40 years of choral singing in Andover
Andover 2010
The Hampshire market town of Andover has a long history of choral singing. The original Andover Choral Society was formed in 1866 to perform Handel’s Messiah accompanied by piano and harmonium. Local newspaper archives show details of a concert in 1887 at which Haydn’s Creation was performed. In the late 1920’s Adrian Boult conducted 260 voices in the local Drill Hall and a music festival was set up in 1927, supported by both Adrian Boult and Malcolm Sargeant.
The present Andover Choral Society was inaugurated in 1971 to promote choral singing for all. At least two concerts a year are presented in St Mary’s Church, Andover, at which members are joined by singers and instrumentalists of the highest calibre. The society is currently in the process of becoming part of the Winchester and County Music Festival (http://www.wcmf.info) and is looking forward to an exciting future.