The next DATES for your CONCERT diary !
Saturday, 5th December 2009, At Christ Church at 7.30pm..
Saturday, 27th March, 2010 - The BIG concert: Verdi's Requiem in the Chapel at Marlborough College. Do look at our Concerts page !!
The statistics - the daily average hits for this web site, to the end of October, is 59. Last year it was 53. Our best day was 177 hits on 23.9.09.. It makes it all worthwhile !!
2008 has now been sung out and we are now approaching a true anniversary year. Without formal geneological research, we understand the Society formed - as part of the Swindon Music Society - before 1929 but that is the year we have evidence of a concert. Perfectionists might argue that the Society by name only formed in 1985 when the fiddlers and blowers went their separate ways. However, whether it is our 24th or our 80th anniversary we contend it is the latter simply because members have been - but not literally - singing together since at least 1929.
That said, 2009 has got to be a good year! We have planned our usual pattern of four concerts - but each with a touch of something special ! Bach and Handel together in March - now in Swindon. In June, for our 80th Anniversary Concert, a selected mainly secular programme. Our October concert will be at the new venue for us at the new St Joseph's College. We promise a splendiferous Christmas carol concert, including Britten's "St Nicholas Cantata", in December. There is plenty of fine singing to be enjoyed by both members and our friends. Our programmes are posted elsewhere on this site. The music has been chosen to inspire and challenge our members, and also to attract both new members and an increased audience.
Advance notice - in March 2010 we will be singing Verdi's Requiem in the Chapel at Marlborough College. Obviously more details to come later.
Rehearsals continue every Thursday at 7.30pm in the fine Ecumenical Church at Freshbrook in West Swindon. Compared to times past, we are very lucky with our rehearsal facilities - central heating, cushioned seats and not an infants' chair in sight !.
...click here for more details about our ongoing programme.
Who we are and what we do:
We're a society of about one hundred and ten amateur singers who stage, on average, four choral concerts in and around Swindon each year, and in our 80 year history have performed most of the major choral repertoire, as well as a number of specially-commissioned works. Past performances include the Passions of Bach, Requiems from Mozart to Rutter, Britten's War Requiem, and many familiar oratorios - notably, A Child Of Our Time and The Dream of Gerontius. The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins has also featured. For an up-to-date concert programme, check out our Concerts page.
We enjoy performing with professional orchestras and soloists. We have worked with The London Mozart Players (under Jane Glover), the Bournemouth Sinfonietta and, more recently, West Forest Sinfonia and Chameleon Arts Orchestra.
The Society also incorporates Swindon Wedding Chorale, an increasingly active and dedicated group providing sacred and secular music by request for weddings, funerals, fund-raising concerts for ourselves and others, together with other events.
We welcome support from the National Federation of Music Societies (NFMS). To discover more about how you or your business could support us, click here, or on the Support us! link.
Members: Rehearsal Schedule and Key Dates
The 2009 schedule (Version4 dated 6.7.09) is now available - click the link (the underlined coloured word 'here') below. Please note this schedule will be subject to the inevitable updates! To avoid unnecessary downloads, the key dates can also be found in the Members' Area. These will updated regularly. Concert dates are also published on the "British Choirs on the Net" and the "Gerontius" web sites - their links are below.
Click here to download the most up-to-date Rehearsal Schedule available. (Follow the instructions - it has to firstly be opened and then it can be printed).
CLICK THE LINKS!!!
We're on BCN and Gerontius (an independent choral site)!
Link to other British choirs: check out the extensive British Choirs on the Net (BCN) site!
Also, try Gerontius
Yet another could be - cyberbass
or a similar British site - ChoraLine
Textiles ? try -Textiles
Digital Photography - interested ? - want to learn more ? Try - Digital Courses
Finally, if you want to try choral singing but feel you can't face a gentle audition before you get some experience, do take the first step and join the friendly (non-auditioning) 50 strong Highworth Choral Society. You won't regret taking up singing ! Go to -START SINGING