About Oxshott Choral Society


Oxshott Choral Society is a friendly and enthusiastic, unauditioned amateur SATB choir, currently around 50 strong, and draws its members not only from Oxshott but also from Cobham, Esher, Weybridge and beyond.. We meet for rehearsal on Wednesday evenings from 8-10pm, in St Mary's Church Hall, Stoke d'Abernon, Surrey KT11 3PX (in the grounds of Parkside School), and we welcome new members in all voices throughout the season. Let us know if you are interested in joining.

Our conductor Val Beynon is ably assisted by our accompanist David Harvey.

Apart from putting on our own concerts locally, Oxshott Choral Society is a member choir of the famous Leith Hill Music Festival (LHMF) held annually at Dorking in Surrey and one of England's leading choral events.

THE OXSHOTT SEASON
A Christmas concert is usually held in St Andrew's Church, Oxshott, and benefits a local charity, nominated and chosen by members of the choir.

In the Spring term we concentrate on preparation for the LHMF, which is ususally held in April.


There is a short summer season when we prepare for a Summer Concert, in recent years, in collaboration with Horsley Choral Society with whom we share our conductor, Val Beynon.

HISTORY
Oxshott Choral Society was founded in 1936 by Margaret Willis, and apart from a brief suspension during the war, the Society operated until 1970 and then again from 1975, when it was re-formed by Valerie Beynon. With her expertise and enthusiasm, the choir has gone from strength to strength.

WHAT WE SING
The main works in the LHMF competition are chosen for us by the Festival music committee - in addition to those, each choir gives a recital of around 20 minutes, of pieces of their own choice. At  Christmas, the programme usually includes a main piece, such as Vivaldi's Gloria, as well as seasonal songs and carols.
In the Summer, the concert usually features music around a theme and tends to be in a lighter vein, for example,  opera choruses and music from the shows..
You can see previous performances by clicking here.

WHERE WE SING
Our 'home' venue for concerts is St Andrew's Church, Oakshade Road, Oxshott KT22 0LE.
Occasionally we undertake an overseas tour, most recently to Madrid in 2017, and before that to Tuscany in 2014.

WHY WE SING
The benefits to your emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of singing have been widely publicised in recent years and singing in a group is the perfect antidote to a busy, stressful, technology-packed existence.