Holmfirth Choral Society.

is a mixed choir singing a range of styles, but enjoying most oratorios and masses. We don’t audition new members – we are open to anyone wishing to sing with us who feels able to be part of our friendly group of singers. We do try to reach a high standard of musicianship, and some of our concerts are accompanied by the Valley Sinfonia, a very competent group of local orchestral players.

New members welcome!

We practise on Thursday evenings in Holmfirth Methodist Church, 7.30 until 9pm (sometimes later when a concert is imminent!). Our concerts traditionally were held in Holmfirth Civic Hall, but more recently we have given some concerts in local churches.

You are welcome to try us out with no obligation. We sing mostly oratorios and masses or similar, often in Latin, but a wide range of other styles too. We don’t usually audition members – in that sense, we are really a community choir, but we do sing moderately difficult music, so although there’s no requirement to be able to read music, it does help if you have some reading experience.

Our history

There was a Holmfirth Choral Society back in the 19th century, but it eventually wound up in the 1930s. The present Society started life as Holmfirth Parish Church Choral Society, which was basically the choir of the church that was augmented by singers from other churches and chapels specifically to put on a concert to raise money for the relief of victims of a serious flood which occurred in Holmfirth in 1946. The concert was successful, and the singers decided to continue as a group, which soon was renamed as Holmfirth Choral Society, and it has staged at least 3 concerts each season since then, apart from during the covid period.

Our second concert of the 24/25 season is a Christmas-themed concert in our rehearsal venue – Holmfirth Methodist Church, to be followed by a Buffet Tea in the community room there. Tickets for the concert are available from Choral members; you are welcome to stay for the tea for which donations will be welcomed.

The concert will include some of the Christmas music from Handel’s Messiah together with a selection of Christmas music both popular and less well-known. There will also be a few carols for all.

The first major concert of our 2024-2025 season was a performance of one of Rossini’s latest works, written only a couple of years before his death. Although entitled “Petite” – small, it is a full-length mass, using the Latin words that are very familiar to Holmfirth Choral members. Perhaps it was small in the sense that it was written originally for just 12 singers, but most modern performances are by larger choirs – as is ours.

There are four solo parts – for which we welcomed four singers all of whom have sung with us before: Julia Morley (soprano), Sarah Ogden (mezzo soprano), Alistair Donaghue (tenor) and Daniel Sumner (baritone).

Accompaniment was on piano (played by Chris Pulleyn), and harmonium (played by our accompanist Malcolm Hinchliffe)

It was a resounding success – the choir was on form, the quartet of soloists was superbly balanced with excellent solo performances, and some magnificent playing on piano and harmonium.