Conductor: Philip Honnor
Conductor: Philip Honnor
A short overview of the choir may be found on the introduction page.
The challenging standards set by the choir on its formation in 1875 have been maintained through two world wars, built upon by twenty-two musical directors and upheld by a stream of committed singers. Despite a change of name in recent years, the choir remains as keen as ever to continue the tradition of fine singing and adventurous repertoire for which it became well-known under its original title, The Huddersfield Glee & Madrigal Society.
A brief history
Benjamin Britten, E. J. Moeran and Gustav Holst have conducted us, and Holst dedicated his Wassail Song to the choir. Leslie Woodgate, BBC chorus master, used to come up from London to take rehearsals, returning the same night by overnight sleeper and standing the strain of travelling and directing the choir for twelve years.
Complaints that the choir sings too much modern music go back to the 1930s when 'modern' was Britten, Finzi and Matyás Seiber; sixty-five years later, all is forgiven.
In 1916, Lloyd George invited the choir to London to sing at No 10, Downing Street. We are watching Prime Ministers come and go with interest, awaiting another for whom we would like to perform!
Of the twenty-two conductors who have led the choir, the longest-serving has been Richard Steinitz, who handed over the baton to Paul Shepherd after fourteen years, as the choir was evolving into the chamber ensemble of around forty voices that it is today. Philip Honnor has been the conductor since 1990.
The choir in the 1880s had no financial worries; first prizes in competitions could fund the choir for a year. Not only were singers' subscriptions unheard of, but the singers were actually paid to attend rehearsals and concerts for a fee of 6d per rehearsal and 26d for a concert, which would be about £5 per rehearsal and £25 for a concert if the same rates applied today. These days, however, choir members are rewarded by the active social life which comes from finding ways of raising money whilst enjoying themselves at the same time.
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Carol sings; Ceilidhs; |
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| French nights; |  |
Barbecues; | ||
| Race evenings; House parties... |
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Yet we find that the costs of putting on high quality concerts without compromising the repertoire are a constant concern. We are always looking to build our audiences, and we welcome new members to all parts.
The following list of titles is a representative selection of the works we have performed since 1990:
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A selection of reviewers' comments on our concerts can be found on our press clippings page.
So, if you live in the vicinity, please come and hear us sing! And if you enjoy singing yourself, why not come along and sing with us? We are always keen to welcome new members of all voice parts.
Rehearsals take place at the Huddersfield Methodist Mission, 15 Lord Street, Huddersfield (see a map) on Monday evenings at 7:30pm, and last for two hours. A moderate level of sight-reading ability is an asset, as the choir takes pride in the wide repertoire it peforms, and is generally more interested in learning unfamiliar music than in repeating recent material. Vast musical experience and expertise is not a requirement, though, as we are an amateur choir. If you enjoy singing and want to spend an enjoyable evening each week in the company of friendly people and interesting music, come along! A short, private audition is involved before joining.
If you would like further details about joining, either come along to a concert and speak to a choir member afterwards, or telephone Mr Chris Hartley on Huddersfield (01484) 713084.
For more information about joining, see our recruitment page.
