About us
Who we are and what we do
Sheringham and Cromer Choral Society draws its membership chiefly from the two towns as well as neighbouring towns and villages in North Norfolk. We welcome everyone from the community from beginners to experienced singers without audition.
Our repertoire embraces both sacred and secular music, and we have performed with a succession of distinguished soloists and orchestras.
Our aim is to bring the pleasure of live, large-scale choral music-making to a wide public. And, of course, to enjoy ourselves in the process!
Our energetic musical director David Ballard ensures that rehearsals are lively, informative and fun. He is ably supported by our versatile accompanist Philip Adams.
Where we sing
Performances
We perform a minimum of three concerts a year, usually either at St Peter’s Sheringham or Cromer Parish Church. We have also sung in the Auden Theatre, Norwich Cathedral, Sheringham LIttle Theatre, Salthouse, Salle and Walsingham churches. For our performances the choir is often joined by professional soloists and either organ/piano or orchestral accompaniment.
Come & Sing
Our annual Come & Sing event has been held in various locations in Sheringham – most recently at Lighthouse Community Church. This is open to everyone from the local community, frequently free of charge if we have been successful in obtaining covering funds.
Visit our Come & Sing page for more information.
Joint Performances
Occasionally we join forces with other choirs to perform major works. In 2016 we were invited to join Norwich Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, King’s Lynn Festival Chorus and Norwich Cathedral choir to perform Gustav Mahler’s Eighth Symphony (the Symphony of 1000). The only place large enough to accommodate all the performers and an audience of 2,000 was the arena at the Royal Norfolk Showground!
Rehearsals
Our rehearsals take place on Monday evenings (7.00 – 9.00pm) in St Andrew’s Methodist Church, Cromer Road, Sheringham. However on the Friday prior to a concert rehearsals are usually held at the concert venue.
Community Involvement
Over recent years the choir has become closely involved in community activities including important events in Sheringham and Cromer to commemorate the centenary of both the outbreak and end of the First World War. Other community activities include our popular annual Come and Sing, open to all members of the community and, in the past, in the COASTArts Festival.
Another delight has been to work with children’s choirs. This has enabled us to sing such glorious works as Benjamin Britten’s St Nicolas, Patrick Hawes’ Eventide (In Memoriam Edith Cavell) and John Rutter’s Mass of the Children.
On one occasion we were even invited to be the backing singers for the vocal group Blake for a performance in the Pavilion Theatre, Cromer. In recent years we have collaborated with Beeston School, Gresham’s Prep School, the Britten Music Course, Broadland Youth Choir and North Norfolk Youth Chorus.
By working closely with North Norfolk District Council we were introduced to Orchestras Live, a national charity which specialises in bringing world class orchestra to rural areas. This enabled us to perform alongside such fabulous orchestras as the English Chamber Orchestra and London Mozart Players; something hugely appreciated by both our singers and our audiences.
Repertoire
The choir performs a wide-ranging repertoire, mostly traditional choral works but sometimes venturing into operatic and other genres including pieces by contemporary composers and newly commissioned choral works. Visit our History page for more information about past performances.
Recent commissions include Patrick Hawes’ Eventide (In Memoriam Edith Cavell), Richard Allain’s Vespers (Songs of the Sea) and Thomas Hewitt Jones’ Seasons. For our Emerald Anniversary concert in April 2023 we commissioned a new work, Hope, by local composer Andrew Weeks.
Recent performances included works by contemporary composers such as Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen, Ola Gjeilo, Howard Goodall and Graham Keitch.
The choir has been successful in obtaining funding and support from Arts Council England, Orchestras Live, North Norfolk District Council, Norfolk County Council, Cromer Town Council, many local charities and bequests. This has enabled us to both commission new works and perform with world class orchestras.
Social Activities
In addition other choir members volunteer to help in all sorts of ways. This ranges from helping with background organisation at rehearsals to selling concert tickets to advertising and publicity. Members also help out organising fund raising and social events like open gardens, garden parties, quizzes and fish and chip suppers.
Affiliations
SCCS is a Group Member of Making Music which is the UK’s membership organisation for leisure-time music. They provide a wealth of support and information including appropriate insurance cover.
