HUDDERSFIELD Choral Society reaches its 175th anniversary next year – and has vowed to make it an extra special celebration.

The highly respected choir reaches the milestone during its 2010/2011 season and is already raising funds to enable it to celebrate this remarkable musical achievement.

Those celebrations will include holding a series of workshops in the town which the Choral hopes will encourage more young singers to join its ranks and thus ensure the future success of the society.

And what success the choir has had.

Over the years it has worked with some of the world’s leading artistes, travelled widely taking its musical skills to venues across this country and abroad.

Everywhere it goes, the Choral ‘sings’ the message of Huddersfield and its standing as an outstanding musical organisation has helped raise the town’s profile nationwide and overseas.

The Choral continues to break new ground, not just in its musical choices but in its partnerships with other organisations here and overseas.

Next year will see members of a Japanese choir arrive in Huddersfield to return the visit made to Osaka two years ago by 90 Choral members to sing Britten’s War Requiem in what proved a milestone event in the choir’s history.

But it is the relationships and memorable events here in Huddersfield which will form a cornerstone of the Choral’s 175th anniversary celebrations.

“We are planning a series of workshops for young singers and for adult singers and a conducting workshop,” said Jenny Lockwood who is chairman of the committee set up to fundraise for the celebrations.

“The fundraising is to allow us to do extra things to celebrate the anniversary.

“There will be six workshops in all. We want to give people who are not members of the Choral an opportunity to share the expertise of people like chorusmaster Joseph Cullen and other music professionals associated with the choir.

“Looking ahead, the society will be aiming to attract new singers and new subscribers and we hope that process begins during our anniversary year.”

Jenny is delighted that her committee’s plans for fundraising events have already been supported by the Choral’s singers. Ideas are coming in thick and fast.

“We hope to have an open air concert and there will be a gala concert. In addition, we will be creating a series of storyboards which will illustrate the choir’s 175 years.

“The storyboards will go on display in venues around Kirklees including libraries and town halls and they will go with the choir to concerts outside the area.

“We have already had a coffee morning and individual members are holding all kinds of events from ceilidhs to cake baking, from plant sales to plum pudding sales. And anyone who marks the anniversary years with a £175 donation will be acknowledged in a commemorative brochure and the donor will receive a special limited edition gift exclusive to this appeal.”

This weekend sees the first of a series of special fundraising events.

Chorusmaster Joseph Cullen and deputy chorusmaster Darius Battiwalla will play a concert in St Paul’s Hall, Huddersfield, tomorrow.

They will play a programme of music for piano and organ and will be joined by instrumentalists from the University of Huddersfield’s Department of Music.

A new Choral recording of Stainer’s Crucifixion is now on sale and there will be a new edition of And The Glory – the history of the society – available next year.

Additional concerts are being planned for the anniversary season including a gala performance of Elgar’s Dream Of Gerontius on June 18, 2011, close to the date that the society was founded in June 1836.

But it won’t just be their vocal chords that the Choral’s singers will be flexing as they raise funds for the anniversary.

Training starts early in the New Year for those keen to take part in two sponsored events. One will see singers walking on a route including local landmarks such as Castle Hill with singing stops along the way.

Others will take part in a sponsored sing which is scheduled for spring 2011.

No-one could be prouder of the society and what is still to come than its current president, Brenda Mosley.

“I am so very proud to be president of this wonderful society at such an important time in its history. It is a real privilege to be a part of the planning process for all the 175th anniversary celebrations.

“I have seen the enormous dedication and enthusiasm of the singing members of the Huddersfield Choral Society. They are not only putting in hours of rehearsal but are actively fundraising to ensuring the success of the many additional activities planned for the anniversary.

“This is a wonderful choir with an international reputation and we must work together to ensure its continued success for the next 175 years.”