Founded in 1883, Saffron Walden Choral Society is one of the oldest established choirs in the UK.
140th Annversary Concert in Saffron Hall 2023
Saffron Walden Choral Society gave its first concert on 8 May 1883 in the Town Hall, conducted by Mr T J Frye. It included choruses from Handel’s Acis and Galatea and various songs performed by individual members. 15 instrumentalists and 40 singers took part. The concert was reviewed in the Essex Herald on 14 May: “the programme was very creditably carried out”.
It is heartwarming to think of all those local people (young and old) who have had the joy of singing with Saffron Walden Choral Society from 1883 to the present day. Although there are a few gaps in our records, we’ve put together a list of all the concerts that we know about since 1883.
Our information about the early days of the choir is limited, but we know that it
It is heartwarming to think of all those local people (young and old) who have had the joy of singing with Saffron Walden Choral Society from 1883 to the present day. Although there are a few gaps in our records, we’ve put together a list of all the concerts that we know about since 1883.
Our information about the early days of the choir is limited, but we know that it
- Performed Handel: Judas Maccabeus 14 May 1891 at the Town Hall conducted by Mr F Dewbury: “a successful performance”
- Joined in a concert of Popular Songs with the Saffron Walden Musical Society on 15 May 1912
- Continued to perform during both World Wars
- Was awarded the Duffield Challenge Cup by The Essex Musical Association in May 1936
- Took part in a concert in Chelmsford under the auspices of The Essex Musical Association, with several other Essex choral societies on 11 May 1946
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Throughout the second half of the 20th century, we only have a few random press cuttings in our archives:
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| Herts & Essex Observer 7 Apr 1967 Conductor: Norman Hearn |
Rehearsing Handel: Messiah at St Mary’s Church in May 1982. Conductor: Quintus Benziger |
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| Press release for the Spirit of Christmas concert in December 1984 Conductor: Michael Howorth |
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Fortunately, for the 21st century we have a much more extensive archive of posters, programmes and photographs.
Saffron Walden Choral Society undertook two amazing large projects involving schools and other local organisations, under the leadership of its conductor, Janet Wheeler:
“Wingbeats” in 2007 was a collaboration with the RSPB and local schools. The concert included a large model of an albatross flying down the aisle of St. Mary’s Church!
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“MazeMusic” in 2012 was part of the London 2012 Festival. This Gala Concert celebrated the rich history of Saffron Walden and was performed in St Mary’s Church:
Janet Wheeler composed a number of wonderful pieces for the Choral Society during her time as its Musical Director. She also saw the choir embark on its concert performances at the amazing Saffron Hall from 2013 onwards and led it through the difficult times of Covid lockdowns, when she persevered with Zoom workshops to keep us singing. Janet retired after 30 years in 2022.
The relationship with Saffron Hall has led to wonderful opportunities for the choir – performing Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Marin Alsop, and Christmas concerts with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the LPO.
Quintin Beer was appointed as Musical Director in April 2022 and the choir has continued to thrive under his leadership. To celebrate our 140th Anniversary in 2023, we commissioned a new work - "Sing Joyfully" by Roderick Williams.
You can see photos and testimonials of concerts over the past few years on our Past Performances page.
Key historical materials from our archives are held by the Gibson Library in Saffron Walden, and the main historical programme and poster archive is now stored on permanent loan at the Essex Records Office, where it is publicly accessible.
The relationship with Saffron Hall has led to wonderful opportunities for the choir – performing Walton: Belshazzar’s Feast with the London Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Marin Alsop, and Christmas concerts with the BBC Concert Orchestra and the LPO.
Quintin Beer was appointed as Musical Director in April 2022 and the choir has continued to thrive under his leadership. To celebrate our 140th Anniversary in 2023, we commissioned a new work - "Sing Joyfully" by Roderick Williams.
You can see photos and testimonials of concerts over the past few years on our Past Performances page.
Key historical materials from our archives are held by the Gibson Library in Saffron Walden, and the main historical programme and poster archive is now stored on permanent loan at the Essex Records Office, where it is publicly accessible.
