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Choir Overview
The present Highworth Choral Society is not the first. We have recently been informed of
"Highworth Choral Society's First Concert", held in July 1941.
Click Here to find out more. The present Highworth Choral Society was formed when a
local GP, Dr David Lawrence, asked all those who enjoyed singing to meet at Warneford School
in September 1978. David Lawrence led from the front for the first
concert of the newly formed society - a Christmas concert in St Michael's
Church, Highworth, but only remained for a short while before handing the
reins over to another doctor, David Stephens from nearby Lechlade, under whose
leadership the choir performed Fauré's Requiem for the first time.
Handel's Messiah was performed in 1981 at St Michael's Church and at Highworth
Warneford School under the next Musical Director, Alan Wicker, who continued to
lead for a year. We then had a keen young chap by the name of Nigel
Dodd. In 1984, Esmé Weight began her ten year stint directing such
works as Mendelssohn's Elijah; Haydn's Creation and Vivaldi's Gloria.
Between 1995 and 2004 our Musical Director was Veronica Phillipson; a summary of her extensive musical career can be found here.
In September 2004 we welcomed Mike Avery as our new Musical Director. Mike has a business background; chorally, he has sung at both ends of England (Exeter and Carlisle) as well as at Alton and Malmesbury (among other places). His first conducting assignment was with a Girls Brigade choir; since then he has conducted a wide range of other choirs, including the Parish Singers of Brinkworth (1988-1999) and the Wootton Bassett Choral Society (1998-2001).
The Society's concert season runs from September through to July, consisting of three main concerts: a Christmas performance with seasonal works and traditional carols; a Spring concert which historically tends to be our 'big' concert of the year featuring larger-scale works; and the Summer event, at which we take the opportunity to sing more light- hearted music in a 'song & supper' atmosphere. We sing with professional orchestras and soloists when the work requires it, but in many cases draw soloists from our own ranks. And we usually manage some carol singing (optional!) in and around Highworth.
Our rehearsal accompanist and concert pianist is Chris
Williams. Chris began playing the piano at the age of eight. She
studied music at Liverpool University and followed this with a year at Gipsy
Hill College of Education. After several years of classroom teaching,
she now teaches piano privately and is actively involved in the musical life
of the local community. She has been with Highworth Choral Society since
1994.
Our committee manages the choir under the principles set out in our Constitution and determines the course the choir should take in conjunction with advice from our Musical Director. To see details of our current committee members and their roles click here.
