top of page

About 

A short history...

The Blackheath and Bramley Choral Society was formed in 1912 as a member of the Leith Hill Music Festival.  This festival, founded in 1905, is a competitive choral festival for amateur choirs in the Surrey area.

 

The BBCS won many awards during the sixty-six festivals in which it took part. In 1989 a decision was made to branch out as an independent choir under its then conductor John Bawden.  

"I value the Choir for its friendliness, the relaxed but aspirational approach to performance, and above all for being able to sing the sort of music I love!"

The Blackheath and Bramley Choral Society was formed in 1912 as a member of the Leith Hill Music Festival.  This festival, founded in 1905, is a competitive choral festival for amateur choirs in the Surrey area.

 

The BBCS won many awards during the sixty-six festivals in which it took part. In 1989 a decision was made to branch out as an independent choir under its then conductor John Bawden.  

 

The choir originally started out with about 20 singers and the current membership stands at around 80. The choir puts on two concerts a year, usually at Holy Trinity Church in Guildford.  

​

Recent concerts have included major works such as Mozart’s Great Mass in C, Haydn's Creation,  Mozart’s Solemn Vespers and Mendelssohn’s Elijah, and smaller works such as Elgar’s From the Bavarian Highlands and Bob Chilcott’s Aesop’s Fables.

 

In addition the choir holds an annual carol concert for the residents of a nearby retirement home.  

Objectives of our Choral Society 

The objectives of the Blackheath and Bramley Choral Society, as set out in our constitution, are to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation and enjoyment of the art and science of choral music in all its aspects by the presentation of public choral concerts and other choral performances/presentations and for the general purposes of such charitable bodies and for such other purposes as shall be exclusively charitable as the Society shall from time to time determine.

Committee 

The constitution currently permits a maximum number of eight members to form the committee. They are responsible for all aspects of the administration and finances of the society.

​

The current members are :-

 

Chairman - Janet Crosthwaite

Email: Chairman.bbcs@gmail.com

Tel: 01483 898245

​

Treasurer - Suzanne Oldrey

 

Secretary - Cathy Rayner

​

Social - Judy Downing

​

Publicity - Ray Knight

​

Website - Alison Martin assisted by Henrietta Kodilinye-Sims

​

Librarian - Anne Taylor 

 

Our musical director is David Condry and he attends all committee meetings.

​

Choral works performed since 1987

  • Bach - Christmas Oratorio (2013, 2018)

  • Bach - Cantatas No. 61 and 140 (2018)

  • Bach - Magnificat (2008)

  • Bach - St John Passion (2003, 2016)

  • Bawden (arr)  - Spirituals (1992)

  • Beethoven - Mass in C (1999)

  • Bernstein - Chichester Psalms (2005, 2015)

  • Brahms - Requiem (2015)

  • Brahms - Song of Destiny (1999)

  • Britten - A Ceremony of Carols (1989, 2010)

  • Britten - Gloriana dances (1993)

  • Britten - Jubilate Deo (1991)

  • Britten - St. Nicolas (2011)

  • Byrd - Mass (2006)

  • Chilcott - Aesop's Fables (2017)

  • Durufle - Requiem (1996, 2004, 2011, 2018)

  • Dyson - The Canterbury Pilgrims (1999)

  • Elgar -  Ave Verum (1991)

  • Elgar - From the Bavarian Highlands (2017)

  • Faure - Agnus Dei (1990)

  • Faure -  Cantique de Jean Racine (1990, 1996, 2011, 2012, 2021)

  • Faure - Requiem (1994, 2005, 2021)

  • Faure - Tantum Ergo (2015)

  • Finzi - Magnificat (2010, 2015)

  • Goodall - Eternal Light (2011)

  • Handel - Chandos Anthems (1995, 2006)

  • Handel - Messiah (2001, 2013, 2022)

  • Handel - Zadok the Priest (1990, 2008, 2021)

  • Haydn J. - Creation (2009, 2017)

  • Haydn J. - Insanae et Vanae Curae (1990)

  • Haydn J. - Little Organ Mass (St John Mass) (1990, 1997)

  • Haydn J. - Mass in Time of War (2014)

  • Haydn M. - Requiem Mass (2021)

  • Haydn J. - St Nicholas Mass (2004, 2021)

  • Haydn J. - Te Deum (1992)

  • Haydn J. - The Creation (1998)

  • Janocek - Otcenas (2015)

  • Jenkins -The Armed Man (2008, 2014)

  • Lauridsen - Lux Aeterna (2009, 2022)

  • Lauridsen - O Magnum Mysterium (2022)

  • Mendelssohn - Elijah (2007, 2014)

  • Mendelssohn - Hear my Prayer (1994)

  • Monteverdi - Beatus Vir (1993)

  • Mozart - Ave Verum (1990, 1991)

  • Mozart - Great Mass in C Minor (2016)

  • Mozart - Regina Coeli (2009)

  • Mozart - Requiem (2010, 2021)

  • Mozart - Solemn Vespers (1991, 2010, 2016)

  • Mozart - Sparrow Mass (2005)

  • Opera Choruses (2017)

  • Parry -  Blest pair of Sirens (2002)

  • Poulenc - Christmas Motets (1996, 2004)

  • Poulenc - Gloria (2009)

  • Rossini - Cavatina (1997)

  • Rossini - Petite Mass Solenelle (1995, 2006, 2012)

  • Rutter - Feel the spirit (2003, 2012)

  • Rutter - Gloria (2010)

  • Rutter - Magnificat (2008)

  • Rutter - Requiem (1992, 2000, 2022)

  • Saint Saens - Quam Dilecta (2015)

  • Scarlatti - Dixit Dominus (1993)

  • Schubert - Mass in B (2006)

  • Schubert - Songs of the Fleet (1994)

  • Schubert - The Revenge (1997)

  • Sumsion - They that go down to the sea in ships (1996)

  • Tallis - Lamentations (1996)

  • Thompson - The Lord is My Shepherd (2015)

  • Vaughan Williams - Fantasia on Christmas Carols (1988, 1999, 2011)

  • Vaughn Williams - Five Mystical Songs (2015)

  • Vaughan Williams - In Windsor Forest (1993)

  • Verdi - Requiem (2019)

  • Vierne - Messe Solennelle (2002, 2010)

  • Vivaldi - Gloria (1990, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2021)

  • Vivaldi - Magnificat (1993)

  • Weber - Masses in E Flat and G (2001)

  • Widor - Mass (2018)

  • Widor - Surrexit a Mortuis (2018)

bottom of page