About BCS

	President : Scott Stroman Musical Director : George Jones Accompanist : Julia Kennard
The Billingshurst Choral Society (BCS) is an active and friendly amateur choral group which sings in Billingshurst and the surrounding area, and currently has over 100 singing members. In 2007 the society celebrated its 21^st anniversary.

BCS was founded by the current musical director George Jones in 1986, and has been performing a mixture of old and new works since then. George is keen to introduce new and challenging works – In 2000 in Chichester Cathedral the Choral Society gave the first performance of the Billingshurst Mass, specially written by Stanley Vann, and in 2001 they performed the African Sanctus by David Fanshawe, a haunting mixture of African music and more traditional European melodies. In 2003 BCS and The Angmering Chorale together gave the first performance in the south of England of Karl Jenkins’ acclaimed The Armed Man. In January 2007 BCS and The Angmering Chorale travelled to New York, to perform The Armed Man at Carnegie Hall.

In 2007 BCS took on David Lawrence as choral consultant, to assist in the growth of the choir.

BCS performs three major concerts annually, with the autumn concerts alternating venues between Chichester Cathedral and Arundel Cathedral. These cathedral concerts are performed jointly with The Angmering Chorale, also directed by George. The spring and summer concerts are performed in the Weald Recreation Centre in Billingshurst.

The Society's Christmas Concert is performed in St Mary's Church, Billingshurst, which is also the rehearsal venue. Rehearsals take place every Tuesday evening from 8.00 pm to 9.45 pm. BCS has a thriving social calendar and organises concert tours every two years. So far the Society has visited Belgium, the Loire Valley and Caen in Normandy.