The Bishop's Stortford Musical Association (BSMA) was founded in 1940 and in 1984 it was renamed the Bishop's Stortford Choral Society. It is a registered charity and is proud of its role in bringing both new and established composers before a local audience.
BSMA’s first concert, which was of Christmas music, was held in St. Michael's Church in 1940 under the baton of Mr L. Dupere. Christmas concerts remain a most popular part of our repertoire, the most recent in 2015 with Richard Brain conducting JS Bach’s Christmas Oratorio to a full house at the Methodist Church.
We are currently a group of nearly 100 singers led by Musical Director Richard Brain and supported by our accompanist, Liz Hill. We rehearse on a Thursday evening at 7.45 pm at Water Lane United Reformed Church between September and July.
Founded in 1940, BSCS is a Registered Charity and is proud of its role in bringing new and established composers before a local audience. We usually perform with professional soloists and accompanists and use various venues locally such as All Saints’ Hockerill, the Water Lane United Reformed Church, the Methodist Church and Rhodes Arts Complex.
BSCS circa 1970 at the Bishop's Stortford College Memorial Hall (photo courtesy of Edward Miller)
We enjoy an exciting range of music. Recent concerts have included Mendelssohn Elijah, Handel Dixit Dominus and Coronation Anthems plus Mozart Mass in C minor, Elgar Music Makers, Bach Christmas Oratorio & Mass in B minor, Ethel Smyth Mass in D and Jonathan Rathbone A Day at the Fair.
While we do not require members to audition, our Musical Director Richard Brain encourages us to explore our full potential as a choir, focusing on improving our technique as individuals and as a high-quality ensemble. He is passionate about singers realising their talent and enjoying their music-making.