Welcome to the Harleston Choral Society Website
HARLESTON CHORAL SOCIETY – please come and celebrate our Christmas Concert with us on Saturday 9 December at 7.00 pm in St John’s Church, Harleston IP20 9AZ. As well as Vivaldi Gloria we’ll be singing a variety of Christmas music, and carols, some with your participation. Tickets (£15, including wine or fruit juice and a mince pie; accompanied children free) available from choir members, on the door on the night, or from Harleston Information Plus.
We are a friendly, non-auditioning community choir. Our Spring Term begins on Monday 8 January in The London Road Church, Harleston IP20 9BH, 7.00 pm for a 7.30 pm start. There are no auditions, and music is provided free. Practices are on a Monday evening 7.30 pm- 9.30 pm, and parking is available in The Original Factory Shop (TOFS), almost opposite the church. Come and join us!
To any potential tenors, altos and basses, our choir needs you!
Further details about the choir are in the Location and Contact and About Us sections or from Stella Brownsea (Chair) at heidihouse@btinternet.com
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Our Summer Concert
We gave our audience a wonderful experience at our Summer Concert on Saturday 1 July at 7.30 pm in St John’s Church, Harleston, when we sang Haydn Stabat Mater and a selection of Mozart opera arias, choruses and ensembles, and – as a tribute to our new King – Handel Zadok the Priest.
A Review of the Harleston Choral Society Summer Concert by Basil Abbott
For penitential Good Friday music, Stabat Maters are ever popular, with about 60 in existence.
Something about Christ’s grieving mother at the Cross has an enduring impact.
Haydn’s work, directed here by Justin Bindley, requires much light and shade and vocal dexterity.
Tenor David Menezies, gentle and heartfelt, opened while the sounds of the choir spilled down behind him like a mist.
Alto Joanna Gamble was nobly expressive and passionate when the need came. Soprano Laura Morgan had a loving, thrilling delivery. Both she and bass Aleksi Koponen had that dexterity of voice.
The choir often achieved a bubbling energy, while the instrumentalists provided a reassuring bulwark of atmospheric melody.
After the interval, Handel’s Zadok the Priest was an apt addition for Coronation year.
From then on, we had a beanfeast of Mozart arias and choruses, including The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and lesser-known works.
The choir threw off all penitence, and Karen Smith’s piano came to prominence, while the soloists assumed a more relaxed theatricality.
It made you realise how truly they had inhabited their roles in the Haydn, as they took mutual delight in entirely different music, especially the duets.
This was a rare chance to hear such a generous helping of opera; and an evening that took us from Calvary to the dalliances of the 18th century stage.
Basil Abbott
Choral Singing For All Workshop
An exciting new venture was led by our musical director to enhance our knowledge and enjoyment of music and singing. A workshop for choir members and non-members, experienced or not took place on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August 10am to 4pm at St James Village Hall and was enjoyed by all.
The workshop included an introduction to music with Justin and Karen. Fun instruction to reading and understanding music – 1000 years condensed into 2 hours! and a session on vocal technique for choral singers with Justin and Karen, using the opening number from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. On Sunday Justin and Karen led a come and sing session looking at ‘Glow’ by Eric Whiteacre. A delicious soup and roll lunch was served by Julia Awty and her team.
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.