Our choir today
The Lowestoft Choral Society is a registered charity and is affiliated to `Making Music', the National Federation of Music Societies. We are self-funded and have the additional support of individual Friends and Corporate Friends, drawn from the business sector of the area. Our current musical director is Michael Taylor [see bio].
Our choir's history
On 18th December 1946, singers throughout the region gathered to perform Handel's Messiah in the London Road Congregational Church. The preparation and performance was so enjoyable that, in January 1947, out of this nucleus of singers, the Lowestoft Choral Society was born. Excerpts from `Messiah' and `Elijah' formed the inaugural concert on 9th July 1947 and Handel's Messiah became, for a time, an annual event.
1949 saw the beginning of a long association with the Millard-Tolhurst Orchestra and throughout the years the Society has joined forces with the Lowestoft Orchestral Society, the Waveney Sinfonia and now the Lowestoft Concert Orchestra under the leadership of Stephen Blake. Professional soloists of the highest calibre have been engaged for performances of major choral works including Sir Peter Pears who was a honorary patron of the Society.
Over the years the Society's repertoire and experience have widened, singing both secular and sacred works, exploring music from the 16th and 20th centuries, from baroque to modem. Workshops have been enjoyed and awards achieved at Norwich and Lowestoft Music Festivals as well as being awarded, in 1998, the Waveney District Council `Spirit of Lowestoft Shield' for making a major contribution to the life of the community.