Rehearsals
Term start on Tuesday, 7th January. 7pm in the Methodist Church, Green Lane, Leominster, HR6 8QJ.
Please come early if you are collecting the score of R V Williams – Five Mystical Songs.
We wish everyone a Happy New Year.
See the map here for its location.
Chair’s report, A G M Tuesday, 7th May 2024
We are here this evening to look back on the past year of the Choral Society. We have had three great events that have not only been enjoyed by our community but have advanced our role of fostering our love of choral music. The year commenced with an exceptional performance of Handel’s Coronation Anthems; it resonated with the grandeur and majesty of that masterpiece and touched all who attended. In the Autumn we celebrated the tradition of the Messiah in a powerful rendition of Handel’s most famous oratorio. The Messiah remains the cornerstone of our repertoire, renewing our commitment to excellence and musical expression. Winter arrived and once more we gathered for our Annual Carols by Candlelight. We were joined by many of the community of Leominster and when all our preparations were completed, we were able to remember the message that our concert conveys – the timeless melodies that evoke the spirit of Christmas. It is great to see our membership is at 105, it is inspiring to hear the music we create together and the connections we forge through that commitment. It is my hope that we will continue to enrich lives and celebrate the power of music within the area of North Herefordshire. I would like to thank James, Musical Director, for his continued commitment to the Choral Society. We all appreciate his ability to help us give a polished performance at our concerts. It is his skill that helps the choir to be accomplished with attention to detail. Our thanks to Hilary Norris, our Assistant Director, and a spot-on rehearsal pianist. Sadly, within this year, Helen Walker who sent us such a warm message to our last AGM, passed away . She will always be fondly remembered and had been with the Choral Society for over 30 years. There are two concerts before our break in the summer, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle and Haydn’s Creation. The Creation concert is part of the Leominster Arts –Threads through Creation– where we will be joined by Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra. Leominster Arts have kindly given us monies to fund the orchestra and I am sure it will be an exceptional evening and one to be remembered. Our Annual Dinner will be on Tuesday, 2nd July, at the Leominster Golf Club, 7.00 p.m. I do hope you will join us there.
We are very appreciative of being able to hold our concerts in the Leominster Priory Church that has such wonderful acoustics. My thanks go to all of you who support the running of the Choral Society, all activities big or small, that go to help us achieve a community spirit enjoyed by us all.
Valerie Markwick (Chair)
07/05/2024
June 2024 Concert
The programme for our summer concert on the Sunday 30th June will be Haydn : The Creation,
Accompanied by the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra
Prospective new members
New members can contact the Membership Secretary (Janet Gaskell – email link to her is on the right of this page, or on the ‘Join us’ page or the ‘Contact us’ page of this website) to request details and Membership Form etc.
Rehearsal attendance
It is expected that all members will commit themselves to a high level of attendance across the year. We normally expect at least a 75% attendance level for the season – and 100% for the rehearsals immediately before a concert.
If for any reason you foresee difficulties with your own expected attendance level please consult your Section Representative. Currently these are: Sopranos – Janet Gaskell; Altos – Sally Pugh; Tenors – Neil Ramsay; and Basses – Edgar Bignell.
Rehearsal aids
Many members use the midi files on the John Fletcher website which can be found here.
This is his new site, and access to it has changed. To access the John Fletcher rehearsal materials you will now need a personal password, rather than the general one as previously.
Most of the items we are preparing will be found on the John Fletcher web site. If you would like to hear your own voice line, when it is not clear on a conventional recording, this is the place to go.
If you are not already signed up there are still a few vacant places in our membership allocation.
To join you will need to give our Treasurer (who can be emailed via the ‘Contact Us’ link on the right) your first name and surname plus your email address. She will then arrange for John Fletcher to send you your own unique password so that you can freely access the site.
Please note, music which is now out of copyright can be accessed on the John Fletcher site without logging in.