| A selection of significant
events relating to the DCU |
| Year |
Event |
Recent changes below are shown in red text.
Go to 'latest events' |
| 1788 |
First record of a public concert given on 3rd. Sept. in the Theatre in Bold Lane, Derby. |
| 1793 |
"Grand Musical Festival” held on 5th. Sept. most likely in All Saints Church (now Derby Cathedral). |
1817
 |
A "Derby Choral Society" was formed.
|
| 1866 |
22nd. June: the Derby Choral Union was founded. |
| 1866 |
21st. Sept: first rehearsal of the DCU with 120 members; took place in the School Room, Bag Lane (now East St.)
Read the Derby Mercury report. |
| 1867 |
1st. Feb: first concert given by the DCU: Handel’s oratorio Judas Maccabaeus at the Corn Exchange, Derby.
Read the Derby Mercury report. |
| 3rd. May: a second 'open rehearsal' with Haydn’s Creation was an “unqualified triumph”. Read the Derby Mercury report. |
| 1874 |
Dec: earliest archived programme:
7th. performance of Handel's Messiah.
Click here to view its cover.
Messiah was performed every year (except the first and third seasons) for the first 12 years, and thereafter almost every other year till 1958. |
| 1926 |
7th April: Vaughan Williams conducted the DCU in his A Sea Symphony, in the Drill Hall, Derby.
Click here to see the first page of the score. Click here to see the programme cover. |
| 1930 |
Earliest archived photo of conductor Sir Henry Coward. Click here to view.
Isobel Bailey sang in Elijah on 3rd. Dec. |
| 1935 |
Harold Gray became musical director until 1963 - 24 years (over a 28 year period with a 4 year gap - see list of Conductors/Musical Directors for actual dates). |
| 1936? |
DCU made our first broadcast on the "wireless" in a joint concert with the Birmingham Festival Choral Society in the B'ham Town Hall. The main work was Elgar's Dream of Gerontius. Click here to see the newscutting. |
| 1944 |
18th. Nov: Isobel Baillie and Peter Pears sang with the DCU in Haydn's Creation. Click here to see the newscutting. Click here to view an autographed programme. |
| 1947 |
Kathleen Ferrier sang with the DCU in Bach's St. Matthew's Passion.
Click here to see the newscutting. |
| 1963 |
Raymond Thorpe became conductor until 1991 - 28 years! |
| 1965/6 |
DCU celebrated its Centenary season, performing Bach's Mass in B minor in Nov. 1965 and Vaughan Williams' A Sea Symphony and a newly commissioned work by Anthony Hewitt-Jones called Good Company in Feb. 1966.
Click here to see Raymond Thorpe and Peter Haslam (chairman) in Nov. 1965. |
| 1977 |
Feb: DCU featured in an article in Derbyshire Now called "Heavenly Voices". |
| 1978 |
2nd. Dec: DCU gave the first performance of Messiah - conducted by Ray Thorpe - in the newly opened Assembly Rooms, Derby. Click here to see photo. |
| 1983 |
Ladies' blue dress introduced. |
| 1986 |
Dec: Lesley Garrett sang in Messiah in the Assembly Rooms, Derby. This was recorded by Radio Derby and broadcast on Christmas Day, 1986.
This was the second time she'd sung with us, the first being in 1981 when she also sang in Messiah. She was billed to sing in our "Choral Pageantry" in Nov. 1987, but unfortunately was indisposed. |
| 1990 |
Ladies' red dress introduced - see our model! |
| 1992 |
David Fisher became our musical director. |
| 1993 |
New logo adopted by the choir. |
| 1993 |
Emma Kirkby became our Patron. |
| 1996 |
Nov: first Patron's concert with Emma Kirkby. |
| 1998 |
April: DCU joined in the "Derby Italian Festival" week. |
| 1998 |
May: DCU recorded our first CD "Sounds like Christmas". |
| 2003 |
Ladies' cerise blouse and black skirt introduced - see our model! |
| 2003 |
Sept: Richard Dacey became our Musical Director. |
| 2004 |
April: 1st. overseas trip for the choir, for three concerts in Florence and Lucca, Italy - see Group photos. |
| 2005 |
March: 2nd. overseas trip for two concerts in Lucca, Italy - see Group photos. |
| 2007 |
Oct: Joint performance of Walton's Belshazzar's Feast with the Leicester Phil. in the De Montfort Hall, Leicester. |
| 2008 |
May: 3rd. overseas trip for two concerts in Cologne and Altenberg, Germany - see Group photos. |
| 2009 |
June: 'away day' in Alstonefield for a concert in St. Peter's Church - see Group photos.
The men wore open-necked black shirts for the first time. |
| 2010 |
June: 'away day' in Tideswell for a concert in St. John the Baptist's Church. See Group photos. |
| 2011 |
May/June: 4th. overseas trip for two concerts in Prague and Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic - see Group photos. |
| 2011 |
Nov: new venue, new music: "Choral Jazz" concert performed in Landau Forte College, Derby - see programme and photos. |
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