In the Beginning	Building a Tradition	Conductor: John Pryce-Jones
Accompanist: David Houlder	North of England Chamber Orchestra

In the beginning . . . When the idea was first mooted in 1817 by founder William Priestley (eminent local musician, antiquary and literary gentleman), he could hardly have foreseen that Halifax Quarterly Choral Society, later to become the Halifax Choral Society, would still be going strong at the dawn of the Third Millennium. Nor could he have envisaged it surviving to become Britain’s oldest amateur choral society (and possibly the world’s) with an unbroken record of performances. Throughout the remainder of the nineteenth century, the choir played a prominent part in the musical and social life of Halifax, contributing to the many civic and national celebrations which typified Imperial Britain. Its numbers exceeded 200 by the turn of the century and it was much in demand for such prestigious events as the Leeds Triennial Festival. By 1901 the choir had a permanent home in the new Victoria Hall (now known as the Victoria Theatre), built very much with the H.C.S. in mind, and still the “home” venue for most of the society’s concerts.  Thus, the scene was set for what was to become the Society’s Regular Concert Season, in which upwards of six concerts are presented annually.

 

In the Beginning	Building a Tradition	Conductor: John Pryce-Jones
Accompanist: David Houlder	North of England Chamber Orchestra

Building a tradition . . . Since its inception HCS has been associated with the highest order of music making. The conductors, soloists and orchestras who have worked with the society this century read like a Who’s Who? of British music.

Resident Conductors Resident conductors this century have been drawn from the elite of church and secular musicians: F de G English; C. H. Moody; Albert Tysoe; Tustin Baker; Shackleton Pollard; Melville Cook; Donald Hunt; John Pryce Jones.

Guests and Others The list of other conductors (by no means exhaustive) who have conducted the choir needs no further comment: Hans Richter; Sir Henry Wood; Malcolm Sargent; Owain Arwel Hughes; Stanford Robinson; Sir Charles Groves; Andrew Greenwood; Richard Hickox.

Soloists Nor is a representative list of past soloists any less impressive: Heddle Nash; Isobel Baillie; Walter Widdop; Webster Booth; Elsie Suddaby; Stiles Allan; Roy Henderson; Gladys Ripley; Robert Easton; Owen Brannigan; Janet Baker; Brian Rayner-Cook; Raymond Herincx; John Mitchinson; Jill Gomez; Robert Tear; John Shirley Quirk; Peter Pears etc., etc.

Orchestras Throughout its history the Society has worked with first class orchestras including the local Halifax Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, the Douglas Hall Orchestra, the Northern Philharmonia Orchestra, some of the BBC’s orchestras, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Manchester Concert Orchestra and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. More recently, close relationships have developed between the Choir and the English Northern Philharmonia, (the orchestra of Opera North) and the Halifax based Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra, recently renamed North of England Concert Orchestra.

Brass Bands The choir has also collaborated with the cream of the brass band world in its annual Christmas Carols with Brass and Summer Prom concerts. Mention of Black Dyke Mills, Brighouse and Rastrick, Fodens and B.T. will leave no doubt as to the quality of music making involved.

The high standards achieved by the choir and its imaginative programming under Donald Hunt and John Pryce-Jones have led to its recognition as one of the finest in the north of England, attracting several northern premieres, frequent radio broadcasts, television appearances and invitations to take part in prestigious musical engagements nationwide.

 

In the Beginning	Building a Tradition	Conductor: John Pryce-Jones
Accompanist: David Houlder	North of England Chamber Orchestra

HCS Artistic Director and Conductor		Under the inspired leadership of their conductor John Pryce-Jones, HCS goes from strength to strength.
Born: South Wales
Educated: Penarth, Worcester Royal Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Studied with George Hurst and Rafael Kubelik
Career: Worked with: Welsh National Opera, Opera North (founder Chorus Master), Scottish Opera (Head of Music), D'Oyley Carte Opera Company (M.D.), Northern Ballet Theatre (M.D.), Artistic Director NOEL (Northern Orchestral Enterprises Ltd.) which runs the Yorkshire Youth Choir and Orchestra and many singing groups. Has conducted throughout the UK with many of the major orchestras, and overseas in eleven other countries. Is an Honorary Doctor of Letters of Huddersfield University. Has received several awards for his recordings including a Record of the Year award from the Gramophone magazine in December 2000 for Northern Ballet Theatre's ballet Great Expectations. In 2005 led an International Conductor's Masterclass in Italy and in the same year conducted the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra in the Bangkok Music Festival. Personal: John is married to a musician, Alison, who teaches and conducts numerous choirs, and has two children - a son, Rodric, who plays lead guitar in the successful rock band Idlewild, and a teenage daughter, Catrin.

 

In the Beginning	Building a Tradition	Conductor: John Pryce-Jones
Accompanist: David Houlder	North of England Chamber Orchestra

HCS Accompanist: David Houlder David Houlder was born in Liverpool but is also a proud Prestonian, being educated at Preston Grammar School. There he studied organ with John Robinson, gaining his ARCO at the age of 16 and FRCO a year later. He read music at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge for his M.A. degree, continuing his organ studies with Arnold Richardson in London. He embarked upon a teaching career as music master at Wirral Grammar School for Boys. From 1981 to 1999 he was Director of Music at Liverpool's historic Blue Coat School. In 1987 he was appointed Sub-Organist of Liverpool Cathedral. In 2001 he enjoyed a stint as acting Assistant Organist of York Minster. An interesting ‘claim to fame’ for David is that he has recently achieved something of a record in playing the organ at every English cathedral during the course of his career. Currently, David is Sub-Organist at Leeds Parish Church. He has appeared in television broadcasts with the LPC Choir and recorded several CDs under the genial baton of Dr. Simon Lindley. He is a regular organ recitalist at all the major venues in Yorkshire. He also specialises in organ and piano transcriptions of orchestral scores, a skill used with great distinction in recent concerts with Halifax Choral Society. In addition to his regular duties as accompanist and assistant chorus master for the HCS, David directs the Choral Society at Leeds College of Music. His non-musical interests include shipping, railways and photography.

 

In the Beginning	Building a Tradition	Conductor: John Pryce-Jones
Accompanist: David Houlder	North of England Chamber Orchestra

In the Beginning	Building a Tradition	Conductor: John Pryce-Jones
Accompanist: David Houlder	North of England Chamber Orchestra