Our History and Heritage

1946-1958

During these years Frederick C Morris continued to conduct the Choral Society. John Stanier was the accompanist until 1951 when his commitments on being appointed to be organist at the Abbey meant he had to stand down. Reginald G Harwood took over as organist and Elizabeth Arnot became accompanist, a role in which she served for fifty years until her retirement in 2001.

Concerts were as follows:

Christmas 1951 - JS Bach’s Christmas Oratorio

January 1952 - Handel’s Messiah

Easter 1952 - Haydn’s The Creation

Christmas 1952 - Excerpts from Messiah and Christmas Oratorio

Early Spring 1953 - Handel - Acis and Galatea

Frederick Morris’ 70th Birthday party concert - Edward German’s Merrie England

Christmas 1953 - Messiah

Spring 1954 - Haydn’s The Seasons

Combined concert with Shrewsbury Operatic Society and Orchestral Society - Edward German’s opera Tom Jones

Autumn 1954 - Brahm’s Requiem

Christmas 1954 - Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols

January 1955 - Messiah

Spring 1955 - Coleridge-Taylor’s The Song of Hiawatha

October 1955 - Handel’s Samson

November 1955 - Messiah

December 1955 - Carols and Christmas Music

Spring 1956 - Smetana - The Bartered Bride

Autumn 1956 - Schubert Mass in G, Brahms Song of Destiny, Bach Magnificat in D

Christmas 1956 - Carols and Christmas Music

Spring 1957 - A program of music by Elgar including The Music Makers, Sea Pictures and the Epilogue from The Banner of St George

Autumn 1957 - Messiah

Christmas 1957 - Carols and Christmas Music

Spring 1958 Fauré’s Requiem, William Boyce’s O Sing unto the Lord, JS Bach’s Gloria from the Mass in B minor

Frederick Morris retired after 18 years of service to the Society. He has also been conductor of the Shrewsbury Orchestral Society for 33 years and the Operatic Society for 30 years and was awarded the MBE during the 1955-6 season. The Society’s organist Reginald Harwood became Conductor.