INDEX OF CONDUCTORS AND MUSICAL DIRECTORS (1901 – PRESENT)
1901 – 1927: REGINALD WARD F.R.C.O
1928 – 1939: HERBERT KNOTT F.R.C.O
1955 – 1963: HERBERT KNOTT
1963 – 1975: RONALD TICKNER
1975 – 1988: RONALD TICKNER
1988 – 2004: JOHN COLE
2004 – 2007: DUNCAN EMERSON 2004 – 2007
2007 – 2008: GUEST CONDUCTORS
2009 – 2016: STEPHEN BELL
2016 – PRESENT: EDWARD GOATER
The turn of the century saw musical life in Taunton off to an optimistic start with the founding of Taunton Choral Society. Sadly however, 1939 brought about an unwanted hiatus in the life of the Society.
CONDUCTOR 1901-1927: REGINALD WARD F.R.C.O
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Dec | St Paul (selection) | Mendelssohn |
| 1903 | Feb | Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast | Coleridge Taylor |
| 1904 | Feb | The Death of Minnehaha | Coleridge Taylor |
| Dec | Hymn of Praise Phaudrig Crohoore | Mendelssohn Stanford | |
| 1905 | March | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| Dec | The Black Night Songs of the Sea Blest Pair of Sirens Violin Concerto | Elgar Stanford Parry Mendelssohn | |
| 1906 | March | Messiah | Handel |
| Dec | Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast The revenge | Coleridge Taylor Stanford | |
| 1907 | March | The Creation | Haydn |
| Dec | The Pied Piper Song of Destiny Unfinished Symphony | Parry Brahms Schubert | |
| 1908 | March | Judas Maccabaeus | Handel |
| Dec | Tannhauser (extracts) Motet for double choir | Wagner Samuel Wesley | |
| 1909 | March | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| Nov | Bon-bon Suite Faust (extracts) | Coleridge Taylor Gounod | |
| 1910 | March | Hymn of Praise Hear my Prayer Go, song of mine | Mendelssohn Elgar |
| 1911 | Jan | The Wedding of Schon Maclean | Hubert Bath |
| Dec | The Spectre’s Bride Symphony in B Minor | Dvorak Schubert | |
| 1912 | March | A Stronghold Sure Blest Pair of Sirens Symphony No 5 | Bach Parry Beethoven |
| Dec | King Olaf Peer Gynt Suite | Elgar Grieg | |
| 1913 | March | Messiah | Handel |
| Dec | The Music Makers Sea Pictures | Elgar Elgar | |
| 1914 | March | Surge Illuminare | Palestrina |
| 1915 | March | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| 1918 | March | Grand Concert | |
| 1919 | Dec | Fantasia on Christmas Carols Symphony in B Minor The Wedding of Shon Maclean | Vaughan Williams Schubert Hubert Bath |
| 1920 | March | Symphony no 1 in C King Olaf | Beethoven Elgar |
| 1921 | March | The Blessed Damozel Toward the Unknown Region | Ernest Farrar Vaughan Williams |
| Dec | Fantasia on Christmas Carols | Vaughan Williams | |
| 1922 | April | The Revenge | Stanford |
| Dec | Elijah | Mendelssohn | |
| 1923 | March | The Immortal Hour Act 2 | Rutland Boughton |
| Dec | The Pied Piper Before the paling of the stars Symphony No 5 in C minor | Parry BJ Dale Beethoven | |
| 1924 | April | O light everlasting Alto Rhapsody | Bach Brahms |
| Dec | A Sea Symphony Part 1 Songs of the Fleet | Vaughan Williams Stanford | |
| 1925 | March | The Music Makers Symphony in G Minor | Elgar Mozart |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1926 | March | The Dream of Gerontius | Elgar |
| 1926 | Dec | Before the paling of the stars Fantasia on Christmas Carols | BJ Dale Vaughan Williams |
| 1927 | April/td> | Song of Destiny Alto Rhapsody | Brahms Brahms |
| Dec | Christmas Oratorio | Bach |
CONDUCTOR 1928- 1939: HERBERT KNOTT F.R.C.O
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | Dec | Song of Miriam Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast | Schubert Coleridge-Taylor |
| 1929 | March | Requiem The 42nd Psalm | Brahms Mendelssohn |
| Dec | The Creation Fantasia on Christmas Carols | Haydn Vaughan Williams | |
| 1930 | Unknown | ||
| 1931 | March | St John Passion | Bach |
| Dec/td> | Sampson | Handel | |
| 1932 | Unknown | ||
| 1933 | April | St Paul | Mendelssohn |
| 1933 | April | St Paul | Mendelssohn |
| 1934 | March | The Creation | Haydn |
| 1935 | Jan | Miscellaneous Songs | |
| Dec | Miscellaneous Songs | ||
| <1936/td> | March | Miscellaneous Songs | |
| Oct | Hospital Concert (in collaboration with Taunton Madrigal Society) | ||
| Dec | Miscellaneous Songs | ||
| 1937 | Mar | Banner of St George A Song of Destiny | Elgar Brahms |
| 1938 | March | Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast The Warden of the Cinque Ports I Vow to Thee my Country | Mendelssohn James Lyon Victor Hely-Hitchinson |
| Dec | Carmen (concert version) Songs of the Sea | Bizet Stanford | |
| 1939 | April | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
After the war the ‘old’ Taunton Choral Society did not restart, but in 1955 Taunton Madrigal Society (that had become active again in 1945) changed its name to Taunton Madrigal and Choral Society and amended its constitution to admit women to the Society, so enabling a new type of repertoire.
