Whitton Choral Society (WCS) was formed in 1968 as a result of a group of people from local churches coming together at St. Augustine's Church once a year to take part in a music and mime production. Many of its members are still from local churches, but there is also a wider membership.

The majority of the music performed is drawn from the musical traditions of the various churches, although secular works are frequently included, as also are modern sacred pieces.

The season runs from September until June, during which time three concerts are held, including a sacred work on Good Friday. These concerts are usually held at churches in Whitton.

Practices are held every Wednesday at 7.45pm at Whitton Baptist Church and members are required to attend on a regular, committed basis. Attendance at the final rehearsal, usually on the afternoon of a concert, is compulsory unless working commitments make it impossible.

Music for Good Friday 21st March 2008 7.30pm Whitton Baptist Church, Hounslow Road, Whitton. David Newman - Tenor Alan Gibbs - Organist Pat Hamilton - Reader Ian McFarlane - Director of Music Choir and congregation - We sing the praise of Him who died Choir - The Merchants' Carol - Frank Kendon Choir - Sanctus/Benedictus/Agnus Dei from Mass by Byrd Solo - David Newman - If with all your heart from Elijah by Mendelssohn Choir and congregation - My song is love unknown Choir - Ave Verum - Jesu, word of God incarnate - Mozart Choir - Gabriel's Message - J.M. Neale Choir - Tomorrow shall be my dancing day - Trad. Choir - When I survey the wondrous cross - tune The Legend - Tchaikovsky Solo - David Newman - Ave Maria - Gounod Choir and Solo - Easter Music from Messiah - G. F. Handel Behold the Lamb of God Surely He hath borne our grief and carried our sorrows And with His stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray Recitative - All they that see Hum laugh Him to scorn He trusted in God that He would deliver Him Recitative - Thy rebuke hath broken His heart Air - Behold, and see if there be any sorrow Recitative - He was cut off out of the land of the living Choir and congregation - O sacred head sore wounded - J.S. Bach Choir and congregation - Praise to the holiest in the height

Christmas Concert 15th December 2007 Baptist Church, Hounslow Road, Whitton. Viki Hart - Soprano Belinda Williams - Mezzo Soprano Neil Hawes - Organist Chaturika Rajapakse - Accompanist Ian McFarlane - Director of Music Choir Carols Fanfare - Martin Shaw Gloria - Vivaldi Christmas Night - John Rutter On Christmas Day - Malcolm Sargent Christmas Day - Gustav Holst The Virgin's Slumber Song - Max Reger The Shepherds' Pipe Carol - John Rutter Remember O Thou Man - Arthur Oldham Christ was born on Christmas Day The Holly and the Ivy - John Gardner *The very best time of year - John Rutter *The Christmas Song - Torme/Wells Jingle Bells - arr. Ray Charles O Holy Night - Adolphe Adam * Featuring Ian McFarlane on Saxophone and Viki Hart on violin, with Neil Hawes conducting Duet: Viki Hart and Belinda Williams The Flower Duet from Lakme - Delibes Congregational Carols: Once in royals David's city Silent night Born in the night O come, O come, Immanuel O come all ye faithful While shepherds watched (to a tune originally written for this carol, but now known as "On Ilkley Moor Baht'at") Hark the herald angels sing

Music for Good Friday - "The Passion of our Lord according to St. Luke" - J. S. Bach. 6th April 2007 7.30pm Whitton Baptist Church, Hounslow Road, Whitton. David Newman - Tenor, Alan Gibbs - Organist, Ian McFarlane - Director of Music. Congregational Hymn We sing the Praise Choir O Saviour of the World from Requiem - H. Howells Choir Hymn before Action and Agnus Dei from The Armed Man - Karl Jenkins Solo Were you there - Spiritual - Guest Soloist David Newman Choir Cantique de Jean Racine - Faure Congregational Hymn My song is love unknown Choir St Luke Passion - J. S. Bach - solos by Chris Raymond and other gentlemen of the choir. Congregational Hymn O Sacred Head

