Ipswich Choral Society

The Ipswich Choral Society is a friendly choir of around 90 members. It was formed in 1824 and is the second oldest choral society in England. The Society has attracted a membership with a wide range of musical experiences and has entertained the public with performances across a wide musical repertoire.

We rehearse on Tuesday nights at Northgate Arts Centre Sidegate Lane West, Ipswich, IP4 3DF and we usually present three main concerts each year, performing in local churches, the Ipswich Corn Exchange, Ipswich School and, occasionally, Snape Maltings.

Our Music Director, Robin Walker, has over twenty years of professional experience directing choirs, conducting at St Paul's Cathedral, Rochester Cathedral, in the Canterbury Music Festival, across the Southeast, in Norway and Italy. Since joining the choir, Robin has led them in a wide range of concerts, including Mendelssohn's Elijah at Snape Maltings, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, Handel's Messiah and “Ipswich Remembers” marking the anniversary of the end of the Great War.

Ipswich Choral Society is pleased to have as its President the international conductor Cem Mansur, who has conducted the choir four times in the UK, most recently at Snape Maltings Concert Hall and twice in Turkey when members of the choir were invited to perform at the Istanbul International Music Festival and the Izmir Festival.

On a regular basis, the Society's rehearsals are usually followed by a visit to The Woolpack in Ipswich to continue the active social scene of the choir!