The South Somerset Choral Society is an unauditioned choir with about 80 singing members. We're an open, friendly and welcoming group and we perform music from all periods of the classical choral repertoire - from the Baroque to the present day.

Each year we perform two main concerts with professional soloists and orchestra. The autumn concert is usually given in  the Church of St Peter and St Paul, South Petherton and the spring concert normally held at St Mary’s Church, Chard. For special occasions, or for very large pieces such as the Bach B Minor Mass for our Golden Anniversary in 2017 and the Verdi Requiem in Spring 2023 we have taken a larger venue such as the glorious Great Tithe Barn at  Haselbury Mill near Crewkerne.

 Just before Christmas we also perform two concerts of readings and carols (with audience participation!) in the Minster, Ilminster, the proceeds of which go to charities in which we have a special interest.

In 2020 we were able to announce with great pride that the internationally famous composer, conductor and singer, Bob Chilcott had accepted our invitation to become our new President, succeeding the wonderful Bill Llewellyn. 

 Bob Chilcott has enjoyed a lifelong association with choral music, first as a chorister and choral scholar in the choir of King's College Cambridge and for 12 years as a member of the KIng's Singers. He became a full-time composer in 1997, and has produced an extensive catalogue of music for all types of choirs. His most performed pieces include 'Can you hear me? A little Jazz Mass', Requiem and the St. John Passion.

Bob has conducted choirs in more than 30 countries worldwide and has worked with many thousands of amateur singers across the UK in a continuing series of Singing Days. For seven years he was conductor of the Chorus of The Royal College of Music in London and since 2002 he has been Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC Singers. HIs music has been widely recorded by leading British choirs and groups including KIng's College Cambridge, The King's Singers, the BBC Singers, the Bach Choir, the Sixteen, Commotion, Ora and Tenebrae. In 2017 Bob was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal College of Church Music.

• John Jenkins: Musical Director

John Jenkins, who  became our new Musical Director in September 2023, began his musical career as a chorister at Bristol Cathedral. He later read music at Durham University where he was organ scholar of University College and conductor of the University Chamber Choir. From 1977 to 1981, he was assistant organist at Bristol Cathedral and accompanied the cathedral choir on its first European tour. During this time, he was also accompanist and organist to the Cathedral Special Choir, Bristol Choral Society and Bath Choral Society. Moving to Staffordshire in 1991, he combined full-time teaching with conducting the Derby-based Derwent Singers and regular engagements as organist and continuo player. He was appointed as Director of Music at Sherborne School for Girls in 1996, in which role he was also co-conductor of the Sherborne Schools’ Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Society.

John’s experience of  choral and orchestral work with young people has involved links with institutions that include the Gloucester Academy of Music, the Cambridge School of Music, the National Children’s Orchestra, the Prep Schools’ Association and the Royal School of Church Music. He is a regular visitor to the Marlborough College Summer School, having led the Choral Workshop course since 2015. From 2008 to 2019 he was guest conductor of the Ensemble Variations Vocal et Orchestre Philharmonique in the Dordogne region of France, with whom he collaborated on several major works, including ‘scratch’ performances of Handel’s Messiah to support the charitable work of the Anglican Chaplaincy of Aquitaine.

Since his retirement from Sherborne Girls in 2022, John has been guest conductor of the Dorset County Orchestra and the Shaftesbury Symphony Orchestra, and is currently conductor of the Sherborne Community Orchestra. All said, quite a busy man!

Our Former Musical Director; Tim Donaldson

Tim began singing as a boy chorister in Canterbury Cathedral. After secondary school (also in Canterbury) and University in Leeds (where he was Choirmaster at the University Chaplaincy Church) he joined BBC Radio as an engineer, and has been in that industry throughout his career. Music (in particular singing and conducting) remains his passion, though. He has sung in many choirs, amateur and professional, and is a founder member of the Somerset Chamber Choir. As a member of the Corydon Singers he recorded (amongst other things) Rachmaninov’s "Vespers" and "Liturgy of St John Chrysostom", Vaughan Williams' "Hugh the Drover" and the Bruckner "Te Deum". He has appeared as soloist with many choirs both in Somerset and further afield and was conductor of Nailsea Choral Society until 2006, when he and his family moved from Weston-super-Mare to Drayton, near Langport. He joined SSCS as a singer in 2007, was appointed Assistant Musical Director in 2008, and took over as Musical Director in 2011. Since then he has enjoyed the challenge of bringing quality performances of entertaining and wide-ranging programmes of music - both well known and less so - to the choir and its audiences. 

His final concert, the Verdi Requiem, with four superb soloiosts, an augmented orchestra and choir, was a triumph. Thank you Tim!

Assistant Musical Director: Jenny Broom.

 Jenny Broom studied music at Durham University and began her teaching career in Northamptonshire. She came to Somerset in 1996 and currently specialises in teaching singing both privately ad at Queen’s College, Taunton. Her particular love is sacred choral music. She has sung with several choirs and small choral groups in most of our major cathedrals. She was appointed Assistant Musical Director of SSCS in 2011. Jenny lives in Martock, Somerset with her husband.

Rehearsal Accompanist: Robert Langston.

Robert studied at the Royal College of Music and Cambridge University where he was Organ Scholar at Peterhouse. For many years he taught at the Royal Academy and was organist and Director of Music at St. Bride’s, Fleet Street and later at Lincoln’s Inn Chapel, London. For the last 14 years he has been working in Hong Kong, where he established his own music teaching studio, hosted a classical music show and toured South-East Asia, New Zealand, the Middle East and South Africa as a music examiner and competition judge. He returned to UK in December 2020 to be near family, ostensibly to retire but, being addicted to music making he continues to work freelance as organist, pianist and teacher.