeWebber
Time to Say GoodbyeSartori
Turn the World AroundBelafonte and Freedman
Twist and ShoutMedley & Burns arr. Golby
What a Wonderful WorldGeo r ge Weiss & Bob Thiele
When We Were YoungAdele
You Raise Me UpBrendan Graham & Rolf Lovland
You'll Never Walk Alone/Climb Every MountainRodgers and Hammerstein