Past Choral Society Concerts since 2021

Sun, 13 Jul 2025

The concert was a journey of darkness to light:

• Haydn's Nelson Mass or 'Mass in Troubled Times' opened the concert.
• Britten's Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings. explored the sinister and calm aspects of darkness with six poems.

After the interval

• Ola Gjeilo's Sunrise Mass was a wonderfully uplifting end to our concert.

National Festival Orchestra with Rachel Fright on continuo

Soloists
Soprano: Rachel Abbott
Mezzo-soprano: Merel Magali Cox
Tenor: Chris Why
Bass: Charlie Trueman
Horn: David Tollington

Conductor: Tom Newall

Comments from the audience:
‘Lovely, I enjoyed every part of the concert,’
‘The choir are superb.’
‘…amazing quality’
‘The Benjamim Britten was excellent.’
‘The Gjeilo was beautiful’.
‘I loved it all,’

More photogaphs to be posted later

Sat, 12 Apr 2025

A Joint Concert with Champion Section Brass Band Acceler8

Acceler8 Band Congleton Choral Society cond Tom Newall Acceler8 Band and Congleton Choral Society cond Jeff Sparkes
 - Interval -

Acceler8 Band and Congleton Choral Society cond Tom Newall
The concert was sold out. At the end of The Armed Man the audience gave a well-deserved standing ovation.

Dennis Dunn MBE JP DL wrote:

Sat, 21 Dec 2024

Concert Programme

Sans Day Carol - Traditional Cornish arr John Rutter
O Little Town of Bethlehem (with audience) - Traditional English arr Vaughan Williams
A Winter Day - Sarah Quartel
Away in a Manger (with audience) - J Kirkpatrick arr Willcocks
Items by Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet

Interval

Once in Royal David's City * (with audience)
Two pieces from Hodie - Vaughan Williams
Sleep Sleep, beauty bright - Rachel Fright
O Radiant Dawn - James Macmillan
Coventry Carol - 16th century, arr Stephen McNeff
It came upon the midnight clear * - Traditional English
Adam lay y bounden - Boris Ord
O come all ye faithful (with audience) * - J F Wade arr Willcocks
Hark the Herald Angels Sing (with audience) * - Mendelssohn arr Willcocks
We Wish you a merry Christmas * - Old French tune arr Stephen McNeff

Conductor: Tom Newall
* Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet
Pianist: Rachel Fright
Cellist: David Valentine (for Quartel's A Winter Day)

Kay Wesley, Mayor of Congleton wrote:
"Had a fantastic night at the Congleton Choral Society’s Christmas Concert. An excellent programme including the beautiful new ‘Cradle Song’ by Rachel Fright, plus stirring sounds from the brass quintet of Wilmslow Symphony Orchestra. I’ve decided all big carols need a fanfare! The singers were perfect as ever, an inspiring and festive evening. Thank you so much Tom Newall and the glorious Choral Society!"

Sat, 16 Nov 2024

Concert Programme

Choir Robyn Pullen Samuel Snowden: Robyn Pullen & Samuel Snowden [Interval]
Choir & Soloists
Kay Wesley, Mayor of Congleton wrote:
"Fabulous night with the Congleton Choral Society with soloists Robyn Pullen and Samuel Snowden and pianists Rachel Fright and Lauryna Sableviciute. A lovely repertoire culminating with a discovery (for me) of Brahms Requiem. Great choice, Tom Newall Conductor and well sung by all. Wonderful performance! Thank you so much."

Other Comments from the Audience:
‘It was a fabulous concert. The sound was amazing: the quiet parts were moving and beautiful, the loud bits blew me away. Loved the soloists and the piano, just brilliant. Great job everyone.’

‘The audience was treated to an exciting and outstanding concert. Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens followed by the captivating solos from Robyn Pullen and Samuel Snowden completed the first half. The rendition of the Brahms’ 'A German Requiem’ for four hands on one piano was a dynamic and sensitive interpretation of the music by the accompanists, Rachel and Lauryna, with the soloists and choir being admirably led by the Music Director, Tom Newall.’

‘The solos were a delight: so refreshing to hear two voices full of youthful vigour. Robyn Pullen (soprano) has a pure, sweet voice, yet can project considerable power. Both singers communicate warm, humorous personalities. Samuel Snowden (baritone) has a warm, full tone and charmed the audience with his wit. His musical selections were the more interesting, being unfamiliar to most of us. I especially enjoyed the Michaela Wagner piece, which Samuel Snowden claimed to have commissioned. The two artists performed the duet “La ci darem la mano” from Don Giovanni with wit and humour. The audience loved it, me included.’

Tom wrote after the concert:
‘Thank you so much. Huge congratulations on a wonderful concert last night! You have worked so hard on a very difficult piece, in German too and last night was without question one of the highlights of my time as your Music Director. The attention to detail, architecture of the music and confidence in delivery was very impressive and noted by audience members and soloists alike. We are so lucky to have Rachel as our accompanist, but the true extent of her skills were on full show last night, alongside Lauryna and two wonderful soloists.’