Whitton Choral Society Christmas Concert - Carols for Choir and Audience Saturday 16th December 2006 7.30pm Baptist Church Hounslow Road, Whitton. Viki Hart - Soprano Neil Hawes - Organist Anthea Wheale - Accompanist Ian McFarlane - Director of Music Congregational Carol Once in Royal David's City Choir A Ceremony of Carols - Benjamin Britten - Soloist Viki Hart Congregational Carol A Great and Mighty Wonder Choir The Wild Wood - John Rutter - Soloist Viki Hart Choir Alleluya, a new work is come on hard - Peter Wishart Congregational Carol Unto us a Boy is Born Solo Rejoice Greatly (Messiah) - Handel - Soloist Viki Hart Choir Sheep Sequence     While shepherds watched and Sheep from the Roger Jones musical While shepherds watched - Narrator Pat Hamilton     The Lamb - John Taverner     All we like sheep (Messiah) - Handel     Bethlehem from While shepherds watched - Roger Jones     I want to go to Bethlehem from Songs for Christmas - Richard Phillips     And the glory of the Lord (Messiah) - Handel Congregational Carol God rest ye merry, Gentlemen Choir Christmas in my heart from Songs for Christmas - Richard Phillips Choir The Holly and the Ivy - John Gardener Choir O Holy Night - Adolphe Adam - Soloist Viki Hart Congregational Carol Hark! the herald angels sing

Good Friday evening, 14th April 2006 7.30pm Congregational Hymn - We sing the praise of Him who died From the Requiem - John Rutter     Requiem Aeternam     Out of the deep (Psalm 130)     Pie Jesu     Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)     The Lord is my Shepherd (Psalm 23) Congregational Hymn - My song is love unknown The Darkest Hour - Harold Moore     Prologue     Scene 1 Gethsemane Congregational Hymn - In the Lord's atoning grief     Scene 2 The Trials, before Caiaphas and Pilate     Scene 3 On the road to Calvary     Scene 4 Calvary     Epilogue Congregational Hymn - At the Name of Jesus Lindsay Sivitar - Soprano Chris Raymond - Bass Alan Gibbs - Organist Ian McFarlane - Director of Music

Mostly Mozart A 250th birthday celebration The Corps of Army Music Orchestra Kneller Hall trumpeters Whitton Community Choir at St. Augustine of Canterbury, Whitton. Saturday 11th February and Sunday 12th February 2006. Conducted by Lt Col Stephen Smith CAMUS, Principal Director of Music (Army) Georgia Ginsberg - Soprano The National Anthem arranged by Gordon Jacob with the Kneller Hall trumpeters Overture from The Marriage of Figaro - Mozart Gloria - Poulenc with Georgia Ginsberg (soprano) Meditation from Thaïs - Massenet with Rebecca Watts (violin) The Heavens are Telling (The Creation) - Haydn Creation's Hymn - Beethoven Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart Cantique de Jean Racine - Fauré with Geoffrey Bowyer (organ) Exsultate Jubilate - Mozart with Georgia Ginsberg (Soprano) Hallelujah Chorus (Messiah) - Handel

Christmas Concert Carols for Choir and Audience 17th December 2005 St. Augustine's Church, Whitton. David Newman - Tenor Neil Hawes - Organist Anthea Weale - Accompanist Ian McFarlane - Director of Music Choir/solo items: Snow in the Street - Vaughan Williams Puer Natus - Terence Dwyer The First Nowell - Vaughan Williams 'Twas in the moon of wintertime Mary's Cradle Song The Bell Carol I sing the birth - Edward Elgar Of a Rose, a lovely rose - John Rutter Jesus Child - John Rutter I wonder as I wonder - John Rutter (Lindsay Siviter - soprano solo) There is no rose - Benjamin Britten When the stars begin to fall - arr. Roberton Jingle Bells - arr. Willcocks White Christmas - Torme Bethlehem Down - Peter Warlock (David Newman - Tenor) The Star of Bethlehem - Stephen Adams (David Newman - Tenor) This Endrys Night - George Oldroyd (Neil Hawes - organ) And congregational carols: Once in Royal David's city Angels from the realms of glory O come, all ye faithful See amid the winter's snow Hark the herald-angels sing

