HCS win at Leith Hill Music Festival

Type of post: Choir news item
Sub-type: No sub-type
Posted By: John STONE
Status: Current
Date Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024


Horsley Choral Society, under the leadership of Musical Director Val Beynon BEM, were crowned divisional winners at this year's Leith Hill Music Festival held at the Dorking Halls on Saturday 13th April 2024. The Festival was established in 1905, by Margaret Vaughan-Williams, the sister of the renowned composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams who was the festival conductor until 1953.

Saturday's competition involved six local choirs who each performed three works, one accompanied, one unaccompanied and finally a work by a living composer, in front of the adjudicator, Neil Ferris who is set to take over from current festival conductor Jonathan Willcocks later this year. Horsley outscored the competition to be crowned worthy winners.

The award was accepted on behalf of the 60-strong choir by Val Beynon during the evening performance when all six choirs totalling 250 singers, accompanied by the  Southern Pro-Musica Orchestra, came together for a major concert which included works by Morton Lauridsen and Puccini finishing with the tradition singing of the Vaughan-Williams hymn 'God be with you till we meet again'.

HCS's next concert, "Eventide",  featuring Faure's Requiem, will be on Sunday 2nd June at St John's School, Leatherhead. New singers are always welcome to join regular rehearsals on Monday evenings in East Horsley Village Hall. For more details see News and Events on this website