Market Rasen & District Choral Society History Join the Choir Management Committee Past Performances Future Events

History

The choir was re-established 19 years ago and since its first year has registered an average of 75-80 singers. The choir is a permanent and important part of the local community for both participants and listeners. The choir is open to all comers without audition. Members attend from a radius of about 15 miles and rehearse weekly at the Primary School, Mill Road, Market Rasen during the Autumn and Spring school terms.

The choir's existence and continued success is principally due to the enthusiasm and energy of its conductor Thea Hogg. The choir's repertoire ranges through all periods and styles and two concerts are performed every year. Thea's introduction of a four yearly cycle of music chosen from Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary composers provides the basis for an exciting choice of music. A further contrast is provided by alternating Christmas music every other year with a selection of music on a special theme, such as Victorian music or Songs from the Shows. The Spring concert usually involves full orchestra and professional soloists. Local musicians are regularly involved in the orchestra and children from schools in the area have taken part in the concerts.

Over the years the choir has extended its activities. A group from the choir took part in the first official visit to Mamers, Market Rasen's twin town in Normandy, and since then members have regularly visited and hosted our French friends.

On three occasions the choir has joined with the Bach Choir and other choirs from Grimsby so that they could perform larger scale works like Verdi's "Requiem". In 1999 the choir organised a very successful "Singing from Scratch" course which attracted over 90 people ranging in age from 7-70 years. The course was led by Susan Hollingworth and won an award from our National Federation of Music Societies under a scheme aimed at promoting live music throughout the country. A follow-on course with Susan was held in 2001. In 2006 we joined with Gainsborough Choral Society to present Mendelssohn's "Elijah" in All Saints' Church Gainsborough and this year the Grimsby Bach joined us for Brahm's "German Requiem".

The choir has organised several workshops for members and other singers in the area. Guest conductors have included Michael Brewer, David Lawrence, Susan Hollingworth and Gillian Dibden. The workshops are aimed at improving technique and widening experience as well as giving members the opportunity to sing with different conductors and other singers from the area.

Joining the Choir

New members are always welcome. We are open to all comers without audition. Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays from 7 30 pm - 9 30 pm at The Primary School, Mill Road, Market Rasen during term-time from September to May.

Subscription is £17-50 per term for adults and £1 for the unwaged and students. Rehearsals for our 20th season will start on Tuesday 4th September.

For further information please feel able to contact any of the Committee members listed below or come along to our rehearsals and meet us.

Non-singing supporters of the choir are invited to consider becoming Friends of the Society for just £20 pa. This entitles them to free seats for all our concerts, priority booking for friends and family, the satisfaction of supporting a successful and progressive local Society, and involvement in Society affairs.

Birthday photograph of Founder Members and Committee Members taken prior to a rehearsal November 2002

Management Committee

The committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting held in October and members meet 3 or 4 times a year to organise the programme.

Chairman	Lee Smith	01652 678031
Secretary	Jo Johnston	07711 395237	E-mail: mrchoralsoc@aol.com
Treasurer	Peter Hartle	01673 844750
Librarian	Penny Goddard
Soprano Rep	Enid Fowler	01472 851717
Alto Rep	Anna Sharp	01652 678551
Tenor Rep	Clive Ross	01673 878293
Bass rep	Cyril Gray	01673 844932
Marketing / Publicity	Midge Thomas	01652 678365	E-mail: mrchoralsoc@aol.com
Conductor	Thea Hogg	01673 828478
Asst Conductor	Sue Heron	01673 857307

 

Past Performances Include:

 

1987	First concert on 16th December was of "Christmas Music"
1988	Fauré's "Requiem"
1989	Handel's "Acis and Galatea" and Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas"
1990	Britten's "St Nicolas" and Flanders and Horovitz's "Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo"
1991	Mozart's "Requiem" and Monteverdi's "Beatus Vir
1992	Orff's "Carmina Burana" and Llewellyn's "Lincolnshire Voices"
1993	Bach's "Magnificat" and Handel's "Messiah" Parts 2 & 3
1994	Verdi's "Requiem" with the Grimsby Bach Choir
1995	Haydn's "Stabat Mater" and Pergolesi's "Magnificat"
1996	Vivaldi's "Gloria", Walton's "Façade" and Carter's "Musick's Jubilee"
1997	10th anniversary - Mozart's and Fauré's "Requiems" and Monteverdi's "Beatus Vir"
1998	Handel's "Israel in Egypt" with Grimsby Bach Choir
1999	Puccini's "Messa di Gloria" and Rutter's "Requiem"
2000	Haydn's "The Seasons" with combined Grimsby choirs Bach's Cantata "Wachet Auf" and Handel's "Messiah" Part 1
2002	"Songs of the Sea" including Tony Hewitt-Jones' "Seven Sea Poems"
2002	Rossini's "Petite Messe Solenelle"
2003	Haydn's "The Creation"
2003	'CHORAL FAVOURITES' everything from Opera to the Beatles !
2004	An evening of American Music 'Hiawatha's Wedding Feast' by Coleridge Taylor 'Feel the Spirit' (a new work by Rutter based on Negro Spirituals) and 'Four American Folk Hymns'
2004	"Something Old, Something New" With Market Rasen RPC Band
2005	Handel's Acis and Galatea and Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
2005	'MORE CHORAL FAVOURITES'
2006	Mendelssohn's "Elijah" with Gainsborough Choral Society
2006	Handel's "Messiah"
2007	Brahms "A German Requiem" with the Grimsby Bach Choir

FUTURE EVENTS:
Twentieth Season

Friday 30th November 2007 7 30pm Caistor Parish Church	: "Christmas Music"
Saturday 1st December 2007 7 30pm Festival Hall, Market Rasen	"Christmas Music"
Monday 17th December 2007 7 00pm Market Rasen Methodist Church	Rotary Club Carols
Saturday 10th May 2008 7 30pm De Aston Sports Hall, Market Rasen	Fauré Requiem and Mozart Requiem with Lincoln Pro Musica