CONDUCTOR FROM 1955 – 1963: HERBERT KNOTT
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Winter | Concert of Christmas music | |
| 1956 | Winter | Christians, grave ye this glad day Cantata No 63 Fantasia on Christmas Carols Hundredth Psalm | Bach Vaughan Williams |
| 1957 | Spring | Requiem | Mozart |
| Winter | Bavarian Highlands and other songs | Elgar | |
| 1958 | Spring | Cantatas incl Jesu Joy and Treasure | Bach |
| Winter | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1959 | Spring | Unknown | |
| Winter | Concert of Christmas music | ||
| 1960 | Spring | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| Winter | Concert of Christmas music | ||
| 1961 | Spring | No concert | |
| Winter | Concert of Christmas music | ||
| 1962 | Spring | Requiem | Brahms |
| Winter | Concert of Christmas music | ||
| 1963 | Spring | The Creation | Haydn |
| Winter | Unknown |
CONDUCTOR FROM 1963 – 1975 RONALD TICKNER (who continued after the renaming of the society to Taunton Choral Society in 1975)
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Spring | Samson | Handel |
| Winter | Sing We the Birth Te deum Christmas Day | Bach Haydn Holst | |
| 1965 | Spring | Coronation Mass Salvatore Mundi Hear my words ye people Jesus and the Traders | Mozart Blow Parry Kodaly |
| Winter | In terra pax Fantasia on Christmas Carols Carols | Finzi Vaughan Williams | |
| 1966 | Spring | St John Passion | Bach |
| Winter | Ceremony of carols Messiah (Part 1) | Britten Handel | |
| 1967 | Spring | Chandos Anthems Song of Miriam Festival Te Deum | Handel Schubert Vaughan Williams |
| Winter | Concert entitled ‘The Bible in Speech and Song’ and including The Beatitudes | Kalinnikov | |
| 1968 | Spring | Petite Messe Solennelle | Rossini |
| Winter | O sing unto the lord Christmas cantata ‘The New Born King’ Te Deum in C | Boyce Gordon Jacob Haydn | |
| 1969 | Spring | Joshua | Handel |
| Winter | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1970 | Spring | Hymn of Praise Anthems | Mendelssohn |
| Winter | Chrismas Oratorio Parts 1, 2, & 3 | Bach | |
| 1971 | Spring | Carmen (concert version) | Bizet |
| Winter | Ceremony of Carols Christmas Story | Britten Schutz | |
| 1972 | Spring | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| Winter | Samson | Handel | |
| 1973 | Spring | Stabat Mater | Dvorak |
| Winter | Missa Brevis Jesu Priceless Treasure | Kodaly Bach | |
| 1974 | Spring | The Creation | Haydn |
| Winter | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1975 | Spring | Requiem Let thy hand be strengthened | Brahms Handel |
In 1975 the Society adopted the name which it still uses today.
In 1975 the Society adopted the name which it still uses today.
