History of the Choir
The origins of the present choir have been traced back to 1919 and the current members of Malvern Festival Chorus were excited about celebrating their centenary in the 2019-2020 season.
The Malvern Choral Society was formed in 1919 from a group of music-loving friends and companions, and the inaugural meeting of the Society was held at the home of Mr. H. James in Back Lane, Great Malvern. The original nucleus of the Society may have even earlier associations however. The National Archives have references to the North Malvern Choral Society for evening concerts in 1876 and 1890 within the Worcester Cathedral Music Muniments Archive. It is possible that some members of the newly formed Malvern Choral Society had links with that original Choral group.
From 1919 to 1935 the Malvern Choral Society thrived, along with other choral groups in the area. In 1935 it was decided to merge the disparate groups into a single identity, which became known as the Malvern Musical Society. As with every facet of life the war years caused disruption in the smooth progress of the new society. There followed some thirty years of continuous effort to battle fluctuating membership numbers and various other challenges.
In 1979 the Society reformed to become the Malvern Festival Chorus and they began their steady progression towards the passionate and professional group of choral artists that comprise the Malvern Festival Chorus of today.
