Chair’s Report – September 2025
At our AGM on the 10th September, the Chair of the Society delivered a report which summarised our activities over the last season and it is reproduced here to provide a flavour of what BCS has contributed to culture in Sunderland.
“I’m pleased to report a very successful musical year. We started with a “Christmas Messiah” and the second half of the concert contained a special piece commissioned by the society. This was the beautiful; “A Child on Earth” by Lucy Walker which was written especially for Bishopwearmouth Choral Society and it was our pleasure to perform for the very first time; our first world premier!”
This was followed by a tremendous “Creation” and a beautiful French evening centring around the Faure Requiem. All three concerts were well received by the audience, and we enjoyed singing such a wide ranging repertoire.
We had our first choral scholarship students, Davina and Alex. The relationship was mutually beneficial with the young singers getting valuable experience and the choral society benefitting from their professionalism and energy. We wish them well for the future and would welcome them back at any time. We have new Alto and Soprano scholarship students for this year and are still looking for a young tenor and bass to complete the programme.
We enjoyed a singing day with David Lawrence who took us, and guests, through an exploration of the Creation”. It was really well received with the added bonus of enhancing our own performance.
We are pleased to report that the Minster is now lighter and warmer thanks to the work that has been done on the electrics and heating systems.
We will be proposing a social evening this season or next for the choir and their guests.
My thanks and gratitude, as always, has to go to David Murray and Eileen Bown who direct us and challenge us in the best way possible, and our committee who do so much behind the scenes in order to keep the society moving forward”.
Mike Foster
Chair: Bishopwearmouth Choral Society