CONDUCTOR 1975 – 1988 RONALD TICKNER
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Dec | A Christmas Cantata Carols | Geoffrey Bush |
| 1976 | Mar | Stabat Mater O sing unto the Lord Hymn to St Cecilia | Rossini Purcell Britten |
| Nov – With W Somerset Singers | Stabat Mater Hear my words ye people Mass in G minor | Palestrina Parry Vaughan Williams | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1977 | May | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| Dec | Messe de Minuit Fantasia on Christmas Carols In Terra Pax | Charpentier Vaughan Williams Finzi | |
| 1978 | March – with W Somerset Singers | Mass in B Minor | Bach |
| Dec | Christmas Oratorio | Bach | |
| 1979 | April | Petite Messe Solennelle | Rossini |
| Dec | Magnificat Dona nobis pacem | Pergolesi Vaughan Williams | |
| 1980 | March | Mass in A flat Lord, Thou hast been our refuge | Schubert Boyce |
| Nov | The Creation | Haydn | |
| 1981 | March | Gloria Requiem | Vivaldi Mozart |
| Dec – with SOG and SCO | Gloria Missa Solemnis | Reichel Beethoven | |
| 1982 | March | Samson | Handel |
| Dec | A concert of Christmas music | ||
| 1983 | March | Requiem Serenade to Music Five Mystical Songs | Cherubini Vaughan Williams |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1984 | March | Dettingen Te Deum Rejoice in the Lamb Mass in B flat, the ‘Harmoniemesse’ | Handel Britten Haydn |
| Dec – with SOG and SCO | Dream of Gerontius | Elgar | |
| 1985 | April | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| Dec | The Christmas Story Brazilian Psalm Vespers | Schutz Berger Mozart | |
| 1986 | April | Zadok the Priest My Heart is Inditing Requiem | Handel Brahms |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1987 | April | Stabat Mater Kyrie K.341 | Dvorak Mozart |
| Dec | The Last Judgement Other works | Spohr Mendelssoh Amner Attwood Mathias | |
| 1988 | April | Te deum Gloria Requiem Cantique de Jean Racine | Charpentier Poulence Faure |
| Nov | Creation | Haydn |
MUSICAL DIRECTOR JOHN COLE 1988 – 2004
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | March – Good Friday | Crucifixion | Stainer |
| April | Petite Messe Solennelle | Rossini | |
| Nov | Carmina Burana | Orff | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1990 | March | Mass in B minor | Bach |
| Nov | Aida | Verdi | |
| Dec | Messiah extracts and Christmas music | Handel | |
| 1991 | Feb | Elijah | Mendelssohn |
| March | Crucifixion | Stainer | |
| Dec | Requiem, Ave Verum | Mozart | |
| 1992 | April | The Dream of Gerontius | Elgar |
| Nov | A German Requiem Requiem Aeternam | Brahms Langston | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1993 | March | Requiem | Verdi |
| Nov | The Bells 1812 Overture | Rachmaninov Tchaikovsky | |
| Nov | Amahl and the Night Visitors A Ceremony of Carols | Menotti Britten | |
| 1994 | March | St Matthew Passion | Bach |
| July | A Child of Our Time | Tippett | |
| Nov | Requiem Cantique de Jean Racine Gloria | Faure Faure Poulenc | |
| Dec | Fantasia on Christmas Carols and other Christmas music | Vaughan Williams | |
| 1995 | March | Requiem | Dvorak |
| Nov | Gloria Motets | Vivaldi Bruckner | |
| Dec | Christmas Oratorio Pts 1, 2 & 3 | Bach | |
| 1996 | March | Carmina Burana Peter and the Wolf | Orff Prokofiev |
| Oct | Mass in C minor | Mozart | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1997 | Feb | Opera Gala Concert | |
| May | Nelson Mass Mass in G | Haydn Schubert | |
| Nov | A Sea Symphony | Vaughan Williams | |
| Dec | Carol Concert | ||
| 1998 | March | Four Sacred Pieces Symphony of Psalms | Verdi Stravinsky |
| June | Stabat Mater | Dvorak | |
| Oct | Symphony No 9 Messe Solonnelle | Beethoven Gounod | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 1999 | March | Mass in B Minor | Bach |
| Nov | Chichester Psalms and other American works | Bernstein | |
| Dec | Amahl and the Night Visitors A Ceremony of Carols | Menotti Britten | |
| 2000 | April | Requiem | Verdi |
