Haydn's "Nelson Mass" and Purcell's "Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary", featuring soloist Abi Temple.

Until recently it was thought that the Choral Society had been set up in 1946. Indeed there are minutes to record the event . But we now know that that was but one of several renaissances. There is a concert programme, dated 1934, which records that year as the Choral Society's ninth anniversary. Going further back there are minutes of a meeting in1895, which record the setting up of Blandford Choral Society in that year. And even that was not the ultimate beginning because we have evidence that Blandford Choral Society was active before1875. It is with 1875 that we begin.

The Society, in 1875, was in many ways similar to the present one. It consisted of about fifty singers and it put on classical concerts in Blandford. A diary of a lady then living in Blandford records, (I went )"to a performance of The Creation by the Blandford Choral Society assisted by Miss Scott of London renown and some lay vicars of Salisbury Cathedral and other professionals. We went to the morning performance which commenced at 3 (sic) and concluded shortly after 5 (sic). We were very pleased with the concert and had a chat over it at the Crown". The Dorset County Chronicle has a report of the same concert, which took place on 1st April, 1875. It records the many members of Blandford society who attended the concert and then names and praises each of the soloists in turn. It goes on,"But we must not forget the choruses which were taken by the members of the Society, numbering about 50 voices.These were exceedingly well sung, with ease and precision; and though the number of singers was considerably less than when The Creation was first given in Blandford the effect was equally powerful. Indeed, on no occasion have the Blandford singers better acquitted themselves in the more difficult parts of the choruses." Quite obviously there is more history to be found and we are now working our way backwards through the newspaper reports to find out about earlier concerts and, if possible, about the origins of the choir.

Rehearsal for the concert at St Mary's RC Church, Poole

We now leap twenty years to a meeting in Blandford chaired by the Mayor in 1895. Before the meeting was a proposal to set up a choral society in Blandford.The Western Gazette records, in 1900, that "the members of the Blandford Choral Society gave their annual concert in the Corn Exchange last week in aid of the Cottage Hospital, and their efforts were attended with a large measure of success. For the last few years the society has undertaken works which require dramatic as well as vocal ability, and in their choice of pieces preference has been given to the comic operas by Gilbert and Sullivan. In the presentation of this class of work the society has been eminently successful." In 1901 the programmes are headed Blandford Operatic Society, but by the following year it has become Blandford Operatic Society

We next pick up the story in 1934 when a programme, for HMS Pinafore, notes that Blandford Choral Society was then in its ninth season, i.e. a rebirth in 1925. Ethel Swain, one of the soloists in 1934, was Secretary of the Society after its revival in 1945. So far we know little more about the history between 1925 and its presumed cessation in 1939 at the beginning of the Second World War.

1946 saw a rebirth of the Society but with a completely different repertoire. Gone was G&S, in was classical music beginning, almost inevitably, with the Messiah. The conductors since then have each led to developments in the Society and in its repertoire, as the following notes show.

Mr E F Fripp was instrumental in setting up the choir in 1946 and was its conductor until1951. All the concerts he led were held in Blandford Parish Church and the repertoire consisted of the more popular oratorios with organ accompaniment.

From 1951 under the conductorship of Mr Alan Webb, the range of work undertaken was expanded to include large secular works and pieces for unaccompanied voices. Mr Webb also initiated the idea of performing the standard choral works with orchestra.

From 1961, Dr Reginald Johnson followed closely the lines laid down by Mr Webb. Dr Johnson's particular contribution was to include orchestral works as a foil to the choral pieces. In addition he included many works by living composers and conducted several first performances.

Michael James became the conductor in 1975. He incorporated small-scale works into his programmes, as well as major choral masterpieces. Under his direction, the Society presented concerts in churches and halls outside Blandford, sometimes repeating the same concert in different venues.

Stephen Binnington directed the 1981 summer workshops and was appointed conductor in September 1981, after a season as accompanist. His preparation for concerts was meticulous, involving detailed rehearsal of each voice part in the section being studied before bringing the whole together. He introduced many new works to the Society and the region, including several first performances.

Ian Davis became our conductor in 1997. By that time the cost of mounting concerts was increasing steadily, and the choir had to operate under financial restraints for several years. Nevertheless the programme, mostly a combination of choral and orchestral items, was varied and interesting. He introduced three innovations. The first was the planning of a series of concerts and fund-raising events to raise money to enable the Society to perform a major, and very expensive, choral work with a full professional orchestra and first class soloists. The second, to increase the number of concerts from two a year to four, or even six, without repetition. The third, to hold joint concerts with Bournemouth College Choir, which he also conducted. Joint performances had the benefits of a large choir of about 140 voices, and the opportunity to perform in some large churches in Bournemouth and Poole which could accommodate the large numbers of performers, and had the acoustics to cope with the sound. The Society and members have performed in larger venues including the Wessex Hall, Poole and the Royal Albert Hall, London. Christmas Carols recorded by the choir have been broadcast by Classic FM.

Organist Bev Manning

In 2003 a quite unexpected legacy allowed the Society to relax some of the financial restraints and perform several expensive works each year. The money was bequeathed to the Society by Celia Sutton, a blind lady who had sung in the choir for many years. Such was her determination to enjoy singing that she recorded rehearsals on a small tape recorder and then learned her part by heart. The bequest was in thanks for that enjoyment. The benefit of the money can be seen in two annual programmes, 2003/04 and 2004/05 . There were five concerts in 03/04. The works performed included Haydn Te Deum, Poulenc Gloria, The Messiah, Allegri Miserere, Faure Requiem and Elgar The Dream of Gerontius. The programme for 04/05 comprised Handel Pueri Dominum, Rutter Magnificat, The Messiah again, Mozart Requiem and Verdi Requiem. An astonishing quantity and selection of music for a local amateur choir.