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We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £1,500 from Braintree District Council, and our grateful thanks go to Angela Kilmartin (the new Major of Witham) for nominating us as one of her two charities while she was chairman.
We hope to arrange a committee meeting again during the summer. More details as they become available.
We remain in Lockdown as a choir right now, no news yet about our Tuesday evening practices or where they will be able to take place until the Government guidance is clearer about this. You can read more about this on our ‘News’ page by clicking here
We will keep you informed – don’t forget to watch for news on our Facebook page and here
We hope that you are managing to keep going as we move through the steps of the Government Roadmap. At present for choirs in Step 3 this limits us to singing in groups on 6, and so for a larger choir like ours we wait for more guidance and the move into Step 4 we hope.
In the meantime, take care of yourselves and if anyone needs a phone call from the choir, do let us know – either contact your voice rep or our Chairman, Stephen Northfield.
With our best wishes,
Witham Choral Committee.
LAST UPDATED: Wednesday 2nd June, 2021
More details about joining the choir or becoming a Friend here
Usually we rehearse on Tuesday evenings in term time at Witham United Reformed Church in Newland Street, 7.45 to 9.45 p.m. We look forward to letting you know in due course when our rehearsals will resume. “This is a friendly, non-auditioned choir,” conductor Patrick McCarthy told us, “but some knowledge of music would be helpful.” To find directions to the church where we rehearse click here
For 60 years the Society has grown progressively under the leadership of seven Music Directors, with Patrick McCarthy joining us in 1995. Each has contributed enthusiastically to the Society’s musical life and development and, together with the warmth and passion for singing of the members, the Society has developed and maintained an integrity which has kept it in the fore of choral tradition in the area.
You can read about how Patrick stepped up to save the Prom at the Royal Albert Hall go to our Personnel Page(bottom right article) follow the link here to the page.
BACKGROUND OF WITHAM CHORAL:
The Society was formed in 1957. In the early years the members enjoyed singing madrigals and short choral pieces suitable for the small group, and occasionally joined with the Essex Musical Association and other societies, including the Ipswich Singers, to perform larger scale works. See a photo of the choir singing at the Public Hall in December 1974 by CLICKING HERE
SOME OF OUR MOST NOTABLE CHORAL CONTRIBUTIONS
have included a much praised performance of Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius at the renowned Snape Maltings Concert Hall, when we combined with the Ipswich and Colchester Bach Choirs and the Colchester Philharmonic. In 2007 we celebrated our 50th Anniversary Year with a full programme of choral works. These included performances of the Verdi and Brahms Requiems and later in the year, in our exchange with the Evangelische Singgemeinde of Weinheim, two performances of Beethoven’s Mass in C and Christ on the Mount of Olives.
Other works performed include Handel’s Solomon and Israel in Egypt singing with the Ipswich Bach Choir & Dovercourt Choral Society, bringing together some 170 singers. As well as singing at Snape Maltings, we have appeared several times at the Harwich Festival, in G&S HMS Pinafore, Faure Requiem, Haydn Creation, Orf Carmina Burana and most recently performed in a Last Night of the Proms.
Witham Choral Society is a registered charity No. 261704
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