Sat, 13 Jul 2024

The theme of our Summer Concert was Creation: the Natural World and its future, and our place as custodians who also celebrate the joys and pleasures we find there.

1. Evening Hymn - Balfour Gardiner
2. Creation Song - Bob Chilcott
3. Dusk Falls (from The Gardener) - Lucy Armstrong
4. Five Mystical Songs - Ralph Vaughan Williams
5. Linden Lea - Ralph Vaughan Williams
6. An Die Nachtigall - Johannes Brahms (Bass solo)
7. Stridono Lassù - Ruggero Leoncallo (Soprano solo)
8. Songs My Heart has Taught Me - Bob Chilcott
9. Earthrise & The World Awakens (from Our Future in your Hands) - Laura Attridge

Conductor: Tom Newall
Pianist: Rachel Fright
Baritone: Graham McCusker
Soprano: Fiona Finsbury

For further information about the music, you can download the "Concert Article" and the "Concert Programme" below.

Sat, 13 Apr 2024

Two vastly contrasting pieces:
The Music Makers - Elgar
Messa di Gloria - Puccini

Both Puccini and Elgar were famous in their lifetimes. Think of a great English composer with memorable tunes and Elgar comes to mind. Think of a great Italian composer with memorable tunes and Puccini presents himself. Puccini composed the Messa di Gloria  as his graduation exercise with its first performance in Lucca on July 12, 1880 but was not performed until sixty years later. Elgar composedThe Music Makers  for the Birmingham Festival in 1912 and was his last major choral work. The piece is satisfyingly scattered with musical references to his other works: The Dream of Gerontius, Sea Pictures. his Symphonies, the Violin Concerto and "Nimrod" (from the Enigma Variations).

Orchestra: The National Festival Orchestra , leader: Sally Robinson
Conductor: Tom Newall
Mezzo-soprano: Emily Howard Cobley
Tenor: Seán Ruane
Bass: Miles Taylor

Comment from the audience:
"How lucky are we here in Congleton, to have such a wonderful Choral Society. The concert on Saturday was sublime, a wonderful night out; outstanding singing accompanied by a fabulous orchestra"

Sun, 10 Dec 2023

We sang carols old and new - some for for choir and some for both choir and audience

The carols by the choir were

• Sans Day Carol, a traditional Cornish carol arranged by John Rutter
• Four carols from The Manchester Carols by Sasha Johnson Manning & Carol Ann Duffy (see note below**)
• Sure on this shining night by Morten Lauridsen
• On this silent night by Sarah Quartel
• The crown of roses by Tchaikovsky
• The truth sent from above, a traditional English tune arranged by Vaughan Williams

The Audience joined in with these carols (all arraned by David Willcocks unless otherwise stated)

• Deck the hall with boughs of holly, a traditional Welsh carol
• The first Nowell, a traditional English carol
• Good King Wenceslas from Piae Cantiones
• Hark! the herald-angels sing by Felix Mendelsshon
• O come, all ye faithful by J F Wade
• A Merry Christmas, traditional English arranged by Warrell

** Poet, Carol Ann Duffy, writes in the Foreword to The Manchester Carols: "Whether we have Christian faith or not, the Christmas story is a wonderfully powerful one...It celebrates the great joys of love, in all its forms, but the light of love is burning against the darkness of hatred and oppression...I wanted to write carols which reflected this but which were, above all, brimming with joy."

Conductor: Tom Newall
Pianist: Rachel Fright

Comments from the audience
'The choir was great, as usual!'
'The content was refreshingly different from the usual carol concert.'
'The music was beautiful.'

Sun, 5 Nov 2023

The main work in our concert was Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle which is neither little nor solemn! On the contrary, it’s big, exuberant and joyful; a wonderful musical experience for performers and audience alike.

We began the concert with Palestrina’s unaccompanied Sicut Cervus. It is one of Palestrina’s most popular and beautiful motets, and expresses a gentle spiritual yearning and longing for God.

Conductor: Tom Newall
Pianist: Rachel Fright
Harmonium: Tomek Pieczora

Soprano: Sarah Helsby Hughes
Contralto: Kathleen Wilkinson
Tenor: Philip Clieve
Bass: Miles Oliver Taylor

• Review of the concert

Sat, 15 Jul 2023

Congleton Choral Society’s Summer concert 2023 was dedicated to the memory of our late accompanist, Andrew Green. We sang some of Andrew's favourite music:

1. I was glad -Parry, Charles Hubert
2. The Bluebird - Stanford, Charles Villiers
3. Requiem (excerpts) - Fauré, Gabriel
4. Elijah (excerpts) - Mendelssohn, Felix
5. Jubilate Deo - Britten, Benjamin
6. Beatus Vir - Monteverdi, Claudio
7. O magnum mysterium - Lauridsen, Morten
8. Ave verum corpus - Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
9. Up where we belong - Nitzsche, Sainte-Marie & Jennings, arr. Beesley, Jo

• Andrew Burr: Piano
• Tom Newall: Conductor

Sat, 1 Apr 2023

George Frideric Handel: Dixit Dominus
George Frideric Handel: Zadok the Priest
Johann Sebastian Bach: Magnificat

• Tom Newall — Conductor
• Daniella Sicari — Soprano
• Rachel Abbott — Soprano
• Emily Howard — Mezzo-soprano
• Alex Kirkland — Tenor
• Jordan Harding — Baritone
• Baroque in the North period-instrument orchestra, leader Amanda Babington

Comments from the audience
"Super concert!"
"Zadok the Priest was electrifying!"
"The concert was enthralling, you really got the genuine Baroque vibe."
"As soon as I heard that first note of Zadok the hairs on the back of my neck stood up!"
"Brilliant concert last night - really enjoyed it. Very professional. A credit to you all."

