Teddington Choral Society   Founded 1951 Music Director: Geoffrey Bowyer MMus, FRCO (CHM), LRAM, ARCM (Hons) Chairman: Barry Buttenshaw MCPR, JP Secretary: Jean Mitelman Affiliated to Making Music (NFMS) Registered Charity No:299421R

Welcome to the Teddington Choral Society Website.

Teddington Choral Society (TCS) runs as an evening class offered by Richmond Adult Community College. We rehearse during term time on Monday evenings from 7:45pm to 9:45pm at at the United Reformed Church, First Cross Road, Twickenham Green.

Our Director of Music is Geoffrey Bowyer, an enthusiastic and talented local musician who arranges and composes as well as conducting four local choirs. TCS is currently around 70 strong; we are always on the lookout for new singers, particularly male voices. We perform three concerts a year: the Spring Concert is our serious one, usually a major oratorio or operatic piece; the Summer Soirée is of a lighter nature, usually themed and including a bring-your-own supper. In December we give a traditional Christmas Concert at which we perform a longer Christmas item. In September 2001, the choir celebrated its 50th anniversary. During these years, the society has had only five Musical Directors! Over its 50 plus years, the choir has performed in some very prestigious venues including The Royal Albert Hall,

The Royal Festival Hall and at Kneller Hall with the Band of the Royal Military School of Music. We have also entertained in Central Hall, Westminster, at Eastbourne, Chipping Norton, Wandsworth and at the Alexandra Palace.

Over the years, TCS has performed under many distinguished batons, including those of Sir Malcolm Sargent, Sir Adrian Boult, Sir Yehudi Menuhin and Vilem Tausky. More recently, in November 2000, the choir took part in The Richmond Millennium 2000 Concert at the Landmark Arts Centre, Teddington, performing Verdi’s Requiem with The Barnes Choir, Cantanti Camerati, Whitton Choral Society and The Richmond Orchestra, all under the baton of Phillip Hesketh. Then, in March of 2001, TCS performed the world première of Geoffrey Bowyer’s ‘A Pilgrim’s Requiem’, with Cantanti Camerati and the Teddington Symphonia. In 2004, some members of TCS formed part of the choir to be seen in the Bridget Jones film, The Edge Of Reason.

Thanks to these past successes and our imaginative choice of future programmes, TCS is thriving. We are always pleased to welcome new singers, regardless of age, especially those who enjoy their music making: we do like to rehearse and perform with our sense of humour switched on!

Barry Buttenshaw,
Chairman,
TCS

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