| Oct | The Dream of Gerontius | Elgar | |
| Dec | Sleepers Awake Zadock the Priest and My Heart is Inditing | Bach Handel | |
| 2001 | April | Requiem Psalmfest | Faure Rutter |
| Nov | Harmonie Messe Violin Concerto | Haydn Beethoven | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 2002 | April | Requiem Organ Concerto | Brahms Saint Saens |
| Nov | War Requiem | Britten | |
| 2003 | Jan | Opera Party | |
| April | Mass in E minor T e deum | Bruckner Coombes | |
| Oct | Great Mass in C minor Clarinet Concerto | Mozart Mozart | |
| Dec | Handel | ||
| 2004 | March | Requiem | Verdi |
MUSICAL DIRECTOR DUNCAN EMERSON 2004 – 2007
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Oct | Requiem Holberg Suite Hear my Prayer Dies Natalis | Mozart Grieg Purcell Finzi |
| Dec | Gloria and Christmas Music | Rutter | |
| 2005 | March | Piano Concerto No 2 A Sea Symphony | Rachmaninov Vaughan Williams |
| Dec | Messiah Pts 1&2 | Handel | |
| 2006 | March | Mass in D Symphony No 2 (Choral) | Dvorak Mendelssohn |
| Dec | Journey Messa di Gloria Nelson Mass Trombone Concerto | Emerson Puccini Haydn Bourgeois | |
| 2007 | March | The Dream of Gerontius Clarinet Concerto A minor | Elgar Stanford |
2007 – 2008 CONCERTS (GUEST CONDUCTORS)
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Autumn | St Adalbert Cantata St Nicholas Cantata Op 42 Chaconny in G minor | Gorecki Britten Purcell |
| 2008 | Spring | Cantique de Jean Racine Requiem Mass | Faure Deruffle Widor |
| Autumn | Messiah | Handel |
MUSICAL DIRECTOR STEPHEN BELL 2009 – 2016
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | March | The Crucifixion Requiem | Stainer Malcolm Archer |
| May | The Creation | Haydn | |
| Nov | Elijah | Mendelssohn | |
| 2010 | March | Coronation Te deum Gloria Mass opus 130 | Walton Rutter Jongen |
| June | Petite Messe Solennelle | Rossini | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 2011 | May | Laudate Dominum Zadock the Priest, Let the Bright Seraphim,The King Shall Rejoice Psalmfest I was Glad | Mozart Handel Rutter Parry |
| Nov | Nelson Mass Magnificat | Haydn Bach | |
| 2012 | Mar | Dona Nobis Pacem Messa di Gloria | Vaughan Williams Puccini |
| Oct | Te Deum Mass in D | Charpentier Dvorak | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 2013 | April | Carmina Burana The Rio Grande Feel the Spirit | Orff Lambert Rutter |
| Dec | When Icicles Hang Fantasia on Christmas Carols On Christmas Night | Rutter Vaughan Williams Chilcott | |
| 2014 | April | The Dream of Gerontius | Elgar |
| Nov | Requiem | Mozart | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 2015 | April | Hymn to Gaia Magnificat | Sweeney Rutter |
| Dec | Christmas Oratorio | Bach | |
| 2016 | April | Requiem Five Mystical Songs Toward the Unknown Region | Durufle Vaughan Williams Vaughan Williams |
MUSICAL DIRECTOR EDWARD GOATER 2016 – PRESENT
| Year | Month | Composition | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Nov | Advent Concert | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 2017 | April | Requiem Insanae et Vanae cura Nonet in F Op 31 Te Deum | Mozart Joseph Haydn Spohr Michael Haydn |
| July | Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare Gymnopedie No 2 Motets Turn Back O Man | George Shearing Satie Bruckner Holst | |
| Dec | Folk Songs of the Four Seasons Cantata No 140 Wachet auf Eclogue for strings and piano Fantasia on Christmas Carols | Vaughan Williams Bach Finzi Vaughan Williams | |
| 2018 | March | St John Passion | JS Bach |
| June | "Scenes from the Bavarian Highlands German Requiem" | "Elgar Brahms" | |
| Dec | Messiah | Handel | |
| 2019 | March | Gloria Missa Sancti Nicolai Te Deum in C (Bonapate’s name day) | Vivaldi FJ Haydn J M Haydn |
| Dec | Five Mystical Songs Little Music for String Orchestra Requiem – extracts The lark Ascending Five Negro Spirituals Geistliches Lied Wie Lieblich sind (from Requiem) | Vaughan Williams Tippett Faure Tippett Brahms Brahms |