A Short History of Northampton Philharmonic Choir

The Northampton Philharmonic Choir was formed in 1896 as the Northampton Musical Society.  Throughout the early part of the Twentieth Century, the Society went from strength to strength, performing substantial choral works and earning a prestigious reputation in the area.

Graham Mayo became the choir’s conductor in 1963 and under his direction the NMS  steadily expanded its performing horizons, giving concerts with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  In June 1973 the Northampton Musical Society changed its name to The Philharmonic Choir, and with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra performed Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius in Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire, the first time that the Choir had performed outside Northamptonshire.  Over the next quarter of a century, the Philharmonic Choir gave concerts not only in the town but also in many of England’s great cathedrals, including Lincoln, Bury St. Edmunds and Gloucester, and also Northamptonshire’s own marvellous Peterborough Cathedral.  In addition, performances were given in Derngate and the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.  In 2004 the Philharmonic Choir completed its recording of Tchaikovsky’s Nine Sacred Pieces, and a second CD was released last year of works by Elgar.  During the 2004 - 2005 concert season, the choir was taken aback by the sudden and untimely death of Graham Mayo.  A challenging 18 months ensued, during which time the Philharmonic Choir honoured its concert commitments and appointed Christopher Mabley as its new Conductor and Musical Director.

The Northampton Philharmonic Choir has now completed its first successful season with Christopher Mabley and is looking forward confidently and enthusiastically to this new and exciting chapter in its long and impressive history.  The Northampton Philharmonic Choir continues to be a SATB choir, currently with around 50 singing members.  While the choir has continued to give performances in cathedrals, churches and concert venues across the country, strong links have also been established locally with Holy Trinity Church, Rothwell, All Saints Church, Brixworth, St Michaels and Christchurch in Northampton.  There are usually four or five concerts each year, and the 2008 - 2009 Concert Calendar can be seen on our website.

With its avowed aims of bringing an element of hope and spiritual uplift into an increasingly troubled world, the Northampton Philharmonic Choir’s wish is to ensure that its concerts will continue to bring professional standards of performance of a wide range of choral music to Northampton and its environs, and that its audiences will continue to appreciate and support its contribution to the community for many years to come.