About Us

Our History

The Armidale Choral Society as we know it today was formed in 1971. Its immediate precursor was the University Choral Society, which was formed during the late 1950’s by Campbell Howard who was a lecturer at the Armidale Teacher’s College. He later moved to Tamworth but continued to conduct the choir on campus by travelling up to Armidale for rehearsals on Monday evenings

The earliest rehearsals were held in Booloominbah, upstairs in the original billiards room, which at that time was being used as a lecture room. There was no piano in this room, and Lois Kesteven used to come to rehearsals to ‘give the note’. (She had ‘perfect pitch’).

On completion of the new Union building, rehearsals moved to what was then the new staff common room, on the western side of the western courtyard. The group comprised academic and clerical staff (and their partners), students and interested townsfolk: anyone who wanted to be involved in choral singing. The repertoire at this time was made up of songs and madrigals, and there was a performance of Bach’s Peasant Cantata.

During the 1960’s Campbell Howard relinquished the baton to Neville Meale, who had arrived to teach music at the Teachers’ College during the 1950’s. With the advent of the Music Department at UNE, it was no longer seen as appropriate for townspeople to sing in the campus choir. Consequently, rehearsals moved to the music room of the Teachers’ College, under the baton of Neville Meale.

The choir has always attracted most singers when the performance of large choral works has been scheduled. Handel’s Messiah, and settings of the masses by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven have been high points.