75 years of choral music for Ampthill

The 2022-23 season marks 75 years of the Ampthill & District Choral Society. Being able to return to singing after an enforced break due to the pandemic has been great for all the choir members and we were pleased to welcome Alan Childs as our new Director of Music for the 2022-23 season.

The Spring Concert takes place on Saturday 21st May, at 7.30pm in St Andrew’s Church Ampthill, when we will be singing Hummel’s Mass in Bb and the Magnificat by JC Bach. Both these are new to the choir and we have enjoyed learning them!

If you enjoy choral singing and would like to find out more about the choir please come along, or join us for the 2022-23 season, our rehearsals recommence in September.

2021 Christmas Concert

Join us as we celebrate Christmas with the return of our always-popular Christmas Concert. This year we are again at Parkside Hall, at 7.30pm on Monday 13th December. The programme will feature John W. Peterson’s cantata Night of Miracles, along with other carols and readings and of course some audience favourites to sing along with. Tickets are £10 on the door and include a drink and a mince pie.

You can also see us at the Christmas Tree Festival at St Andrews Church, Ampthill, 1pm Saturday 4th December. Come and enjoy the Christmas tree displays and some great Christmas music.

Christmas Concert 2019

Ampthill & District Choral Society are holding their Christmas Concert on Monday 9th December at Parkside Hall, Ampthill at 7:30pm.
Programme: Born a King by William Lloyd Webber and all your favourite Christmas Carols
Tickets are priced at £10 are available on the door. We will be serving drinks and nibbles after the performance. We hope you are able to join us for what promises to be a very enjoyable evening.

The Messiah – Bring & Sing

On 23rd March 2019 Ampthill Choral was joined by members of other local choirs for a performance of Handel’s Messiah at Ampthill Methodist Church. The combined choir numbered over 80 and gathered for an afternoon rehearsal under the direction of Karen Beer, with Justin Waters on the organ and, for the evening performance, soloists Alison Chambers (Soprano), Helen Rotchell (Alto), Derek Archer (Tenor) and Richard Cowling (Bass). The choirs will join forces again for another performance in 2020.

Afternoon rehearsal.

Right to left: Karen Beer, Justin Waters, Richard Cowling (Bass), Alison Chambers (Soprano), Helen Rotchell (Alto), Derek Archer (Tenor).

New year – new venture!

As well as our usual Spring Concert (18th May) Ampthill Choral will be hosting its first ‘Bring and Sing‘ performance of Handel’s Messiah. This will take place on 23rd March at Ampthill Methodist Church. Under the baton of Karen Beer and with organist Justin Waters, we will rehearse during the afternoon and the performance, comprising a selection of choruses and arias, with soprano, alto, tenor and bass soli, will take place in the evening. If you would like to sing with us please come along. The cost is £10, which will include music hire. If you would like to hear the evening performance, tickets are £10, payable on the door.

 

Christmas is coming

The Christmas lights are on in Ampthill, so Christmas is just around the corner. Our Christmas Concert is only a couple of weeks away – Monday 10th December, 7.30pm at Parkside Hall, Ampthill (entry £10, includes refreshments). Come along and listen to a varied programme of Christmas music and readings, and join is with some favourite carols.

We will also be singing a short programme of Christmas music at the Christmas Tree Festival at St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill, on Saturday 1st December at 3pm. So come and enjoy the Christmas displays and some great Christmas music.

2018 Spring Concert

The culmination of the season is the Spring Concert. This year’s concert, our second under the direction of Karen Beer, was again held at Ampthill Methodist Church and Justin Wells pulled out all the stops to accompany Rutter’s Requiem and Poulenc’s Gloria on the church’s organ. We were delighted to be joined by soprano Elizabeth Bottone and cellist Luke Howard. Luke also treated us to two pieces written for the cello.

The choir now has a summer break, rehearsals for the 2018-19 season start in September. If you would like to joint the choir please get in touch.

2107 Christmas Concert

The Society ended its 70th anniversary year with a Christmas Concert held, for the first time, at Parkside Hall. The festive programme included part of Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, carols performed by the choir, solos, readings and some favourite carols for choir and audience. It was great to welcome everyone to share the choir’s enjoyment of a musical Christmas.

We are now looking forward to starting rehearsals in January for the Spring Concert which will be on 12th May 2018.

2017-18 season approaches

After the excitement of our 70th anniversary concert in May, rehearsals resume on 11th September for the 2017-18 season. The mainstays of the season are the Christmas Concert (18th December) and the Spring Concert (12th May 2018), with a varied programme of choral works. We look forward to welcoming you to the concerts.

If you would like to join the choir please come along to a rehearsal or contact us to find out more.

Ampthill Choral Society at 70!

The choir at the 70th Anniversary Concert, Ampthill Methodist Church.

(photo: Gerald Lewis)