Our Heritage and History

1958-1971

Reginald G Harwood, previously the Society’s organist took to the conductor’s podium until 1971. Elizabeth Arnot remained accompanist.

Concerts were as follows:-

1958-1959. At the Music Hall - Mendelssohn’s Elijah

At St Chad’s Church - Rossini’s Stabat Mater and Handel’s 6th Chandos Anthem - As pants the hart

Autumn 1959 - Handel’s Judas Maccabeus (including contralto solo Janet Baker)

Winter 1959-60 - Messiah

Spring 1960 - Vaughan Williams’ Toward the Unknown Region, Schubert’s Song of Miriam

December 1960 - Dyson’s Canterbury Pilgrims

Winter 1960-1 - Messiah

Spring 1961 Mozart - Requiem and Ave Verum Corpus

Autumn 1961 - The Creation

January 1962 - Messiah

Spring 1962 - Dvorak’ Stabat Mater

December 1962 - Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens, Brahms’ Alto Rhapsody (with Janet Baker), Debussy’s Blessed Damozel, Vaughan Williams’ In Windsor Forest

Spring Concert 1963 - David Jones’ “The Diamond Years” does NOT tell us what was performed but joyfully announces that for the first time since 1954 a Choral Society concert made a profit!

December 1963 - Purcell’s King Arthur, Bach’s Coffee Cantata

December 1963 - Carol Concert raising £100 for the British Empire Cancer Campaign

Spring 1964 - Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle

December 1964 - Messiah - At this point the membership of the Choral Society numbered 132!

Spring 1965 - Bach’s St John Passion

The “Grand Old man of Shropshire Music”, our conductor from the Society’s re-formation for 18 years, Mr Frederick C Morris died on 12th July, 1965 aged 83.

Christmas 1965 - Carols for Christmas

28th April 1966 - 25th Anniversary Concert - Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius conducted by Charles Groves and accompanied by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

December 1966 - Mendelssohn’s Elijah

Spring 1967 - Fauré’s Requiem, Bach’s Magnificat.

December 1967 - not one, but two Carol Concerts with the Shropshire Schools’ Symphony Orchestra

February 1968 - Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony with the CBSO

Spring 1968 - Brahms’ A German Requiem

November 1968 and January 1969, performances of Messiah at St George’s Church, Frankwell and at Meole Brace Church

December 1968 - Carols and Christmas Music

February 1969 - Verdi’s Requiem with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic under Charles Groves

April 1969 - The Creation

October 1969 - Excerpts from Elijah, The Creation, A German Requiem and Messiah in aid of the British Red Cross Society

December 1969 - Two Carol Concerts with the Shropshire Schools’ Symphony Orchestra

February 1970 - Dyson’s Canterbury Pilgrims

Spring/summer 1970 - Vaughan Williams’ Benedicite, Bach Sleepers, Wake, Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum

Autumn 1970 - Vivaldi’s Gloria, Dvorak’s Te Deum, Handel’s The King Shall Rejoice

Spring 1971 - Bruckner’s Mass in F minor with the RLPO under Charles Groves

After the Spring Concert , Reginald Harwood tendered his resignation as Musical Director. He died shortly afterwards in September. He served the Society firstly as organist under Frederick Morris before succeeding him as Conductor. He was also Assistant Director of Music at Shrewsbury School, organist at St Chad’s and conductor of Oswestry Choral Society

Mr David Boarder, Music Master at the Priory School was appointed as the new conductor in June 1971