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David Chamberlain established the Mansfield Choral Society (MCS) in 1973 as a successor choir to the Ethel Housley Choir. The choir has been singing since 1974, when Ceefax and the Rubik’s Cube were the latest inventions. From relatively humble beginnings, the society has grown in numbers and influence - current membership is around the 50 mark - and is widely respected among the local musical fraternity. It has been said that singing with Mansfield Choral Society is a chance to sing some fantastic historical works that you just can’t get if you go down to the pub for a sing song. (Steve Hewlett-Davis).
There have been many well-known composers whose works have featured down the years include J.S. Bach, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Edward Elgar, W.A. Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi and George Gershwin. In the early days, the society performed an eclectic mix of music, from Smetana’s The Bartered Bride to Franz Liszt's Christus Oratorio, accompanied by Mansfield Woodhouse-born international pianist, John Ogdon. The choir sang for the Children’s Society to mark the Queen Mother’s 90th birthday and won Co-op and Music Club Shields in Mansfield Music Festival for several years running. In 1991, the Director’s baton was handed over to Martin Pickering, ex-chorister from the Chapel Royal at Windsor. The society continued to grow in size and musical scope and a particular highlight was an involvement in ‘Hallelujah for Hospices’, the World’s largest simultaneous performance of George Frideric Handel's Messiah that featured more than 150 UK choirs and 50 others from around the globe.
David Wilson became musical director in 2002, introducing members to new composers and new works and also improving sight reading, tonal accuracy and performance skills and in March 2012, Peter Siepmann - also organist and director of music at St Peter’s Church, Nottingham - was at the helm.
Accoustically, Southwell Minster, schools and local churches around Mansfield have all played host to the choir as well as venues further afield, including those in Nottingham, Grimsby and Surrey. There are no auditions for the choir. They do their best to include everyone. Members don’t have to stand if they are slightly infirm; and they can sing from a sheet if they can’t remember all the words. The number one attraction has been that people love to sing in a choir - it’s something that’s quite exciting and people get a buzz from it. |
