The tradition of choral singing in Dartford dates back to 1876, when Rev
Robert Jamblin established a choir at his church, St Michael’s, Wilmington. To
promote choral singing more widely in the area, in 1879 he formed and conducted
a choir in Dartford, whose concerts at The Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel proved
very popular. Interest waned, however, when he left the area for another post.
The Dartford Choral Association, as it was first known, came about as a
result of combining choirs from local churches in Dartford under the conductor,
Mr J Brockwell. From 1914 to 1918 it performed open-air concerts for charity in
the grounds of large houses, with 300 to 400 people attending.
In 1919
The Dartford and District Choral Society was inaugurated, with Mr J Brockwell as
its first conductor. Its first concert took place in Central Hall, Dartford, in
May 1920. The work performed was The Ancient Mariner by J F Barnett. By the
1930s the Society had grown in membership to 90-100 singers, and performed two
or three major choral works per year. With the exception of the war years and
during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Society has continued to give regular concerts
to the present day.
After the Second World War, two well-known conductors
- Dr Eric Thiman and his successor, Mr Alan Melville - built up the Society and
widened its repertoire. Local musician David Atkinson, then organist and
choirmaster of Christ Church, Bexleyheath, became the Society’s music director
in 1976. In addition to the Autumn, Spring and Summer concerts, David began the
tradition of performing an annual Christmas carol concert. For the first few
years these carol concerts were held at the Orchard Theatre, which, when it
first opened in the early 1980s, was also the venue for a performance by the
Society of Handel’s Messiah.
When David Atkinson moved on in 1984 Michael
Bell (who at that time was organist and choirmaster of Dartford Parish Church,
and is now at St Nicholas, Chislehurst) took over as music director. The Society
has continued to perform three major choral concerts per year, in addition to
the annual carol concert, which is now held at St Anselm’s RC Church in
Dartford. It has also supported the local community by performing at a number of
open-air events, including singing carols at the switching-on of Dartford’s
Christmas lights and at the opening of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge at the
Dartford Crossing in 1991.
Many notable soloists have performed with the
Society since it began, including Isobel Baillie, Ann Mackay and Justin
Lavender. It is still privileged to be joined by excellent young, enthusiastic
soloists when the programme requires.
The Society has used a wide variety
of accompanists since the 1920s. In the early days orchestral accompaniment was
provided on a regular basis by the Dartford Chamber Orchestra; later orchestras
have included Dartford Girls’ Grammar School Orchestra, the Burlington Quartet,
and musicians from Trinity Laban. In recent years the Society has been
accompanied by various talented local organists and pianists.
Michael
Bell is retiring after 40 years of directing Dartford Choral Society and it is
hoped that 105 years of choral singing in Dartford will continue under a new
director, soon to be appointed.
Past Musical Directors have been:
| 1984 - current | Michael Bell | |
| 1976 - 1984 | David Atkinson | |
| - 1976 | Michael Anderson |