Latest News

Whether you are wanting to meet new people, dusting off your singing skills or looking to develop your choral singing, join Ipswich Choral Society at our next open rehearsal, where you will receive a very warm welcome.

ICS Music Director Chris Borrett will be guiding the choir through pieces such as Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ (from 9th Symphony), Handel’s ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and other choral classics by Vivaldi and Brahms. The open rehearsal will be on the 3^rd June, starting 7.30pm at Northgate Arts Centre, where Ipswich Choral Society rehearses every Tuesday during term time.

The evening will provide an opportunity for those wanting a behind-the-scenes view of the choir, meeting ICS members and finding out about other aspects of Ipswich Choral Society. As well as scheduled concerts showcasing our efforts, we regularly take part in community events, such as Ipswich Music Day. We love collaborating with fellow members of Ipswich Arts Association and other groups, most recently with Halifax Choral Society performing Bach’s St Matthew Passion in Halifax Minster.

If you enjoy singing a wide repertoire of choral music in a relaxed and friendly environment in the company of like-minded singers, then Ipswich Choral Society could be for you. Drop us an email to recruitment@ipswichchoralsociety.org to come along to our open rehearsal and see for yourself!

Ipswich Choral Society Open Rehearsal

Date: Tuesday 3rd June 2025

Time: 7.30-9.30pm

Venue: Northgate Arts Centre, Sidegate Lane West, Ipswich IP4 3DF

Please email recruitment@ipswichchoralsociety.org if interested in taking part.

Download our flyer and share with your family and friends!

The start of a new year is always exciting and for Ipswich Choral Society especially as they welcomed their new Music Director Chris Borrett. Chris is well-known in Ipswich having been appointed Director of Music at Ipswich Minster in 2015, where he trains the choristers, recruiting them through workshops from over fifteen local schools.

After studying music at New College Oxford, Chris sang professionally in London and across the world. He was a member of the Monteverdi Choir and a founding member of the Marian Consort. Chris also directs the Ipswich Minster Chamber Choir. His work also incorporates choir training, singing, composing, and working as a singing teacher in the Ipswich area.

Over the last 10 years, the Choir of Ipswich Minster has featured on Classic FM’s Drivetime Discovery of the Week for their carol recording of The Road to Bethlehem. In January 2022, the choir also broadcast Choral Matins live on BBC Radio 4’s Sunday Worship programme.  Recently, they recorded Midnight Mass for Christmas Eve for the Church of England’s YouTube broadcast.  The choir has recently recorded Vivaldi’s Gloria and Handel’s Foundling Hospital Anthem which will be officially released in April 2025.

Chris is excited to be working with Ipswich Choral Society and becoming part of an active and energetic choir committed to presenting choral music to a high standard. “It is a great honour to be appointed the new Director of Music of the venerable Ipswich Choral Society. Musically this is a wonderful opportunity for me to work with new and enthusiastic people in Ipswich and explore a bigger choral repertoire. I have witnessed both from afar and close-up (as a soloist), the wonderful contribution the group makes to the vibrant music scene here in Ipswich and East Suffolk.

Furthermore, my family and I love this part of the world and all it offers culturally. I have worked in Ipswich for the past 15 years and am very happy here. I look forward to making more wonderful music in this fantastic town.”

Chris will be directing the choir this term towards a special performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion with Halifax Choral Society on 12^th April in Halifax Minster. For the summer term, the focus shifts to rousing choral classics to be performed at the Ipswich Charter825 Festival concert in June, celebrating the 825^th anniversary of the Ipswich Charter granted by King John.

Phil Powditch, Chair of Ipswich Choral Society, gave Chris a warm welcome on behalf of choir members at the first rehearsal of term: “It was a great pleasure welcoming our new Musical Director Chris Borrett at our first full rehearsal of term, working on Bach’s St Matthew Passion. Speaking to Chris, it is clear he is really passionate about the Arts in Ipswich and highly respected by many in the Arts scene in town. I’m sure we will forge a very fruitful relationship and everyone at Ipswich Choral Society is looking forward to working with him.”

Continuing their 200th Anniversary celebrations, Ipswich Choral Society return to Ipswich Corn Exchange to perform Handel’s choral masterpiece ‘Messiah’ on 14^th December. It is one of the most performed works in the Society’s history, with excerpts first sung at a concert by the choir in 1825.

