Staveley Choral Society has a venerable history, from its beginnings in the 1920s (as far as we know), through festival participation and success; fundraising through concerts and events during WW2; celebrating coronations; supporting local churches in their Christmas services; collaborating with other choirs and orchestras; supporting and promoting young singers. Through the intervening years, with various musical directors, accompanists, visiting conductors, ever supportive committees and of course the wonderfully loyal choral members without whom there is no choral society, a huge range of music has been performed. At times the great choral staples such as Handel’s Messiah, Haydn’s Creation, Mozart’s and Fauré’s Requiems have been sung, but so too have many lighter contemporary pieces, and plenty of music arranged or even composed specifically for SCS. Dip into Past Events and History and explore the site to find out more. We have programmes and photographs spanning nearly a century, and hand written minutes and reports from the 1930’s. Music festivals have been taken part in – notably the Westmorland Music Festival, begun in 1885, which subsequently became the Mary Wakefield Festival (when Westmorland became smudged with Cumbria?) in eponymous honour of its founder. Choral membership seems to average about forty-five in number, rising and falling with the vicissitudes of war, not famine, sometimes flood (we are in the lovely but sometimes damp Lake District), age and stage, and other choirs or choral societies beginning or ending.
We always welcome more members, (and of course, especially tenors, you lovely rare creatures!) …. so if you fancy joining us, or even just coming along to see what we are like and if you like, then do please make contact by using the gmail address below. Meanwhile, explore and enjoy the website, sending corrections or further information also to the gmail address. I look forward to hearing from you.
