Gives you details of the Society and where we are

OUR SOCIETY

GUERNSEY CHORAL AND ORCHESTRAL SOCIETY is a mixed voice adult choir of about 100 voices and an orchestra formed principally to accompany the choral works. The choir is entirely amateur as is the orchestra with the exception of a few professional players and other professional musicians such as local music teachers.

The choir rehearses every Tuesday from September to June in the St Peter Port School. The Choir and Orchestra are constituted as evening classes under the auspices of the Guernsey College of Further Education. Potential new members are welcome to join us for a few weeks prior to full membership, which is subject to audition. The choir and orchestra perform 3 concerts a year in Guernsey and every other year we take our May concert to France for a weekend de musique, gastronomie et amitie.

OUR CONCERT VENUE

 

It was at a public meeting on 30 October 1815 that Admiral Sir James Saumarez, later Lord de Saumarez, conceived the idea of building St James.

The church was to provide a place of worship for the British garrison in Guernsey, where services could be held in English. At that time, services in the Town Church were held in French. The building was completed in 1818.

After a full life, which included its use as the Elizabeth College chapel for many years, the building finally became redundant in 1970 and fell into partial decay.

In 1981 The Friends of St James Association was formed to achieve St James' restoration and then to administer the building as a concert and assembly hall. The States agreed to pay for its full restoration in 1983 and the building re-opened in July 1985.

Since that time, St James has provided the island with a unique and versatile venue for concerts and public events covering a broad range of tastes for both residents and visitors.

In early 2002, the Dorey Centre opened after a fifteen month building period and years of fund raising by the Friends of St James Association. The resulting three-storey annexe now houses a reception and box office, four function rooms, bar and café as well as the prestigious Guernsey Tapestry. These additional facilities provide St James with the increased versatility it requires to cater for many different types of functions and also provides the Association with further lettable income from local businesses and organisations.

The Friends of St James receive an annual grant from the States of Guernsey to help towards the administration of the building while fund raising and income from Membership of the Association help them further to meet their financial obligations.

OUR CONDUCTOR

Helen Grand is a graduate of the University of London where she studied piano with Audrey Ayliffe, voice with Jane Gregson and the violin. Whilst in London she sang with the St Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Choir, performing in St Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Festival Hall and for Prince Charles. She was a member of the vocal group ‘Octopi’ and also took the leading roles in Trial by Jury and Pirates of Penzance.

 

As Director of Faculty and Head of Music at Farnborough Sixth Form College, Hampshire, Helen was responsible for one of the largest centres for music in England, with over 80 ‘A’ Level music students. The oversight of the design and opening of a new theatre and performing arts centre culminated in the direction of a performance for Prince Edward. 

 

 

She has conducted choirs at The Anvil, Basingstoke and at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. As well as the choral repertoire, Helen has directed a diverse range of music including, orchestras, madrigal groups, chamber ensembles and a Big Band. She also enjoyed her musical directorship of many musicals including, Chicago, Me and My Girl, Guys and Dolls and Oliver.

 

 

For 14 years, Helen was accompanist for Yateley Choral Society before moving to Guernsey in 2000 with her family, initially working as Director of Music at the Ladies’ College. Helen sings with the Guernsey Chamber Choir and her association with the Guernsey Choral and Orchestral Society has been as a singer and accompanist. She was invited to become conductor from 2006.

OUR ISLAND

Guernsey is an Island that covers approximately 24 square miles and is located in the Gulf of St Malo, 60 miles south west of England and about 30 miles west of Northern France. It has a population of around 60,000 people.

 

English speaking, with a centuries-old tradition of political stability and good governance, Guernsey is in the same time zone as London and frequent air links to London and other United Kingdom airports permit one-day business trips. But for those wishing to stay longer, a wide range of top quality hotels and restaurants is available to meet all the needs of the business traveller.

 

The island has its own parliament, the States of Deliberation, which is democratically elected. There are no political parties in Guernsey and therefore the island is not prone to pendulum swings in regime or policy. The States is responsible for domestic affairs, its economy and tax regime.   Guernsey enjoys full fiscal autonomy in tax and regulatory matters.

As a Crown Dependency, the island's ties to the UK are through the Crown rather than the British Parliament, where Guernsey has no representation. The Lieutenant Governor is Her Majesty's personal representative and official channel of communication between the Crown and the UK Government and Guernsey.