Joining Ipswich Choral Society for this performance are special guests Ipswich Chamber Choir, celebrating their 40^th anniversary this year. Celebrating 25 years as President of Ipswich Choral Society, Cem Mansur will conduct both choirs, along with soloists from the Royal Academy of Music and the ICS Festival orchestra. Ipswich Choral Society is excited to introduce four young soloists from the Royal Academy of Music, soprano Caroline Blair, alto Oryna Veselovska, tenor Matthew Cooke and bass Tom Butler. All the soloists are supported by the Josephine Baker Trust. Accompanying all the singers is the ICS Festival orchestra, led by Michael Dolan.

Ipswich Corn Exchange is the venue that has hosted the most concerts of ‘Messiah’ by Ipswich Choral Society. Reviewing the choir archive, the concert on 14^th December will be the twenty first performance of ‘Messiah’ by the Society at the Corn Exchange. The Public Hall which stood on Westgate Street opened in 1868 with seating for 1,500 people. It was a popular venue for Ipswich Choral Society concerts, with ‘Messiah’ performed there sixteen times, until it was closed in 1948.

Other locations for Ipswich Choral Society ‘Messiah’ performances include the New Assembly Rooms in Northgate Street which opened in 1821; local churches such as St Mary-le-Tower, St Lawrence’s, St Michael’s, St Matthew’s and St Augustine’s as well as the Regent Theatre and Hippodrome Theatre in Ipswich. Further afield Ipswich Choral Society also performed ‘Messiah’ at Stowmarket Corn Exchange, Felixstowe Spa Pavilion and Snape Maltings Concert Hall for the choir’s 180^th anniversary.

As one of the best-known choral works Handel’s ‘Messiah’ holds a special place in the hearts of singers and audiences alike. With this performance, Ipswich Choral Society pays homage to the many singers who have sung with the choir since 1824. For the audience, it promises to be a fantastic evening and certainly not to be missed!

Handel’s Messiah

Saturday 14 December 2024, 7.00pm

Ipswich Corn Exchange, IP1 1DH

• Ipswich Choral Society
• Cem Mansur Conductor
• Special guests Ipswich Chamber Choir
• Soloists from the Royal Academy of Music
• Caroline Blair Soprano | Oryna Veselovska Alto
• Matthew Cooke Tenor | Tom Butler Bass
• ICS Festival Orchestra

Tickets (includes booking fee): Full £22, U16s £11

Available from the Corn Exchange Box Office tel: 01473 433100 or online ipswichtheatres.co.uk

The Royal Academy of Music soloists are supported by the Josephine Baker Trust.

More wonderful memories for Ipswich Choral Society’s 200th anniversary year, with the “Celebrating Wolsey” event last Saturday, sadly the last performance with Robin Walker conducting as ICS Music Director.

Celebrating the anniversaries marking 550 years since the birth of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and 200 years since Ipswich Choral Society was formed, the “Celebrating Wolsey” community event was held in Christchurch Park on 29^th June. Ipswich Choral Society was delighted to receive a community grant from the Thomas Wolsey 550 project and commissioned three new choral works by Elizabeth Alexander, Mark Blatchly and Stephen Rumsey, all premiered at the event.

The rehearsal before the concert was an emotional one, as the choir presented Robin with gifts and cards, plus an amazing choral cake from local supplier Simply T’s! Preparing for concerts is hard work, however Robin ensured that rehearsals were as enjoyable as the final performances.

From Robin’s debut “Glorious First” concert back in November 2015, he directed Ipswich Choral Society for fantastic concerts at Snape, the amazing “Ipswich Remembers” performances in Ipswich Corn Exchange, travelled to Halifax and further afield to Belgium and Italy, conducted the choir’s debut performances in Ely Cathedral and Blythburgh as well as numerous concerts around Ipswich, before rounding it all off with the outdoor performance in Christchurch Park.

Everyone at Ipswich Choral Society will miss Robin and we wish him all the best for his future plans.

“Conducting the choir has given me opportunities I’d never have had, and for that I’m so very grateful.  I never thought I’d get the chance to work with dancers, choreographers, film makers, a world-class professional orchestra, poets, photographers, be interviewed on the radio, and to get to know you all.  It’s been great experience – I’ve learnt so much about myself, about music, and about what it means to be a choir and sing together.  Thank you.” Robin Walker

Join Ipswich Choral Society for a double anniversary celebration marking 550 years since the birth of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and 200 years since Ipswich Choral Society was formed. To mark the occasion, Ipswich Choral Society is hosting a free community event in Christchurch Park on 29^th June.