Sat, 17 Dec 2022

Carols old and new, including
Cecilia McDowall’s A Winter’s Night
and music from S J Manning’s Manchester Carols.

Sat, 19 Nov 2022

Carl Orff: Carmina Burana
Lili Boulanger: Soleils de Septembre
Igor Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms

• Tom Newall — Conductor
• Daniella Sicari — Soprano
• Joe Buckmaster — Tenor
• Jordan Harding — Baritone
• The Junior Choir of the King’s School Maccelsfield, Conductor Paul Vowles
• Roderick Barrand and Lauryna Sablevicuite — Pianos
• Percussion ensemble

Comments from the audience
‘Astonishing performance of a really challenging programme, congratulations!’
‘The last chorus from Carmina Burana was spine tingling!’
‘Very impressed with the volume and quality of sound from the choir.’
‘.One of the choir’s best performances … loved the Carmina. Percussion and soloists brilliant.’
‘The soloists were exemplary, especially Congleton’s own Jordan Harding, whose beautiful voice had the perfect sonority for the part.’
‘The programme was diverse and exciting; the performance standard incredibly high — it made me feel proud to come from Congleton. I’m looking forward to the Christmas Concert on the 17th December.’

Sat, 16 Jul 2022

Feel the Spirit: A concert of African-American spirituals

1. Feel the Spirit: A Cycle of Spirituals - John Rutter
2. Swing low sweet chariot -Arr. Andrew Pryce Jackman
3. My Lord, what a mornin' - Arr. H T Burleigh
4. Plenty good room - Kirkby Shaw
5. I want Jesus to walk with me - Arr. Roderick Williams
6. Five African-American Spirituals from A Child of our Time - Michael Tippett
7. Joshual fit the battle of Jericho - Arr. Moses Hogan
8. Didn't my Lord deliver Daniel - Arr. Carl Haywood
9. Amazing Grace - Arr. Will Todd

• Emily Howard Cobley — Mezzo-soprano
• Tom Newall— Conductor
• Andrew Green — Accompanist

 Comments from the audience
‘A lovely sound…some beautiful harmonies… I enjoyed Tom’s explanations of the music.’
‘Thank you so much for a delightful evening… The originality of [choice to perform] spirituals was very much appreciated and enjoyed.’
‘Very emotional, I felt close involvement with some of the songs… Liked the variety, not too heavy.’
‘I really enjoyed the programme, especially the Tippett.’
‘Very moving, I think Tom’s contribution helped to pull us in by talking about the history of the pieces and setting it in context. I found it very emotional at times.’
‘The performances were especially moving in the hushed items - I noted Rutter's “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child” and the Tippett “Nobody knows” and “Go down Moses” — these were deeply affecting.’
‘The choir were very relaxed and seemed really into the spirit of the music.’

Sat, 2 Apr 2022

Mendelssohn's Elijah

Drought, famine, fire, flood, earthquake and a whirlwind, with a fiery chariot drawn by fiery horses; all were dramatized in Mendelssohn’s mighty Elijah, with some beautiful lyrical passages of music in between. With fantastic performances by our outstanding soloists, backed by the Congleton Synfonia, leader Adam Riding and conducted by our MD, Tom Newall.

• Louis Hurst — Bass/baritone (Elijah)
• Rachel Abbott — Soprano
• Emily Howard Cobley — Mezzo-soprano
• Philip Clieve — Tenor
• Florrie Hulbert — The Youth
• Congleton Synfonia, leader Adam Riding
• Conductor — Tom Newall

Comments from the audience
'My first ever trip to watch Congleton Choral Society. Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah was fantastic! What wonderful voices, with Congleton Sinfonia’s amazing musicians, in the lovely Town Hall.'
'A totally absorbing and outstanding performance.'
'The performance had great drama and moving moments of real beauty. Louis Hurst (Bass-Baritone, Elijah) was magnificent!'
'Last night was a wonderful experience for all who attended. The singing by the choir was beautiful and uplifting and the soloists put so much expression into the words they were singing. Congleton Sinfonia were superb and together it made for an exceptional concert of music making. Thank you to all the music makers.'

Thu, 16 Dec 2021

Christmas Concert 2021
Carols and Christmas music — our 50th anniversary concert

Because of Covid19 we were unable to perform our Christmas Concert in public but we are delighted to present it to you as we filmed it at Trinity Church, Congleton on 16th December 2021. This recording is available on demand

• Link to video of Christmas Concert

 There is no charge for watching, but if you enjoy it, we would welcome a donation.