Harrow Choral Society’s new season begins in September with rehearsals for Verdi’s magnificent Requiem in preparation for a major performance on March 30, 2019, at the Watford Colosseum.

Under the baton of music director Simon Williams, it will be leading a Three Choirs Concert involving two other nearby choirs and around 200 voices in total.

The choir has just completed its most successful season for many years, with each of its three concerts sold out. The final concert in last month at St Alban’s Church, Harrow, was a departure from its usual classical repertoire and included Broadway medleys and popular opera extracts.

“Being able to fill the Elliott Hall, the Harrow School Speech Room and then finally St Alban’s Church was delightful,” says chairman Peter Miller.

“We’ve always had a loyal audience base and there does now seem to be a growing expectation that the standard of performance will be high.

“Not only does this keep us firmly on our toes, it also seems to result in more people wanting to come to see us, which of course is wonderful”.

The choir’s Christmas concert was, as usual, enhanced by the presence of a celebrity guest reader – on this occasion Edward Fox and in recent years Alison Steadman, Timothy West and Patricia Hodge.

Harrow Choral Society welcomes new members in all voice parts for its exciting new season which will include another optional short, free course of voice training and musicianship – something which proved very popular last year.

For those feeling a little daunted by the prospect of launching straight into Verdi, there is also HCS’s award-winning training choir Singing for Starters which rehearses at the same time and venue as the main choir.

The training choir guides novice singers, or those with rusty skills, through a structured course of induction into the main choir and is led by professional singer and voice coach Julie Bale.

Anyone wishing to join either the main choir or Singing for Starters should go along to the rehearsal venue (St Alban’s Church Hall, Norwood Drive, Harrow, HA2 7PF) on Monday, September 3 at 7.45pm.

More information can be found on the choir’s website harrowchoral.org.uk. Alternatively contact membership secretary Jill Mans on 020 8248 7625 or email membership@harrowchoral.org.uk