Ipswich Choral Society was delighted to receive a community grant from the Thomas Wolsey 550 project, launched in March 2023 to celebrate the 550^th anniversary of the birth of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Thomas Wolsey rose from humble beginnings in Ipswich to become the most powerful statesman in England, alongside King Henry VIII. With the community grant, Ipswich Choral Society has commissioned three new choral works which will all be premiered at the event.

Two of the newly commissioned pieces use text from Shakespeare’s play ‘Henry VIII’. ‘Farewell to His Greatness’ by Liz Alexander, former ICS member, features the monologue by Cardinal Wolsey which addresses his sudden downfall as adviser to the King. Mark Blatchly, ICS accompanist, has written ‘This Cardinal’ which features a description of Wolsey made after hearing news of his death.

The third commission is written by former ICS Music Director Stephen Rumsey for ICS and their 200^th anniversary. ‘Dreamers’ celebrates the tradition of Choral Societies with the skills, hard work and commitment balanced against the wonderful pay-offs of friendship and achievement.

Ipswich Choral Society with Music Director Robin Walker will be performing near to the War Memorial and Cenotaph in Christchurch Park. Come along from midday and bring a picnic to enjoy! The concert will start at 12.30pm on Saturday 29 June. In case of bad weather, the concert will be in St. Margaret’s Church instead.

This very special event, which is made possible by Thomas Wolsey 550 and the Heritage Fund, with the generous support of ‘Premières in the Park’ sponsors Ashtons Legal and McCarthy Stone.

Celebrating Wolsey

Ipswich Choral Society Community Event

Part of the Thomas Wolsey 550 project

Saturday 29 June 2024, 12.30pm

War Memorial and Cenotaph, Christchurch Park, Ipswich IP4 2BE*

Arrive from 12pm and bring a picnic!

*In case of bad weather, the concert will be held in St. Margaret ’s Church, Ipswich IP4 2BE.

Wow, what a day! Saturday was amazing, from the afternoon rehearsal through to the concert finale. Our 200th anniversary was well and truly celebrated in style!

Singing again with our Yorkshire friends Halifax Choral Society was wonderful, thank you for making the journey down to Suffolk and celebrating with us. Britten Sinfonia were fantastic, it was a delight to watch them during rehearsal and in the concert. The soloists, Anna Dennis, Ryan Vaughan Davies and Dan D’Souza were absolutely fabulous. We were blown away by their amazing singing. Our accompanist Mark Blatchly was also there on stage with us, playing the chamber organ superbly.

Last but certainly not least, celebrating his birthday as well as the anniversary Robin Walker. A huge task preparing for the concert and directing everything on stage, all that hard work paid off! Thank you Robin from us all Ipswich Choral Society.

The message from Cem Mansur, ICS president, says it all!

Congratulations to you all for such an exciting and moving performance at Snape. Your work, dedication and love of the music shone through in every bar. Great work by Robin and all of you.
I felt once more, privileged and proud of our association and can’t wait to make music together again.
Best wishes to you all,
Cem

Very special for ICS, also on stage with us for the afternoon rehearsal and the concert, was one of the handwritten scores used by the founding ICS members. The book of 23 religious anthems scored for the Alto voice is inscribed on the cover “Ipswich Choral Society 1824”; the manuscript paper is watermarked 1822.

Choirs are all about people. We meet and sing together every week at rehearsal, as do many thousands of choir members across the UK. ICS members have been meeting for 200 years, and then delighting local audiences with concert performances.

To have a piece of ICS history on stage with us was incredible. Many thanks to Suffolk Archives for allowing us to have the 1824 score for the day. Certainly helped make the 200th anniversary celebration memorable and allowed the 2024 members contribute to that rich heritage of the Ipswich Choral Society.

Special thanks to Matt Clarke for the photography.



  
 

Celebrating its 200th anniversary, Ipswich Choral Society performs Haydn’s masterpiece ‘The Creation’ at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on 20^th April, joined by the Britten Sinfonia and soprano Anna Dennis. Ipswich Choral Society also welcomes back Halifax Choral Society, making the performance a truly momentous occasion featuring Britain’s two oldest choral societies.

‘The Creation’ was the first major work performed by Ipswich Choral Society in 1825, 16 years after Haydn’s death. Incredibly, original hand-written scores from 1824 used by the new society were discovered in January 2012, now archived at The Hold in Ipswich. Completed in 1798, ‘The Creation’ would have been quite contemporary at the time. The premiere using the English text as held at Covent Garden, London in 1800.

