The Choral Society was founded in 1954 by Frederick Rimmer. Performances have included not only the classics of the choral repertoire but also many lesser-known works, including new compositions. Notable recent events involving the choir have included the following:
In December 2007, as part of the bicentenary commemoration of William Hunter, we performed Haydn’s Creation under Professor Marjorie Rycroft, using words written by Hunter’s sister-in-law Anne, who was a personal friend of the composer.
In March 2006, for the 250th anniversary celebrations of Mozart’s birth, we performed his Mass in C Minor under Professor Marjorie Rycroft, who also directed Verdi’s Requiem in 2001 as part of the celebrations for the 550th anniversary of the foundation of Glasgow University.
In December 2005 the Society gave the Scottish première of Erno von Dohnányi’s Missa in Dedicatione Ecclesiae with the Kelvin Ensemble, under the direction of James Grossmith.
Spring 2004 and 2005 saw “authentic” performances of the St John Passion and B Minor Mass of J. S. Bach, under the direction of Professor John Butt, an authority on Bach, featuring the Dunedin Consort.
In April 2001 the Society premièred The Great Circle: A Pacific Symphony by Professor Graham Hair, an award-winning setting of a text by the Australian poet Alan Gould about the formation and exploration of the southern continents.