Maestro please - The WATFORD PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY

It's a Classic

The Watford Philharmonic Society recently celebrated its 76th season having been established by Sir Henry Wood in 1935.  Today the Watford Phil is one of the largest amateur societies in the UK that combines both choir and orchestra.  Today they can call on an extensive repertoire of classical music which is constantly being added to.

The Society is based in Watford and the choir practise every Monday evening at the Watford Grammar School for Girls.  The Watford Phil gives four to five major concerts each year which for many years have been given at Watford Colosseum but, over the past year, whilst this venue has been undergoing major refurbishment a variety of concert halls have been used.  The Society will be returning to the Watford Colosseum when it re-opens later this year.  In order to maintain and improve its high standards the Society is now under the care of the world-famous music director, Terry Edwards (see image on the right).

History

With its current membership of around 170 members, the Watford Philharmonic Society continues the tradition, unbroken since the earliest days, of putting on four concerts a year, and since 1940 the audiences have benefited from the out-standing acoustics of the Watford Colosseum.

Since its formation the Society's large amateur choral and orchestral numbers have enabled it to mount many of the great masterpieces, over the years the most popular having been performed more than once:  in Stuart Dunlop's time as Conductor he re-interpreted Handel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah, Verdi's Requiem, Brahms' German Requiem, Bach's St John Passion and Beethoven's Ninth (Choral) Symphony.  Stuart also continued the Society's practice of interspersing the well known works with great, but less frequently performed works such as Vaughan-Williams' Sea Symphony, Tippett's Child Of Our Time, and notably Edward Elgar's rarely performed The Kingdom.. 

Under the leadership of Terry Edwards, Chorus Director and Master at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for 12 years, there has been some emphasis on opera with concert performances of Carmen, Samson & Delilah, and The Bartered Bride as well as works such as Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, and Karl Jenkin's The Armed Man. This has opened up the way for 'fun' works such as concert versions of Sullivan's Yeomen of the Guard, Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, extracts from Les Miserables and the ever popular annual celebrations at the Christmas Carol Concert.

In recent years the Watford Phil has reached out to a wider audience.  The Society has supported the Watford Peace Hospice, by participating in the highly successful Charity Gala Concerts with the Society's Vice-President, Richard Baker, acting as compere.   Members of the choir have also sung carols both in the Harlequin centre and at the annual Tree of Lights ceremony to help raise much needed funds for the Hospice.

In an age where there is so much competition in the provision of music from recordings, radio and television, the fact that the Society is able to successfully present such a full and varied repertoire is a tribute to the skills, dedication and enthusiasm of its professionals and amateurs alike, and to the loyalty and discernment of its audiences.

Joining the Society

The Society is always ready to welcome new singers and players. There are vacancies in the choir for all voices, particularly tenors and basses.  If you would like to join, singers should telephone 01923 241 072 and players 01494 874 507.  You will be sure of a warm welcome.

See the event on our website Watford Phil's concert

For more information about their final concert in their 76th season check: Watford Philharmonic Concert

This article was created on Tuesday, 10th May 2011. It was last tinkered with on Saturday, 10th December 2011.

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