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At a meeting of members of the Society held on 7th September, 2009, it was very sadly unanimously agreed that Wrington Vale Choral Society should be wound up. This was because the number of members had reduced over the past months to a point where it was no longer viable to continue.
All members present expressed their sorrow at this demise of the Society, particularly as it had been functioning since 1947.
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In 1947 Vera Perry, Bill Phippen,
Essie Clark and others formed the
Wrington Choral Society.
Now, 62 years later, for several
reasons, it has been difficult to attract
new members to the Society and it
has become non-viable as a choral
entity.
At a meeting of all the members on
7 September it was unanimously
decided, very regretfully, to wind up
the Society in its present form.
However, it is hoped that numbers
may increase in the future, and to this
end, members and other singers from
the area will get together for an
Evensong at All Saints' Church on
Sunday 22 November at 6.30 pm to
celebrate two important events: the
150th Anniversary of the installation
of the fine organ at All Saints' and the
fact that it is St. Cecilia's Day, the
Patron Saint of music.
So the future for the Society is not
all doom and gloom. If any readers
would like to take part in the
celebrations on 22 November, the
Rector (tel.862201) would be
delighted to hear from them.
Hopefully, if numbers increase,
rehearsals for other performances
can take place.
So, please, watch this space. |
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Introduction to the Society
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The Wrington Vale Choral Society was formed as Wrington Choral Society by Francis Ham in 1947. Francis was was a very able musician, having been at Christ Church, Oxford, Choir School contemporaneously with Sir William Walton, and having won a music prize there. He continued to conduct the Society for many years after he and his family left Wrington. When the Society celebrated its Diamond Jubilee, two of its founder members were still singing regularly - Essie Clark and Vera Perry.
The Society now comprises a group of c. 40 singers from Wrington and the surrounding villages who meet every week to - as our objective says - 'make music in a lively, friendly, enjoyable atmosphere'. While we have no auditions, and welcome anyone who enjoys singing, we take our music seriously, and hold a formal concert every spring in All Saints' Church, Wrington - see Programme for details. Throughout the year, we also perform at a number of less formal events, including an evening for the patrons of the Society, and other village occasions.
The society includes people from a wide range of backgrounds and ages. Our numbers are boosted during term time by students from the nearby University of Bristol Veterinary School at Langford, whom we are always glad to see returning.
Our repertoire is diverse, including in the past few years works by Bach, Handel and Fauré, as well as more recent work by Rutter. As well as sacred music, at some stage in our year we might tackle folk songs, Christmas carols and songs from musicals, and individuals perform their own songs, readings or recitals at our annual patrons' evening.
New singers are always welcome. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings, 7.30pm - 9.30pm, in St Mary's, Langford, beginning in September.
To get in touch with the Society email choral@wrington.org.uk
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Patrons
The society is fortunate to have a large number of supporters in the area who provide both financial and practical support to the choir's activities. For an annual subscription of £10, patrons are entitled to discounted tickets for the Society's performances, including an summer musical evening with food and drink.
If you would like to become a patron of the society, please contact Sheila Keys on 01934 862721, or email choral@wrington.org.uk
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New members
We welcome new members at any time of the year, although it's probably ideal to start in September, at the beginning of our programme, if you can. Come along for an evening or two to see whether you like what we do - there's no need to audition, and there's no need to commit until you are ready.
The 2007/8 subscription is £20 per term (£50 a year) and full-time students and under 18s are free. To find out more, contact the secretary, Fiona Matley, 01934 862578, or just come along to one or two rehearsals on a Monday night at St Mary's, Langford (next to Budgens). |
Chairman Paul Norcross, 01934 863607/e-mail: anorcrossuk@yahoo.com |
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