Welcome to Peterborough Choral Society
Welcome to the Choral Society.
We are a mixed voice choir and have embraced a large repertoire since its foundation in 1991, see History. We are a friendly group who are deeply passionate about musical excellence and its continuance in and around our beloved city. We know singing is not only great fun but is shown by overwhelming evidence to support wellbeing.
We are enjoying the journey with our Musical Director, Bradley Smith having completed our first full season under his baton. He is internationally renowned and is an inspirational voice coach and can always give us tips and techniques.
The choice of music is varied as you can see from our previous concerts. There is more information about rehearsal and concert dates, subscriptions and social events, see Choir Life. If you would like to come back to singing or you think this is the choir for you, please send us a message on the Contact Us page and we'd be pleased to help. We look forward to hearing from you.
We are pleased to have relaunched our 'Friends of Peterborough Choral Society'. You will find details of our offer on the Friends page. You will also find a link to an online application form.
Our Next Concert
Brahms vs Bruckner, Two Titans of Vienna
On Saturday 28th November 2026 the choir will be performing in St Kyneburgha's Church, Castor.
A mixed choral programme with music by two masters of the late 19th century Romantic era, featuring Brahms’ Schicksalslied and Bruckner’s Mass in D.
Previous Seasons Concerts
A Walk with John Clare
The Saturday events at the John Clare Festival 2026 culminated in a sell out concert 'A Walk with John Clare' by the Peterborough Choral Society. 90 minutes saw the audience engaged through a journey of unaccompanied madrigals, a cappella, modern music all reflecting the life that John Clare would have experienced throughout his life accompanied by Bradley on keyboard. The choir sang about the birds and the bees, about the beautiful countryside including reflections from musicals interspersed with John Clare poems. It was rounded off with a special arrangement by Bradley Smith of the Teddy Bears picnic.
Aedan Kerney MBE composed the work 'Her I Love'. As a Musical Director of the Boundstone Chorus and the Worthing Choral Society he had composed the piece for his local choirs. On a special trip to Helpston he said he was very impressed with the choir and congratulated Bradley and the choir. There were additional comments of 'superb' and 'amazing' and considering it was a very hot evening the choir performed with gusto.
LUX: The Music of Light
A service of music and reflections in words became a spectacular performance on Saturday evening in the resplendent Peterborough Cathedral. A stunning rendition of 'A song for Athene' by John Taverner was sung out of view of the congregation with the sound resonating around the Cathedral. This was the dramatic start of bringing darkness into light.
Howard Goodall's Eternal Light Requiem was interspersed with liturgical and secular readings by choir members. The music was accompanied by excellent soloists and pianist from Cambridge University with the harp and organ balancing the choir. Every movement had its own gravitas and jubilation which led the congregation on a profound journey, some of whom were deeply moved.
The Elgar was dignity, balance, and precision sung in the Nave bringing the performance full circle. A perfect way to end the concert. The Musical Director, Bradley Smith, is congratulated on his dedication and inspiration to encapsulate this performance.
The Spirit of Christmas
The 2025 Winter Concert celebrated the Christmas season with a glorious concert of Carol Anthems in the magnificent setting of St Kyneburgha's Church, Castor.
It was an eclectic mix by English and French composers. Anthems by Herbert Howells were a particular highlight. There was a world premier performance of a delightful carol by composer Mark Harris who is also a member of the choir. Christmas Day by Holst and Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan-Williams were filled with joy and John Taverner's The Lamb was electric. The Shepherd's Farewell by Hector Berlioz and the Christmas Oratorio by Saint-Saens completed the concert after the interval and were sung with gusto and lots of contrasts. The 3 Cambridge soloists were exceptional and the performance was accompanied by organist Ivan Linford. After rapturous applause an encore filled the church with the magical piece by Will Todd 'The Lord has come'. What a way to end a concert.
The audience was enraptured by all the music and commented afterwards 'I was mesmerised by the music' and were 'blown away' with the singing with an atmosphere that was spellbinding.
The choir is a member of Making Music, which is the
UK’s membership organisation for leisure-time music.
To go to the web site, click on the logo.