Welcome to the Harleston Choral Society Website
A Review of the HCS Christmas concert – Saturday 6th December 2026
This was Harleston Choral Society’s 25th Christmas concert and the first performed at Archbishop
Sancroft. The school hall provided ample space for the choir and orchestra and the audience had
extremely good views of the performance.
The first half of the concert, Part 1 of Handel’s Messiah, really set the scene for the beginning of
Christmas. The soloists, Laura Morgan (soprano), Joanna Gamble (alto). David Menezes (tenor) and
Alexsi Koponen, all familiar to the regular audience members, sang beautifully and with conviction,
interspersed with the choruses from the choir. I was lucky enough to have been at a HCS workshop
in the summer when Justin Bindley was working with the choir and guests on some of these
choruses, and I was able to witness the meticulous care he takes to get the choir to sing so
expressively. The performance was ably accompanied by the Harleston Chamber Ensemble with
accomplished pianist Anne Reece. The playing of both the chamber group and the pianist really
enhanced the performance.
The second half of the concert was a mixture of carols and Christmas music sung by the choir and
each of the soloists performing a solo, ranging from two arias from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, to
Cesar Franck and Eric Thiman pieces. The orchestra accompanied Berlioz’ Shepherd’s Farewell with
the haunting sound of the oboes as shepherds’ pipes. The whole of this part of the concert was a mix
of well-known and not so well-known pieces, ending with the Shepherd’s Pipe Carol by John Rutter,
who celebrated his 80th birthday this year. The orchestra was joined for it by the magical flute of
Tony Pringsheim, who slipped between the choir and orchestra several times during the evening.
Not only was the evening very enjoyable for the audience, but whenever I come to HCS
performances, I am always impressed by how friendly the choir members are to the audience
members and how welcome we are made to feel.
Jill Halliday
December 2025
And thank you…
We would like to say huge thanks to two of our long standing Committee members who stepped down at the AGM. Jenny Hyams was a founding member of HCS and has seen it through its 25 years, for many of those taking responsibility for our publicity and has been an unwavering support. She will be much missed. As will Heather Butcher on the committee but fortunately she will continue to sing with us and to produce our posters and tickets for concerts. Again many thanks to both for all their work and dedication to HCS.
In their place we welcome onto the committee Fiona-Catherine Thompson and Peter Coulson and look forward to working with them to continue to make the choir the thriving, welcoming organisation it is.
There’s more information about HCS in the Location and Contact section of our website, or from our joint Chairs Caroline Rodbourne at caroline@rodbourne.org.uk 01986 782545 and Jo Curry at jo.curry@sky.com 07768 544005, or follow HCS on Facebook.
STOP PRESS
Our Spring term begins on Monday 5 January, 7.00 pm for a 7.30 start, in The London Road Church, Harleston IP20 9BH. We’ll begin rehearsing then for our Summer Concert 2026, singing Schubert Mass in G and Puccini Messa di Gloria.
Our 25th Anniversary Year 2025
- Our 25th Anniversary Year celebrations began on 6th January this year, exactly twenty five years since the choir was founded by Anne Gee. We met in the London Road Church, our usual practice venue, and began rehearsing Carmina Burana which was to be performed as the highlight of our anniversary year.
- On 25th January – a timely date – we held a 25th Anniversary Party
What a fabulous event we had on Saturday afternoon! About 60 of us celebrated 25 years of Harleston Choral. A massive spread of wonderful food was assembled and a magnificent cake. Many thanks to all those of you who helped make it a really lovely occasion.
See more images and memories of choir members here.
The Anniversary Concert on 28thJune, singing our hearts out, was a celebration of twenty five years of so much beautiful music, our Music Directors past and present, our Accompanists, our musicians, and of course our Choir. And not forgetting our loyal audiences.
Then on 12th July we had more celebrations at the Summer Garden Party.
This was followed on 16th August by a ‘Come and Sing’ Workshop, which was open to all, and when we spent a glorious day in the sunshine working on some of the choruses from Part 1 of Messiah
And now, here we are, back in the London Road Church again, rehearsing for our Christmas Concert on 6th December in St John’s Church, Harleston, when we’ll be singing Part 1 of Messiah, a selection of Christmas carols and music, and – by choir and public demand – the Hallelujah Chorus ! And this will be the end of our wonderful 25th Anniversary year.
South Norfolk Community Grant
We have been awarded a £500 South Norfolk Community Grant towards the cost of our 25th Anniversary Concert on 28 June. Our thanks go to John Formston, HCS Committee Member; and to Trevor Graham, Harleston Conservative District Councillor, and James Eddy, Harleston Labour District Councillor, who shared the grant between their Community Grant budgets. We’re grateful for all their hard work in making the grant possible
Magic Little Grant
We received a Magic Little Grant through the partnership between Localgiving and Postcode Places
Trust. Postcode Places Trust is a grant-giving charity funded by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
Localgiving is the UK’s leading membership and support network for local charities and community
groups. Our project received £500 towards our Christmas choir concert.
You can donate to the Harleston Choral Society through our Local Giving page and you can find out more about how to play and support more charities with the People’s Postcode Lottery here.
View some images from our rehearsals here.