Steventon Choral Society
	SCS on the TV

In 1995, members of Steventon Choral Society received national coverage with an appearance on television in a BBC2 documentary, The Messiah from Scratch, at the Royal Albert Hall organised by The Really Big Chorus and conducted by the legendary Sir David Willcocks. Messiah from Scratch, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1999, is an annual event for charity with all proceeds from programmes and collections going to the British Heart Foundation.

The TV programme followed the journey to London of various groups of singers and examined their reasons for going to take part in a chorus of some 3,500 voices. As a regular visitor to Messiah from Scratch, Steventon Choral Society was approached to take part as an example of a larger choir. The cameras came out to Steventon in the autumn to film the choir supposedly rehearsing for the trip, to take some shots around the village and to interview our musical director, Terry Pearce. On the big day we were filmed getting on the coach, travelling along the A34, giving an impromptu rendering of the Hallelujah Chorus on the coach, getting off the coach and inside the Royal Albert Hall itself! With the televising of the 50 minute programme during the Christmas period, we achieved a brief moment of glory and then it was back to normal rehearsing in Steventon Village Hall.

MD's Big Night at the Royal Albert Hall

The Messiah from Scratch on 24 November 2000 was a night to remember for our musical director, Terry Pearce. A donation to the British Heart Foundation by a friend gave Terry the opportunity to conduct the assembled massed choir and orchestra for the Hallelujah Chorus.

For details of the next Messiah from Scratch at the Royal Albert Hall, see www.trbc.co.uk.

© Steventon Choral Society 2000-2008
Last updated 31 December 2007