For this 200^th anniversary concert, Ipswich Choral Society is delighted to be performing again at Snape Maltings with Halifax Choral Society. The two societies last performed together back in 2017, when Halifax Choral Society celebrated their 200^th anniversary. Living proof that the 19th Century pastime of joining a choral society is still as enjoyable in the 21st Century!

Ipswich Choral Society are thrilled that Britten Sinfonia will be joining them for this special occasion. Britten Sinfonia has a national and international reputation as one of today’s finest ensembles. Renowned for its adventurous programming and high-quality performances, Britten Sinfonia also brings high-quality music-making to schoolchildren, hospital patients and communities across the East of England.

Also performing are soloists Anna Dennis, Ryan Vaughan Davies and Dan D’Souza. Anna Dennis won the Royal Philharmonic Society Singer Award in 2023 and has performed at the English National Opera, La Scala in Milan and the Sydney Opera House, among others. Welsh tenor Ryan Vaughan Davies is a Jette Parker Artist at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Dan D’Souza is an Irish-British baritone and performed at venues including the English National Opera, the Paris Philharmonie, the Berlin Philharmonie and La Scala.

Photo: Ipswich Choral Society and Halifax Choral Society performance of Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’ at Snape Maltings Concert Hall, April 2017. Credit Peter Smith.

The Suffolk Chronicle dated 24th January 1824 announced that a Musical Society was to be formed and a concert to be held at the end of March 1824.  That Musical Society was Ipswich Choral Society and started out with around 20 singers. The newly formed society met on Tuesdays once a fortnight to rehearse for their first concert, and Ipswich Choral Society still meets on a Tuesday, although rehearsals are now weekly.

Singing in a choral society was a popular pastime in the late 19^th Century. By 1885 there were 264 members of Ipswich Choral Society made up of 94 sopranos, 65 altos, 40 tenors and 65 basses. Today Ipswich Choral Society has around 90 members, and always happy to welcome new members.

On 23rd January 2024, Ipswich Choral Society celebrated the anniversary of it’s formation 200 years ago during an extended rehearsal break. The cake was absolutely delicious and totally demolished!!  We sang even better after the break and now can’t wait to perform The Creation at Snape Maltings with Halifax Choral Society and the Britten Sinfonia to celebrate in style.

January 2024 will mark a major milestone for Ipswich Choral Society, reaching 200 years since the formation of the society. A great achievement that everyone in Ipswich should be proud of. Members still enjoy performing a variety of choral music in the friendly company of like-minded singers, and rehearsals are still on Tuesday evening, same as in 1824!

To put this in context, 200 years ago, George IV was on the throne, Beethoven and Schubert were still alive, transport mainly by horse drawn coach (the world’s first public railway using steam locomotives, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, was opened in 1825) and the rules of football hadn’t been drawn up. Ipswich Town was formed as an amateur club in 1878.

Thanks to a National Lottery Heritage grant a few years ago, Ipswich Choral Society was able to research the history of the choir. Searching archives, a rather special, hand-written book of scores, with the inscription “Ipswich Choral Society, Alto 1824” was uncovered. The hand-written music was excerpts from Haydn’s ‘The Creation’ which was then performed in public by the newly formed society the following year.

The research undertaken has enabled Ipswich Choral Society to discover details of past concert performances which has thrown up some interesting discoveries.

The earliest surviving concert programme found dates back to 1829. Ipswich Choral Society have performed with world famous soloists such as Robert Tear, Janet Baker, Kathleen Ferrier, Owen Brannigan, Michael Maybrick, Frank Titterton, Isobel Baillie, Felicity Palmer, and Lesley Garrett. Benjamin Britten was President of the Society from 1948 to 1958. All the research was published in a book “Notes in Time” describing the formation of the Society and its impact on the Ipswich arts scene.

Ipswich Choral Society will be performing Haydn’s ‘The Creation’ at Snape Maltings on 20^th April 2024 as part of the bicentenary celebrations. The 200^th anniversary season will be launched on 9^th December 2023 with the return of Ipswich Choral Society’s Christmas Spectacular. For details of the anniversary events, please visit our events page.

Ipswich Choral Society will be back rehearsing from 5^th September at Northgate Arts Centre. New members are always welcome, as well as improving your singing, joining a choir is a great way to make new friends. And for Ipswich Choral Society, making memories for future members to look back on in another 200 years’ time!