Queen sends best wishes to Leighton Buzzard Festival Singers after group's Jubilee concert

The group celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2021, and held a special concert this April to honour the monarch's milestone.

Chairman Paul Dickens then wrote to Her Majesty to send congratulations, informing her of the successful event, and the singers were delighted to receive a reply.

Elizabeth II’s lady-in-waiting, Dame Annabel Whitehead, wrote to the group: "The Queen wishes me to thank you very much for your letter, and for the kind message you sent on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of Her Majesty's Accession to the Throne.

"The Queen was interested to see the programme Mr Dickens enclosed, and to know something of your Platinum Jubilee celebration, a special concert held on April 2nd at St Barnabas Church, Linslade.

"Her Majesty was touched to learn that your group is a continuing legacy of the Festival of Britain, and hopes you too enjoyed your seventieth anniversary celebrations last year. The Queen was delighted to hear that one of your number, Mr Richard Watts, a Westminster Abbey chorister on duty at her Majesty's Coronation, remains in good voice to this day.

"The Queen is most grateful to Mr Paul Dickens for writing on behalf of you all, and I am to thank you again for your thoughtful words of support."

Membership secretary, Roger Chapman, said: "The Festival Singers, under the direction of musical director David Emerson and ably accompanied by Milton Keynes Brass and John Wearmouth on the organ, had performed a concert in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee early in April.

"The programme included several items from the coronation service and the concert, which was a great success, was well received by a large and enthusiastic audience. The choir’s current membership includes Richard Watts who was a member of the Westminster Abbey choir at the 1953 coronation.

"Following the concert Festival Singers Chairman Paul Dickens wrote to the Queen offering the good wishes of all members of the choir for a happy, successful and memorable year and enclosing a copy of the April programme."

The Festival Singers, founded as a result of the Festival of Britain, also performed in the High Street on June 3 as part of Leighton Buzzard’s Jubilee celebrations.