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If you’re thinking of joining a choir, there’s no better time.

Welcome to 2025 and a full year of Stanmore Choral music and fun.

We resumed rehearsals on 13th January.  The first three are billed as open rehearsals, where we welcome new people who want to come and have a look, with no obligations.  I know that performing at St Lawrence Whitchurch is very special to a lot of local people, so that’s an extra incentive to be there.  We will be preparing some of the special music which was written for this beautiful, historic church – we even get to sing the Hallelujah Chorus!

Have a look at our Join Us page to find out more.

You’ll get a warm welcome, and can get the feelgood factor that singing brings.

Our next concert:

Handel in Stanmore:

Join us at the beautiful St Lawrence Whitchurch , where Handel worked and played the organ. We will be performing the Foundling Hospital Anthem, which ends with his most famous work – The Hallelujah Chorus.

Get your tickets for our Next Event (when available) and come along to support us.  Even better, come to our Monday rehearsals and be part of the choir – we are looking for new singers and will help you settle in and get to know this interesting music.

Get your tickets now by ordering online, emailing us at or by phone: 07740 166809. Tickets are also available from members.

Tickets can also be purchased on the door, but we cannot guarantee availability.

Please read our latest Flyer below:

A brief history

Stanmore Choral Society was established soon after the end of World War II.  The aim then, as now, was to provide an opportunity for singers in and around Stanmore to study and perform good music of all kinds.  The first concert was a performance of Elgar’s The Music Makers, followed later by Mendelssohn’s Elijah. After seven years the founding conductor, Francis Lark, handed over the baton to Irene Pyke by which time the choir was dedicated to two major performances a year.  Miss Pyke went on to lead the choir for 30 years, extending its repertoire to works dating from the 16th century to modern times.

By the time Richard Bourne took over in 1983 the choir comprised 80 voices and put on concerts with full orchestral accompaniment. Richard was succeeded by David Gould in 1999, a professional singer with The Cardinall’s Musick, who was well known to the choir. David introduced the choir to new composers such as William Lloyd Webber (Divine Compassion) and some challenging works such as Festival Te Deum and Rejoice in the Lamb by Britten.  There was also a memorable joint concert in Spanish and English with Agora Chorale from Segovia in December 2000.

David left to further his professional singing career in June 2004 and was succeeded by Keith Roberts who started in the autumn. Keith moved north in the summer of 2005 and Denny Lister was invited to become music director. Sadly, he fell ill and died late that autumn before he could conduct his first concert.  Local conductor Robin Walker from Bushey stepped in at the last moment to conduct Messiah. Nick Austin became music director in September 2006, conducting Faure’s Requiem in his first concert, and remaining with the choir until 2019. The choir were led through the Covid pandemic by Harry Bradford, then the choir’s Assistant Musical Director and accompanist, James Mooney-Dutton, before the current Musical Director, Alexander Turner started in April 2021.

Contact the choir to find out more about joining us and about upcoming performances.

Stanmore Choral Society is affiliated to Making Music, and is a registered charity (No 1174548)

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