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The Derby Central Songsters originated in the early days of the 'Derby 2' Corps of the Salvation Army, which opened in May 1882. A group of singers was formed to assist the congregation and to publicly sing "Songs of Salvation". In the late 1890's official recognition was granted to singing groups, and the singers of Derby 2 corps were commissioned as the Derby 2 Songsters in 1900. Since this time the songsters have travelled extensively both in the UK and abroad. They regularly travel to other Salvation Army Centres throughout the UK to give festivals of music and to lead the Sunday worship. Over recent years places visited include Bradford, Brighton, Bristol, Sunderland, Norwich, Northampton, Rock Ferry, Sheffield and various locations in London.
The Songsters have made four recordings to date. The CD, 'A Cross for Life', was recorded especially for their tour of the Southern States of America in 2002. This tour was a great success for everyone involved. As the choir travelled through the various Southern States they enjoyed sampling a little of the American culture and also meeting the American people and sharing with them. Venues on the tour included Washington DC, Atlanta, Orlando, Tulsa, Bartlesville and Oklahoma City. When the Songsters returned to the UK, they featured in a 'Gospel Arts Festival' at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Thousands of people listened to the Songsters as they featured songs from their tour.
The Derby Central Songsters travelled out of the UK again in 2005, this time touring Sweden over the Easter period. A new CD 'Glorious Power' was produced for this trip. As a Christian choir the songsters would aim to influence the lives of others through communicating the gospel of Jesus Christ in their music.
