The Kinder Choirs are administered by the Kinder Children’s Choirs of the High Peak Trust, a registered charity – number 1043079.

The president of the trust is The Duchess of Devonshire DL. The current chairman of the board of trustess is Mr Clive James. Trustees are Mr Peter Barnes, Mr Robert Mulholland and Mr Richard Harding. Project manager is Mrs Carol Prowse.

The Trust address is: 15 Eccles Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith, High Peak, Derbyshire, England SK23 9RP

The Kinder Children’s Choirs have been recipients of a National lottery grant awarded by the Arts Council of England, the Community Education programme has been supported by Arts Council England, the Derbyshire Masonic Music Foundation, Hyperlast Ltd and Swizzels Matlow Ltd.

Why not become a Sponsor or Patron? Sponsors and Patrons are an important resource for funding the Kinder Children’s Choirs of the High Peak. If you wish to become a Patron or Sponsor, please contact Sponsorship Trustee Mrs Carole Hassell (tel: 01457 854543) Email chassell@nohassell.f9.co.uk. A wide range of Sponsorship packages are available.

KINDER Choirs were rocked by the news of the death of their founder chairman, Dennis Harding OBE, on October 9th 2006. Dennis, a highly successful businessman and an indefatigable supporter and advisor for many local, regional and national charities, was the first man turned to by Joyce Ellis, when she conceived the idea of forming the Kinder Choirs.

A Tribute to Dennis Harding

In the mists of time pre-Kinder, Rosie Harding used to come to me for piano lessons.  During these times I would often talk to her about my ideas of starting an organization for children’s choral singing.  The notion was certainly burning itself into my thoughts and my enthusiasm for the project was growing the more I thought about it.  Eventually Rosie suggested that it was about time that I come and talk to Den.  At that time I had very little idea of what Den was about apart from the fact that he may have been able to give me some sort of assistance.  I duly turned up at Gorsty Low Farm feeling most nervous and outlined my plan, how I wanted to start a choir where there was no audition to join and, unbelievably then, where there would be no charges for parents.  My childhood choir had been financed by an enormous bequest from a Thomas Pendlebury in Stockport at the beginning of the twentieth century.  Den listened very intently and when I had finished, asked me to write the vision down and send it to him.  As I later found out to be typical of him, he said that he could not support something which did not exist but that I should go ahead, form the choir and then contact him.  This was to be the start of a most fruitful fifteen year collaboration and also a deep friendship with him and Rosie.

After this first meeting I then set about all the organization and publicity needed to get the choirs started, writing down the vision of an organization of musical excellence with social benefits for children and parents, and keeping Den informed at various stages along the way.
In July 1992 when we had been in existence for twelve months I was ready to put the choirs up for public scrutiny in the first of our summer Buxton Opera House concerts.  Den and Rosie were guests of honour along with the Lord Lieutenant, Mayor and anyone else I could invite for the occasion.  I am not sure if I had told him that I personally had put up the finance for the hire charges and expenses for the concert, but he and Rosie greeted me at the stage door before the concert with the news that Barnabas was to give me a £1500 starter grant for the choirs. Den was also showing his commitment to the cause.  The money went into the choir account and we were secure from then on.

The choirs went from strength to strength, although I was unable to make them free!  Den was always there, taking an interest and hardly missing any of the concerts.  At the end of 1993 and the beginning of 1994 it was to Den I turned when I wanted to form a trust to safeguard and administer the choirs.  I wanted him to be the chairman and he has fulfilled that role in his own inimitable style until now.  He has constantly guided and supported me, advised me soundly, and made sure that financially we were on a secure footing.  We drew up the annual budget together, and he often joked that he was amazed that I never strayed over budget!  He was very forgiving and also amused when one year I put a large choir cheque into my copious handbag and it stayed there for months until well after the financial year end!  He was keen to let me know that the vision was now a shared vision, and indeed it was, with Den contributing his own ideas and passions.  He took great delight in the wonders of our early successes as the choirs made their mark in the choral world.  We did not agree on everything, but usually found that we were aiming for the same goals from a different perspective, arriving at the same destination but by different routes.   Den brought his own refreshing character to the Trust, enriching all our experience and ensuring that the choir ethos is carved in stone.  We operated in a familial manner, Den proud that the Trust did not make decisions by vote, but by general consensus.

As a friend Den was always there to support.  When my husband passed away he was there, offering his home for the funeral refreshments and constantly supportive and in touch.  In the following summer when my father was desperately ill, he and Bob Mulholland took it in turns to telephone me every day to make sure that I was ok.  He always made sure that I was included in whatever was going on, generously sharing so much of his life.  I shall miss him more than I can ever express.  I shall miss our conversations, listening to his philosophies and views on the great social issues of the day.  I shall miss the debate, the disagreement and all the fun and laughter which were part of being in his company.  I shall miss his mischievous subversion as he took great delight in trying to make the choristers misbehave or tried to get away with something Rosie would have disapproved of!  I shall miss not being able to tell him that he influenced me more than he ever realized.

Joyce Ellis