The History of Cranleigh Choral Society
At a General Meeting of Cranleigh Choral Society held on 4 October 1938, it was proposed by Mr P Jackson and resolved that Dr R Vaughan Williams, living close to Cranleigh, be approached with the invitation to become President. We can safely assume that he agreed as he was listed as President in a concert programme for the Canterbury Pilgrims by Dyson.

The Composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams became President of the Society in 1938, on the death of Sam Mann. Performances continued during the Second World War until 1942, despite the regular conductor, Mr R P Wood and accompanist, Mr Pritchitt, being away on active service. There were other difficulties such as the problem of finding somewhere to rehearse during the blackout. The committee meeting of 24 September 1940, held in the Singing Kettle tearoom, was more eventful than usual: the minutes recorded that it ‘ended somewhat abruptly owing to Mr Hitler sending a Token of his Esteem which fell fairly close to our meeting room’. Find out more
In 1945/6 the society was revived with a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah, with organ and piano accompaniment, at the Methodist Church. Funding was sought from the Carnegie Trust, and from the surplus funds of the Cranleigh pie distribution scheme. Since then the society has gone from strength to strength, staging performances of choral works every year and succeeding in its aim to promote the development of choral singing in Cranleigh.