Cranleigh Choral Week

Cranleigh Choral Week and the South of England Festival Chorus

The increasing popularity of and repeat subscriptions to this Choral Week every year since it began in 1995 have been the hallmarks of its success. With the enormous diversity of groups in the world of amateur choral music, Jeffrey Wynn Davies’ objective was to devise a course that would appeal to those from all types and sizes of choirs. By offering chamber choir and large chorus repertoire and performance opportunities for both in the same course, he wanted to enable participants to experience the familiar and the not so familiar.

For those who sing in large choral societies, not only do they perform in a large concert at the end of the week but also, during the week, have the opportunity to experience other choral styles and learn other music not usually sung by large choirs but more often performed in smaller chamber choirs including some items of a more secular nature. The music chosen is varied and taken from right across the last 400 or so years.

For the reverse, members of smaller choirs have the opportunity to contribute to the performance of major choral works in large venues. As well as preparing and performing these in just one week, participants are introduced to new smaller choir repertoire as part of the mid-week concert in the Cranleigh School Chapel.