Today, our choir is around 120 voices strong. We are enthusiastic amateur singers, engaging professional soloists and orchestras for our concerts who help us perform to a standard that maintains our strong reputation.
We rehearse in central Bath on Wednesday evenings from 7.15 to 9.30pm at Manvers Street Baptist Church and are always interested in recruiting new singers. Membership is subject to a fairly simple audition; existing members are re-auditioned every four years, too. We also offer an attractive bursary scheme to young singers under 25. Our musical director is Matthew Bale who has held that position since 1989.
We perform four or five concerts each year, mostly in Bath Abbey; our wide-ranging repertoire includes sacred and secular music from classical to modern, and even newly-written works. Our activities are regularly in the news and our concerts are well attended. Recent performances of major works include Britten War Requiem, Mendelssohn Elijah, Bach St Matthew & St John Passions, Rutter Requiem, Elgar Dream of Gerontius, Verdi Requiem, and the world premiere of a new work Visions of Sorrow and Joy by Brian Inglis.
Our usual seasonal programme offers four concerts, including Messiah in early December, and further concerts in spring and summer. In 2002 we recorded Messiah and produced a CD which is being sold to raise money for charity. During 1998 we toured Holland giving concerts in Alkmaar and Amsterdam. In July 2001 we visited Prague giving two successful concerts there to very appreciative audiences. In July 2003 we sang at Rouen and Beauvais in France and in July 2005 we visited Liepzig..
In October 2004 we collaborated with the City of Bath Bach Choir and the Braunschweiger Domchor in series of performances of the War Requiem by Benjamin Britten in Braunschweig and in Bristol as an act of commemoration and reconciliation marking the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Braunschweig by Allied forces and of D-Day and VE-Day.
Photo by Peter Bradshaw
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Bath Choral Society: Charity Concert in aid of CRUSE
Organisation: Bath Choral Society
Date: Saturday 11 July 7.30pm
Price: £25, £20, £10 & £5 unreserved | Book Now!
Venue: Bath Abbey
Concert in aid of Bath and District Bereavement Care. More details…
Go to the Bath Choral Society website
Bath Choral Society Charity Concert
Organisation: Bath Choral Society
Date: Sunday 12 July, 3pm
Price: £8, £4 Students
Venue: Prior Park Chapel, Bath
In aid of Support for People with Alzheimer’s at the Peggy Dodd Centre, Bath. More details…
Go to the Bath Choral Society website
Bath Choral Society October Concert
Organisation: Bath Choral Society
Date: Sunday 25 October, 3.30pm
Venue: Assembly Rooms, Bath
Handel: Acis & Galatea; Pachelbel: Canon; Purcell: Thou knowest Lord, the secrets of our hearts; Monteverdi: Beatus Vir.
Go to the Bath Choral Society website
Bath Choral Society
Organisation: Bath Choral Society
Date: 4 - 5 December, 7.30pm
Venue: Bath Abbey
Annual performance of Handel's Messiah. More details…
Go to the Bath Choral Society website
Bath Choral Society
Organisation: Bath Choral Society
Date: Wednesday 31 March 2010
Venue: Bath Abbey
St Matthews Passion. More details…
Go to the Bath Choral Society website