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Archive and History

Welcome to the Wantage Choral Society online archive, currently undergoing some re-arrangement. Inevitably, some information has been mislaid over the years: do you have any WCS concert programmes or newspaper cuttings from years gone by which could fill in some of the gaps?

The links in blue below will lead you to old concert posters, programmes and some pictures.

Please click here to browse our poster archive

We have not included:

  • The concerts of Christmas music we promote each December, often collaborating with other local musicians
  • Purely orchestral items, or vocal or instrumental items by our invited soloists
  • Events where we contributed to concerts organised by other bodies
Concert History
2009 June VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Five Folk Songs; SCHUBERT: Four Quartets; FAURÉ: Cantique de Jean Racine; Elgar and Sullivan Partsongs Poster
March TIPPETT: A Child Of Our Time
2008 Nov. HUMMEL: Mass in B Minor; PALESTRINA Stabat Mater; VARIOUS Motets Poster
June VARIOUS: Music for a Summer’s Evening Poster Concert Notes
March ELGAR: Dream of Gerontius Poster Concert Notes
2007 Nov. BRITTEN: Rejoice in the Lamb; PARRY: I Was Glad; TAVENER: The Lamb; PÄRT: Beatitudes Poster
June Come and Sing: HANDEL (various works)
March MOZART: Requiem Poster
2006 July Come and Sing: FAURÉ Requiem, MASSENET: Mélodies, English Partsongs Poster
2005 Dec. G.GABRIELI: Vespers of St. Mark; Vespers by other Italian masters Poster
July VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: In Windsor Forest, The Pilgrim’s Journey; Five variants on Dives and Lazarus Poster
2004 Dec. HANDEL: Messiah Review
July JEROME KERN: Showboat (concert version) Poster
March MOZART: Coronation Mass K317; Passiontide Cantata K42 Poster
2003 Dec. BACH: Christmas Oratario
July MENDELSSOHN: Hymn of Praise; MOZART: Vesperae Sollennes de Confessore; PURCELL: Welcome to All the Pleasures Poster
Spring BACH: St John Passion
2002 BRAHMS: German Requiem, Alto Rhapsody; GILBERT & SULLIVAN Yeomen of the Guard; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No 1 “Sea Symphony”
2001 ??? BEETHOVEN: Mass in C Major; BRAHMS: Nanie, Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny); HANDEL: Foundling Hospital Anthem, Anthem on the Peace; HAYDN: Harmoniemesse
June OFFENBACH: Orpheus in the Underworld Poster
2000 Dec. BACH: Cantata 140, Sleepers Wake; PERGOLESI: Magnificat; VIVALDI: Gloria
July GILBERT & SULLIVAN: HMS Pinafore Poster
Spring BACH: Mass in B Minor
1999 Dec. GEOFFREY BUSH: Christmas Cantata; Carols
July STANFORD: Songs of the Fleet; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Five Mystical Songs, In Windsor Forest Poster
March DVORAK: Mass in D; ROSSINI: Stabat Mater Poster
1998 Dec. HAYDN: The Seasons Poster
June FLANDERS/HOROWITZ: Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo; GILBERT & SULLIVAN: Trial By Jury Poster
March BACH: St Matthew Passion Poster
1997 Dec. VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on Christmas Carols
??? HANDEL: Messiah
Summer SLADE: Salad Days
April HANDEL: Judas Maccabaeus Poster
1996 HAYDN: Nelson Mass; MENDELSSOHN: Elijah; PUCCINI: Messa Di Gloria; PURCELL: Come Ye Sons of Art
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1995 ELGAR: As Torrents in Summer; FAURÉ: Requiem, Cantique de Jean Racine, Pavane; HANDEL: Messiah; MOZART: Coronation Mass; ROSSINI: Petite Messe Solennelle
1994 GIBBS: The Highwayman; ELGAR: Songs from the Bavarian Highlands; MOZART: Coronation Mass; BACH: Cantata 140 (Sleepers Wake), Cantata 161 (Come Redeemer); HANDEL: The King shall Rejoice; HAYDN: Creation
1993 Autumn BACH: Lobet den Herrn, Christmas Oratorio (excerpts)
July BEETHOVEN: Choral Fantasia; PARRY: Blest Pair of Sirens Poster
Spring ELGAR: Dream of Gerontius
1992 BACH: St John Passion; COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Death of Minnehaha; MOZART: Vesperae Sollennes de Confessore, Requiem; STANFORD: The Revenge
1991 BRAHMS: German Requiem; BRUCKNER: Motets; FAURÉ: Cantique de Jean Racine; GODDARD: At the Year’s Spring; PURCELL: Five Songs; SCHUBERT: Mass in Ab
1990 BRITTEN: A Hymn to the Virgin; DIACK: Nursery Rhymes; HANDEL: Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened; HAYDN: St Cecilia Mass; HOROWITZ: Summer Sunday; MENDELSSOHN: Elijah
1989 Dec. BACH: Magnificat in D; HANDEL: Zadok the Priest; SCHUTZ: The Christmas Story Poster
