Ramsbottom Choral Society & Orchestra

The Ramsbottom Choral Society is a mixed choral
group, and it prides itself on upholding the high
standards of choral traditions for which the North of
England is renowned.

The choir has performed most of the established choral
repertoire from Handel through to Benjamin Britten,
John Rutter and latterly Karl Jenkins.

Ramsbottom Choral Society has been in existence since the early part of the last century, there was a break in continuity during the 1940’s, but has been in continuous operation since the early 1950’s. There is quite a lot of evidence for the existence of a Ramsbottom choral society going back to the time of the First World War. This evidence is in the form of programmes of concerts that have turned up from time to time. However, the society’s continuous written records in the form of minute books only go back to 1949 when the society was reformed after the Second World War.

Ramsbottom Choral Society and Orchestra are now one of the leading musical societies in the North West with a reputation that attracts some of the best soloists who want to sing with the society. Concerts are performed in various local venues.

Typically, the society gives four concerts each year. The first in March or April which is usually a major choral work, recently for example, Elgar’s ‘Music Makers’ coupled with Poulenc’s ‘Gloria’.

This is followed by a summer concert in June, which is usually of a lighter nature, performing operatic excerpts, music from popular West end shows and Giilbert and Sullivan items. Also the summer concert is an opportunity for the many talented players in the orchestra to perform solo items or movements from concertos with the orchestra.
In November, the society perform a significant choral work sometimes of a secular nature, recently for example, ‘The Armed Man’ a modern choral and orchestral work written for the millennium celebrations by Karl Jenkins, coupled with John Rutter’s ‘Magnificat’.

Just before Christmas each year the society perform a Christmas Concert at Greenmount United Reform Church which has become very well-known in the locality, and is always a well supported event.