ROYAL CHORAL SOCIETY

The records of the Royal Choral Society were deposited at the Greater London Record Office on 30th January 1987. Highlights, of the collection include a comprehensive, although not complete, series of concert programmes from 1873-1985, including the programme for the last concert to be held in the Queen's Hall before its destruction during World War II. There are also manuscript copies of "Eryri" by Alun Hoddinott. This piece was composed for the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969 and the collection has a copy both of the original score, for 16 soloists, chorus and orchestra, and the revised version for baritone solo, chorus and orchestra.

The survival and whereabouts of minute books for the governing body of the society have yet to be established.

Contents

Administration

General

Special Music Fund

Concert Files

Finance

General

Special Music Fund

Membership

General

Auditions

Attendance Registers

Index and Membership cards

Concerts

Record sheets

Programmes

Press and Publicity

Prospectuses

Posters

Newspaper cuttings

Musical Scores

Carol Concerts

Other Concerts

Miscellaneous

Other Choirs

Magazines

Photographs

The archive is divided into seven sections: administrative records, including a series of individual concert files; financial records; membership records, which include attendance registers and audition files some of the latter are closed for public inspection for 65 years from the last date on the file; concert records and programmes; publicity records including posters and newspaper cuttings; files of printed musical scores, arranged by piece, and including programmes for concerts featuring the work; miscellaneous records, which comprise information and programmes relating to other choirs, magazines of the society, or which include articles on the society or choral singing in general, and photographs of choir members, soloists and conductors.

History

The Royal Choral Society began its life as the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society, and was formed towards the end of 1871 with money provided for the purpose by Her Majesty's Commissioners for the 1851 exhibition.

Charles Gounod conducted the society's first concerts, which began in May 1872, but was soon succeeded by Sir Joseph Barnby, who remained in office until 1896. In 1888 Queen Victoria became partron of the society, allowing it to change its name to the Royal Choral Society.

Successive conductors have included Sir Frederick Bridge, who directed the society for 25 years; Sir Malcolm Sargent, who remained in office until his death in 1967; Wyn Morris, who left amidst some controversy in 1970 and Meredith Davies, 1971-1985. The present musical director is Laszlo Heltay.

During the 1920s and 1930s the Royal Choral Scoiety became famous for its performances of Coleridge-Taylor's "Hiawatha", which was performed in the Royal Albert Hall with full costumes and often up to 1000 performers. The society is also well known for its Good Friday performances of Handel's Messiah and its extremely popular carol concerts.

Highlights of the society's career include the British premier of Verdi's Requiem, which was conducted by the composer. It was the first choral society to make a gramophone recording and, under the baton of Sir Malcolm Sargent, became one of the first choirs to present choral works at the annual promenade concerts.

The Royal Choral Society is closely associated with the Malcolm Sargent Cancer Fund for Children, which was launched in 1968 as a memorial to its most famous conductor. Charity concerts in aid of the fund began in the Autumn of 1968 with a performance of Verdi's Requiem, conducted by Sir George Solti.

A special Music Fund was formed during the choir's 1972/1973 season, to commission or help finance new choral works for the society, and to make financial contributions to the performances of other contemporary choral works.