News

Capel Choral Society on TV – whatever next?

After their appearance on BBC’s Countryfile on 12th October, the choir were surprised and delighted by the messages received from former signers and long-ost friends, and would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for their good wishes.

And what is next? Well, it was a birthday – the Choir was founded on 22nd October 1904, so we celebrated the 110th anniversary of the meeting that agreed that ‘there was sufficient musical talent in the village to form the society’.  The Choir took part in the inaugural Leith Hill Musical Festival in 1905, and has participated in every Festival since; it is the only Festival choir with this record. At our usual Monday rehearsal nearest the date there was a ceremonial cutting of a cake and a drinking of toasts, while remembering all the singers, music and conductors in the Choir’s long history.

Then it was back to work – we have now started rehearsing for the Christmas Season during which we will be singing carols at Polesden Lacey on 14th December, at the invitation of the National Trust, closely followed by our Christmas Concert on Monday the 15th.

At the Christmas Concert the choir will be performing the delightful Messe de Minuit by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704); the work is based on dance tunes of the period. We will also be singing two settings of O Magnum Mysterium by two composers born 400 ears apart, William Bryd and Mortem Lauridsen.

The concert will be in the church of St John the Baptist, Capel starting at 7:30pm, and tickets are £7.50 which includes our traditional mulled wine and mince pied afterwards. For advance bookings, please contact our Secretary, details below.

We shall be very pleased to welcome you at the concert or at Polesden, or at rehearsals in the New Year when we will be preparing for the 2015 Leith Hill Festival in the Spring – with the prospect of singing the new piece Dances of Time especially written for the Festival by the world famous composer Bob Chilcott.

See information about, and pictures of, the choir on our website, www.capelchoralsociety.com or contact our Secretary at secretary@capelchoralsociety.com or phone 01306 712365