The St. Neots Choral Society is a local society performing four concerts a year (the Summer Concert and the Carol Concert are in conjuntion with St. Neots Sinfonia). All our members and venues are local to St. Neots.
The Choral Society began as the Longsands School Choir when staff and pupils performed a concert version of Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas". The two performances were rapturously received and led to the formation of a choral society, to enable members of the school, staff, parents and friends to perform works beyond the scope of the school choir. Subsequently, the Society became independent and so was able to secure funding support from the Arts Council, allowing the Society to perform major works which were previously outside the scope of a school choir.
Since then, the Society has grown in strength and now regularly performs four concerts each year usually in St Mary's Church in Eaton Socon. although conmcerts have also been given in St Neots, Parish Church (also St Mary's) and the Priory Centre in St Neots The summer concert and the carol concert are produced jointly with the St. Neots Sinfonia.
Directed since its inception by Reginald Searle, the society has performed works by such composers as Bach, Beethoven, Brahms through to Vaughan Williams and Vivaldi, as well as contemporary pieces by Andrew Carter and John Rutter. In a more light-hearted vein, there have been Gilbert and Sullivan and opera selections, and "Last Night of the Proms" concerts. An annual family carol concert is held in St.Mary's Church, Eaton Socon. More detail can be found in
The Early Years which describes the development of the society over its first 25 years.
We always welcome new members so if you like the idea of singing in a local choir, perfoming the best of classical music, please get in touch using the details on the
Contact page.
St Neots Choral Society is a Registered Charity - No. 1026468.
