Britannia Choral Society was founded in 1946 by Gerald King, Director of Music at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. The choir originally consisted of cadets and staff of the college supplemented by a few local civilians.
The collaboration between town and college continued well into the 1980s, when changes within the college resulted in the choir becoming a self-supporting, independent society.
Under successive directors, the choir has sought to maintain the established traditions of first-class programmes and performances.
Recent Concerts
March 2024
‘Spring Classics’
- Ave Verum Corpus – Mozart
- Mass in G – Schubert
- Laudate Dominum – Mozart
- Symphony No. 41 ‘Jupiter’ – Mozart
- Paraphrase on Judas Maccabaeus – Guilmant
- Thine be the glory – Handel
December 2023
‘A Light in the Stable’
- Excerpts from A Light in the Stable – Bullard
- and other seasonal music and readings
November 2023
- Requiem – Fauré
- The Armed Man (choral suite) – Karl Jenkins
March 2023
- And I Saw a New Heaven – Matthew Coleridge
- Requiem – Matthew Coleridge
- Five Mystical Songs – Vaughan Williams
- Blest Pair of Sirens – Parry
- Rhapsody No. 1 in D♭ major – Howells
- Zadok the Priest – Handel
November 2022
‘Magnificat’
- Magnificat – Vivaldi
- Magnificat – Dyson
- Magnificat – Pergolesi
- and other Advent music
April 2022
‘Land and Sea’
- Creation (excerpts) – Haydn
- Horizons – Carter
- Elijah (excerpts) – Mendelssohn
December 2021
‘On Christmas Night’
- On Christmas Night – Chilcott
- and other seasonal music and readings
November 2021
‘Reflection’
- Requiem – Rutter
- and works by Franck, Handel, Mozart and Coleridge
December 2019
‘Ceremony of Carols’
- A Ceremony of Carols – Britten
- and other seasonal music
November 2019
- Messiah – Handel
September 2019
Gala concert with the Choir of St. Mary Magdalene, Launceston at Paignton Parish Church, in aid of the newly restored Willis organ.
- Requiem – Fauré
- Gloria – Vivaldi
March 2019
- Mass in G – Schubert
- and works by Mozart, Purcell and Wesley
December 2018
‘Joy to the World!’
- Magnificat – Vivaldi
- Christmas Oratorio (excerpts) – Bach
- and music for Christmas
March 2018
‘Requiem’
- Requiem – Matthew Coleridge
- Blest Pair of Sirens and I Was Glad – Parry
- Hear My Prayer – Mendelssohn
December 2017
‘On Christmas Night’
- On Christmas Night – Chilcott
- Mass of the Nativity – Shepherd
- O magnum mysterium – Lauridsen
- and other seasonal music
April 2017
‘Hallelujah’
- Mass in D – Dvorak
- Messiah, part 2 – Handel
December 2016
‘Rejoice!’
- Magnificat – Rutter
- and other Christmas works
March 2016
‘An Italian Evening’ (with the Four Seasons String Quartet)
- Magnificat – Pergolesi
- Gloria – Vivaldi
December 2015
‘Peace at Christmas’
- The Armed Man (choral suite) – Karl Jenkins
- Fantasia on Christmas Carols – Vaughan Williams
- A Spotless Rose – Howells
- and other Christmas works
March 2015
‘Let’s Celebrate’ (a joint concert with Dartmouth Orchestra)
- ‘Coronation’ Mass – Mozart
- and other works including Zadok the Priest – Handel arr. Hindley
December 2014
‘Christmas is Coming’
- Choruses from The Creation – Haydn
- Christmas Day – Holst
- O Thou the Central Orb – Wood
- and Advent and Christmas carols
April 2014
- Requiem – Fauré
- Missa Brevis: Sancti Joannis de Deo (Little Organ Mass) – Haydn
December 2013
- A Ceremony of Carols – Britten
- Choruses from Messiah – Handel
- and Christmas carols
March 2013
- Requiem – Mozart
December 2012
- Hymn of Praise – Mendelssohn
-
and Christmas carols, including
- This Endris Night – Welch
- The Stone House Carol – Bond
March 2012
- ‘Nelson’ Mass – Haydn
- God So Loved The World – Stainer
December 2011
- Gloria – Vivaldi
- Hallelujah Chorus – Handel
- and Christmas carols
May 2011
‘Sacred and Profane’
- A programme of religious and secular choral music with works by Brahms, Seiber, Fauré and Bruckner
March 2011
- Mass in C – Beethoven
- Insanae et vanae curae – Haydn
December 2010
- A Ceremony of Carols – Britten
- and other Christmas works
March 2010
- Messiah, parts 1 and 2 – Handel
- Cantata 106 – Bach