May BERLIOZ: Te Deum; WAGNER: Parsifal Act I
??? BRUCKNER: Locus Iste; SPOFORTH: Hail Smiling Morn; STANFORD: Magnificat, Nunc Dimittis, Psalm 150; VERDI: Requiem; WOOD: O Thou, the Central Orb
1988 ??? BRAHMS: Liebeslieder Waltzes; GEOFFREY BUSH Christmas Cantata; FINZI: In Terra Pax; KODALY: The Music Makers (An Ode); SEIBER: 3 Yugoslav Folk Songs; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on Christmas Carols
March HANDEL: Chandos Anthem No 9; MOZART: Mass in C Minor Poster
1987 BEETHOVEN: Mass in D (Missa Solemnis); BYRD: Heyho to the Greenwood Tree; BYRD: Would you know my Celia’s Charms; CARTER: Two for the price of one; DURUFLÉ: Requiem; FAURÉ: Cantique de Jean Racine; HOLST: I Love my Love; MORLEY: Fire, Fire; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Turtle Dove
1986 BACH: Christmas Oratorio; BRITTEN: Hymn to St Cecilia; BRUCKNER: Mass in E Minor, Ecce Sacerdos; FLANDERS/HOROWITZ: Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo; GENEE: Italian Salad; HAMMERSLEY: Magnificat
1985 ELGAR: As Torrents in Summer, Feasting I Watch, My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land; HANDEL: Utrecht Te Deum; PERGOLESI: Magnificat; STANFORD: The Blue Bird; SULLIVAN: The Long Day Closes; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Oxford Elegy; VERDI: Requiem; VIVALDI Gloria
1984 BACH: Mass in B Minor; HANDEL: Messiah; TOCH: Geographical Fugue; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: 5 English Folk Songs
1983 BEETHOVEN: Symphony No 9 (Choral); COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast; DVORAK: Te Deum, Mass in D; DYSON: Three Songs of Courage, The Seekers and Reveille; FAURÉ: Requiem; MENDELSSOHN: Elijah
1982 BACH: St Matthew Passion; BRITTEN: Gloriana Dances, Ceremony of Carols; MOZART: Vesperae Sollennes de Confessore; ELGAR: As Torrents in Summer; HANDEL: Messiah; PURCELL: Welcome to All the Pleasures; ROWLEY: Sailors Garland
1981 PYKE: Time and Tide; ROSSINI: Petite Messe Solennelle; SEIBER: 3 Hungarian Folk Songs; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Symphony No 1 “Sea Symphony”; MOERAN: Spring, The Sweet Spring, Battle of Jericho, Griping Griefs, Little David
1980 GIBBS: The Highwayman; BACH: Singet den Herrn, Das ist meine freude; BRAHMS: Liebeslieder Waltzes;HANDEL: Samson, Israel in Egypt; PALESTRINA Stabat Mater
1979 BRAHMS: German Requiem; HANDEL: Messiah; HAYDN: Nelson Mass; PURCELL: Te Deum in C; VERDI: Requiem
1978 BACH: Peasant Cantata; BRITTEN: Rejoice in the Lamb; GERMAN: Merry England; HANDEL: Alexander’s Feast; MOZART: Mass in C Minor
1977 BACH: Cantata 140 (Sleepers Wake); FAURÉ: Requiem; HANDEL: Zadok the Priest; MENDELSSOHN: Elijah;
PARRY: I Was Glad
1976 BIZET: Carmen; HAYDN: Creation
1975 HANDEL: 9th Chandos Anthem; MONTEVERDI: Beatus Vir; PERGOLESI: Magnificat; ROSSINI: Petite Messe Sollennelle; VIVALDI: Gloria
1974 BACH: St Matthew Passion; BERLIOZ: Grande Messe des Morts; HANDEL: The King Shall Rejoice; MOZART: Requiem
1973 BACH: St Matthew Passion; COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast; MENDELSSOHN: Elijah
1972 BACH: St Matthew Passion; FAURÉ: Requiem; HANDEL: Samson; VIVALDI: Gloria
1971 BACH: St Matthew Passion; FAURÉ: Requiem; VIVALDI: Gloria
1970 BACH: Christmas Oratorio; HANDEL: Acis & Galatea
1969 ?
1968 ?
1967 HANDEL: Israel in Egypt
1966 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Symphony No 1 “Sea Symphony”
1965 HANDEL: Messiah
1964 BALFE: Bohemian Girl; HAYDN: The Seasons(part); VIVALDI: Gloria; WEBER: Jubilee Cantata
1963 ?
1962 KODALY: Matia Pictures; MOERAN: Griping Griefs, Little David, Spring, The Sweet Spring, Battle of Jericho;
STANFORD: Songs of the Fleet; VERDI Requiem (November)
1961 BRAHMS: German Requiem (November); HANDEL: Judas Maccabaeus
1960 CONSTANT LAMBERT: Rio Grande; MENDELSSOHN: Hymn of Praise
1959 FAURÉ: Requiem
1958 BACH: Mass in B minor
1957 HANDEL: Messiah
1956 BACH: Jesu Priceless Treasure; BRAHMS: Liebeslieder Waltzes; MOZART: Requiem; VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: In Windsor Forest
1955 BACH: St Matthew Passion (May)
1954 GERMAN: Tom Jones; MENDELSSOHN: Elijah
1953 BACH: Christmas Oratorio (December)
1952 BORODIN: Prince Igor Choral Dances; COLERIDGE-TAYLOR: Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast;Concert of Church music (May)
1951 GERMAN: Merry England; HAYDN: Creation
1950 HANDEL: Messiah; DUNHILL: Early One Morning