2024 marks the 50th anniversary of Mansfield Choral Society — and to mark the jubilee milestone it has been hosting a series of celebratory concerts.

The latest is Come To The Music! at St John’s Church, Mansfield, on 9th November.

The concert will feature Nottingham baritone William Burn in Vaughn Williams’ Five Mystical Songs and jazz-inspired Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo by Michael Flanders and Joseph Horovitz.

In May the choir joined with Bingham & District Choral Society and Nottingham-based brass ensemble Essentially Brass for the first celebratory concert in Southwell Minster.

Organist was a former musical director of the choral society, Peter Siepmann. The programme contained several choral favourites as well as modern pieces, including the UK premiere of Glorify! by American composer Royden Tse.

Jubilee celebrations continued in July with A Summer Playlist at The Samworth Academy, Mansfield. Mansfield Choral Society has a long tradition of supporting local musical talent and guest singer for the evening was a young singer Charlotte MacDonald.

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Music has always played a significant part in Mansfield life over many years and there have been some outstanding musical personalities in the town.

One of them was Ethel Housely, who taught music and singing, and founded the Ethel Housely Choir in the 1950s.

Originally a girls’ choir, it was expanded under Ethel’s direction to become a mixed choir, which began to perform choral works from the classical repertoire.

The Ethel Housley Choir folded in 1973, but a phoenix rose from those ashes in the same year — Mansfield Choral Society, under the leadership of another well-known music personality, David Chamberlain.

He wanted to maintain the excellent standards achieved by Ethel and directed the choir to tackle bigger choral works, while still performing lighter pieces.

Under the batons of Martin Pickering and David Wilson, the society continued to grow in quality and musical scope. In 2012, Peter Siepmann took over as musical director and in 2017 Ellie Martin succeeded him. Then in 2022 the current holder of the role, Diane Haslam, was appointed.

Pictured top are the four surviving musical directors of Mansfield Choral Society, from left, Peter Siepmann, Diane Haslam, Ellie Martin, and David Wilson. 

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Mansfield Choral Society has had strong links with music in the town for the past years, among them a long association with internationally-renowned pianist Mansfield Woodhouse’s John Ogdon. The choir performed a memorial concert in his honour at Mansfield Palace Theatre after his untimely death in 1989.

Those strong music links with Mansfield also meant that many of its soloists were coached by Pamela Cook, the late director of the town’s award-winning Cantamus Girls Choir.

Now the society, which usally performs three main concerts each year, as well as supporting community events, hold rehearsals on term time Thursdays at St Peter’s Primary School Community Hall, Mansfield, at 7pm. It welcomes singers of all ages and abilities.

Tickets for the Come To The Music! anniversary concert, at St John’s Church on 9th November, cost £15 (free for accompanied under-16s). They are available from choir members or at www.mansfieldchoral.org.uk

Make friends, have fun, learn music

The current musical director of Mansfield Choral Society is Diane Haslam.

Born and raised in Mansfield, she was a founder member of Cantamus Girls Choir. Then after graduating from the Royal Northern College of Music, Diane sang as a soloist with Opera Roundabout in London before accepting a full-time contract with the Netherlands Opera in Amsterdam.

She subsequently moved to the USA, continuing her opera and solo recital work as well as starting a vocal coaching and teaching career.

Diane, who moved back to Mansfield in 2020, said: “Music is for everyone and singing in a choir is not just about your own voice. It’s about making friends, having fun, and learning new and beautiful music — and doing it together.

“I hope that we can expand our vision of the sort of music that we do. We have such wonderful talented musicians in our area, and I hope to do more collaborations.

“I want the choir to grow into a place where all ages and musical abilities feel at home.”