The Society was founded in 1836, and under a succession of distinguished principal conductors and chorus masters has developed an international reputation as the UK’s leading choral society. The present chorus master is Joseph Cullen, with Darius Battiwalla as deputy chorus master.

The choir’s special quality is the unique ‘Huddersfield Sound’ – a thrilling full-bodied and firm blended tone, flexible enough for both the most shattering climaxes and for the softest but focused pianissimos.

The Society promotes its own professional subscription concert season in Huddersfield Town Hall, its home since 1881. The choir also visits other major concert halls in 
the UK and abroad, regularly broadcasts for BBC radio and television, and has a long history of pioneering recordings. Recent repertoire includes established works such as Verdi’s Requiem, Brahms’s German Requiem, Elgar’s three great oratorios Gerontius, Apostles and 
The Kingdom and Britten’s War Requiem. Under the leadership of principal conductor Martyn Brabbins the choir has also explored repertoire such as Rachmaninov’s unaccompanied Vespers – performed at the Flâneries musicales d’été de Reims in 2004 and the Cheltenham Music Festival in 2005 – and choral music by Arnold Bax.

But Handel’s Messiah remains the work most closely associated with the Huddersfield Choral Society – performed at least annually since 1864, and still attracting 
capacity audiences at the two Christmas performances 
in Huddersfield. Lightness and flexibility combine with awesome grandeur to bring this choral masterpiece to life for modern audiences.

The Society supports two junior choirs – the Youth 
Choir and Young Voices – which are directed by professional musicians and have their own independent concert programmes.

Details of all concerts and events, how to join the choir and how to become a subscriber can be found on the website at www.huddersfieldchoral.com.