Singing in Wadebridge
Wadebridge Choral Society (WCS) was formed over 38 years ago and promotes a love of music making, developing public education and appreciation of music and singing. We are affiliated to Making Music, actively encouraging adults of all ages to discover the fun and health benefits of singing in a friendly choir. WCS has grown in number and musical technicality, tackling works that are rewarding to sing as they are for the listener.
We are extremely fortunate to have an inspirational Director of Music, Nicholas Danks, who divides his time between Cornwall and Cambridge University where he is a Fellow and Director of Music at Corpus Christi College. Nick’s wealth of musical experience ensures our music is presented to an extremely high standard with the assistance of Stephen Tyrrell, our outstanding accompanist and performer in his own right.
Our performance calendar includes four concerts per year. Spring and autumn concerts feature major formal works with professional soloists and orchestra, a summer concert often with young musicians, and a Carol Concert to celebrate the festive season in December with a mix of carols for choir and audience plus copious supplies of mulled wine and mince pies!
History of Wadebridge Choral Society
Wadebridge Choral Society was formed after a casual staff-room conversation at Wadebridge School between Sandy Hancock, who taught German and Janet Townsend, the Deputy Head of Music. Janet volunteered her services as the Conductor and Verna Jones, then Head of the Music Department, agreed to be the accompanist. The first rehearsal of the newly formed choir took place on the 14th January 1986 at the School and on the 10th May, the first concert took place in Egloshayle Church.
Elizabeth Fryer succeeded Janet in 1989 and introduced Summer Singing with a lighter repertoire and established the pattern of those concerts. After Elizabeth’s retirement in March 1998, Tony Tournoff directed the choir until 2010, after which our current Director of Music, Nicholas Danks began his tenure.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary in 2011 the choir performed a Cornish Cantata which had been commissioned by the choir. A long standing supporter of the choir, David Briggs, composed the work and the libretto was based upon extracts from Sir John Betjeman’s poetry about Cornwall. The Senior Chamber Choir from St Joseph’s School Launceston performed with the choir and the concert was a huge success.
Since 2013 the choir holds an annual Singing Day Workshop where we learn a new piece from ‘scratch’. We have enjoyed Mozart Requiem, Handel Israel in Egypt and in 2015 we tackled Verdi Requiem.
A generous grant from Wadebridge Renewable Energy allowed us to purchase a lightweight set of staging for use in various venues.
Our Past Glories:
Vivaldi: Gloria
Verdi: Requiem
Bach: Christmas Oratorio and St. John Passion
Mozart: Requiem
Puccini: Messa Di Gloria
David Briggs: A Cornish Cantata
Samuel Coleridge Taylor: Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast
Rossini: Petite Mess Solennelle
Britten: St Nicolas
Haydn: Mass in D Minor (Nelson)
Mendelssohn: Elijah
Brahms: German Requiem
Haydn: Paukenmesse
Dvorak: Te Deum