Huddersfield Choral Society

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Huddersfield Choral Society
Origin Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England
GenresClassical choral music
Years active1836 (1836)–present
Labels Signum Records
Website www.huddersfieldchoral.com

Huddersfield Choral Society is a choir based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It was founded in 1836, and is recognised as one of Britain's leading choirs. [1] Over the years, the choir has performed most of the major works in the choral repertoire, and has had numerous works commissioned for it, including works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Walton. [2] The choir has made numerous recordings and broadcasts. [3] [4] [5] Two of its albums made an appearance in the UK Albums Chart. These were The Hymns Album (1986, #8) and The Carols Album (1986, #29). [6]

Contents

Members of the Huddersfield Choral Society have drawn parallels between the 2025 film The Choral and their ensemble, as the plot of the film revolves around a 1916 performance of Edward Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius , which the Society had also programmed during the First World War, to be conducted by Elgar himself. [7]

Discography

Year of recordingWork / AlbumArtistsRecord label
1946Messiah, G.F.HandelLiverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Malcolm Sargent (conductor)Columbia
1954Messiah, G.F.HandelLiverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent (conductor)Columbia
1959Messiah, G.F.HandelRoyal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Malcolm Sargent (conductor)HMV
1986The Hymns Album Owain Arwel Hughes (conductor)EMI
1986The Carols AlbumOwain Arwel Hughes (conductor)EMI
1993A Christmas CelebrationSellers Engineering Band, Brian Kay (conductor)Chandos Brass [8]
1994The Wreckers (world premiere recording)BBC Philharmonic, Odaline de la Martinez (conductor)Conifer Records Limited
2000A Christmas FantasyBlack Dyke Mills Band, John Foster (conductor)Chandos Brass
2002Symphony No. 3 'The Muses', Cyril Scott BBC Philharmonic, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)Chandos
2003Works for Chorus and Orchestra, Sir Arnold Bax BBC Philharmonic, Martyn Brabbins (conductor)Chandos
2006Messiah, G.F.Handel arr. W.A.Mozart Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras (conductor)Signum Classics
2006The Hymns AlbumDarius Battiwalla (organ), Joseph Cullen (conductor)Signum Classics
2007The Carols AlbumDarius Battiwalla (organ), Joseph Cullen (conductor)Signum Classics
2009The Crucifixion, StainerDarius Battiwalla (organ), Joseph Cullen (conductor)Signum Classics
2010Messiah, G.F.Handel Northern Sinfonia, Jane Glover (conductor)Signum Classics
2016Anthem: Great British Hymns & Choral Works Thomas Trotter (organ), Aidan Oliver (conductor)Signum Classics
2019Caractacus, Sir E. Elgar Orchestra of Opera North, Martyn Brabbins (conductor),Hyperion Records
2026The Dream of Gerontius, Sir E. Elgar Orchestra of Opera North, Martyn Brabbins (conductor), RNCM (choir)Hyperion Records

References

  1. ↑ "Huddersfield Choral Society". Yorkshire Awards. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  2. ↑ "Huddersfield Choral Society - About Us". Huddersfield Choral Society. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  3. ↑ "Major Past Performances to January 2011" (PDF). Huddersfield Choral Society. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
  4. ↑ "Huddersfield Choral Society". Signum Records. Archived from the original on 15 October 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  5. ↑ "Reviews - Huddersfield Choral Society - Classical Music Recordings - CD, DVD, SACD". www.classicstoday.com. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
  6. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 262. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  7. ↑ Johnson, Emily (8 November 2025). "The Choral: 'It's got to be about us' says Huddersfield choir". BBC News. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Huddersfield Choral Society on Chandos". Chandos. Retrieved 12 September 2011.

The Dream of Gerontius CD

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