Good Friday evening, 25th March 2005 Holy art Thou - a setting of "The Celebrated Largo" by Handel Ave Verum by Gounod Steal Away - arranged by Andrew Carter O Vos Omnes - Carlo Gesualdo The Crucifixion by John Stainer Guest Tenor: Simon Haynes Guest Bass: Christopher Goldsack Organist: Alan Gibbs Director of Music: Ian McFarlane

Royal Military School of Music Royal Golden Jubilee concert 26th June 2002 on a warm summer's evening in the grounds of Kneller Hall, Whitton Featuring:      The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers      The Band of the Welsh Guards      The Band and Bugles of the Light Division      The RAF Squadronaires Big Band      The Sealed Knot Society Richard Baker - Guest Compere Emer McParland - Soloist A Community Choir, made up of Whitton Choral Society and friends, sang:    Zadok the Priest by Handel accompanied by fireworks    Rourke's Progress from The Battle of Isandlwana           - a descriptive arrangement by Lt. Col. G. Kingston psm and also sang with the audience of around 3000 in a medley of "Songs of the Great War" Good Friday 29th March 2002 at Whitton Baptist Church Lo, the Full final Sacrifice - Gerald Finzi The Crucifixion - John Stainer Congregational hymns:      We sing the praise of him who died      When I survey the wondrous Cross (tune Waly Waly) David Newman - Tenor Christopher Goldsack - Bass Alan Gibbs - Organ Ian McFarlane - Director of Music "A first class performance from a well disciplined and directed choir", David E. Loftus wrote in the Richmond and Twickenham Times, "Ian MacFarlane had rehearsed the choir to a high standard".

19th and 20th January 2002 at St. Augustine's Church, Whitton Handel's Messiah sung by combined choirs of:   Whitton Choral Society, and the church choirs of:   St. Augustine's,   St. Edmunds, and   St. Phillip & St. James. Ian McFarlane - Choir Director Lt.Col. Geoff Kingston psm Principal Director of Music (Army) - conductor The Corps of Army Orchestra, leader SSgt Simon Lockwood RA The Kneller Hall Trumpeters Geoffrey Bowyer - Organ Major (Rtd) Roger Swift - Continuo Soloists from the Trinity College of Music, London:      Ashley Barrington - Soprano      Helen Johnson - Contralto      Mark Bushby - Tenor      Panos Tsikos - Bass Proceeds to three local registered charities:      Homelink - a day respite care facility;      The Corps of Army Music Trust;      The Shooting Star Trust Children's Hospice. "...a stunning and exhilarating experience" Barry Buttenshaw said, writing in the Richmond and Twickenham Times, "the highlights were when six of the world's finest trumpeters joined in from the balcony at the rear of the church - the antiphonal sound had the audience buzzing. ...The choir was well rehearsed ... sang well with clear diction and stood up and sat down with military precision!".

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Good Friday 13th April 2001 at Whitton Baptist Church Procession of Palms - Malcolm Williamson O Saviour of the world - John Goss The Lamb - John Taverner Steal Away - Spiritual arr. Andrew Carter The Last Supper - Eric Thiman O Vos Omnes - Carol Gesualdo When I survey the wondrous cross - tune "Legend" - Tchaikovsky There is a green hill far away - Charles Gounod Were you there when they crucified my Lord - spiritual Agnus Dei and The Lord is my shepherd from Requiem - John Rutter Solo If with all your hearts ye truly seek me - from Elijah - Mendelssohn Drop, drop slow tears - Kenneth Leighton Congregational hymns:      We sing the praise of him who died      Ride on ! Ride on in Majesty!      O thou who camest from above      Deck thyself, my soul, with gladness      Praise to the holiest in the height David Newman - Tenor Alan Gibbs - Organist Ian McFarlane - Director of Music Good Friday 1998 Whitton Baptist Church David Newman - Tenor; Peter Higgins - Accompanist; Ian McFarlane - Director of Music; God so Loved the World from The Crucifixion by Maunder The Passion - Joseph Haydn, interspersed with readings. Congregational hymns:      When I Survey the wondrous cross      My song is love unknown      Praise to the Holiest in the height