Reading Concert Singers have been making music in the area around Reading, Berkshire, UK, since the late 1960s. Originally, the choir was formed from the merging of several smaller local choirs, adopting the name 'Reading Musical Society' and subsequently the choir renamed itself the 'Reading Concert Singers' during the 1980s.
We have a wide age range and enjoy a variety of music from folk songs, part-songs, oratorios and church music, including carols at Christmas.
We also enjoy music from films and musicals, such as 'Mamma Mia' and 'Les Miserables', together with a variety of modern favourites, including music made famous by The Beatles, Cliff Richard, Simon & Garfunkel, Abba, Lionel Richie, Josh Groban, John Miles, The Righteous Brothers, Electric Light Orchestra, and most recently, Vangelis, Take That and Pharrell Williams.
Our past choral performances have included:
Vivaldi 'Gloria', Mendelssohn 'Elijah', Rutter 'Requiem', Elgar 'From the Bavarian Highlands', Coleridge-Taylor 'Hiawatha's Wedding Feast', Britten 'Ceremony of Carols', Handel 'Messiah' and Faure 'Requiem'.
Our semi-staged and costumed presentations have included:
Strauss 'Die Fledermaus', German 'Merrie England', and Gilbert & Sullivan 'Gondoliers', 'Yeomen of the Guard', 'Mikado', 'Patience', 'Iolanthe', 'HMS Pinafore' and 'Pirates of Penzance'.
We have also held highly successful and amusing Edwardian Music Hall evenings with audience participation.
In the past at Easter, we join forces with some of our local church choirs for an Act of Worship, alternating each year between Maunder 'Olivet to Calvary' and Stainer 'Crucifixion'.
We have also taken part, alongside our friends from other local choral societies, including BBC’s ‘Songs of Praise’.
