Southampton Choral Union

THE SOUTHAMPTON CHORAL UNION
RECOLLECTIONS OF THE FIRST 25 YEARS
In the spring of 1943, the fourth year of the Second World War, I was asked by the Congregational Minister at Chandlers Ford if I would be able and willing to form a choir to sing Stainer's Crucifixion at the church on Good Friday. At that time there were practically no choral concerts at all in Southampton and, as organist and choir master at the Methodist Church, I was only too happy to accept the challenge. Although it proved to be very much a scratch performance owing to the limited time available for rehearsing an ad hoc choir, those who took part enjoyed the experience sufficiently to enlist my help in the formation of a regular choir. It was thanks mainly to the valiant efforts of Congregational Church choir members Stan and Margaret Bodey that this soon became established with about 30 voices as The Chandlers Ford Singers. The experience had, however, made me think seriously about the possibility of forming a new Choral Society in Southampton.