Hook Choral Society was formed in 1988 as a non-profit making charity providing an opportunity for local people to enjoy singing as a group and performing in public.  Nicholas Woods has been the musical director since 1996 during which time the choir has developed and improved, tackling more complex and challenging works alongside audience favourites.

The choir meets on Tuesday evenings in St John's Church, London Road, Hook 7.55 – 10.00pm.  With 60-70 members the group is friendly and informal and provides an opportunity for new singers, those wanting to return to singing after a break and for those with previous choral experience.  There are no auditions.  If you might be interested in joining, please call Helen on 01256 766522 for details.

Concerts are usually performed in April, July and November together with a Christmas concert at St John’s, Hook in most years.   Our venues can vary from Hook, to All Saints, Basingstoke, Farnham Castle, Queen Mary’s College.  A Saturday workshop is run in Hook in February or March which is open to all local singers.  Sessions can be attended in the morning or afternoon, or for the full day combining a pub lunch.

We also hold choir social events, such as a quiz nights and pub suppers.  We are regularly asked to sing carols at the Hook Christmas Cracker event and collect money for a worthy charity with our carol singing pub crawl.

Our Music Director, Nicholas Woods, was born in 1956 and was for many years a piano pupil of Christopher Robinson and an organ pupil of Harry Bramma at Worcester Cathedral.

From 1975-78 he studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where he was an organ scholar and Sub-organist at Southwark Cathedral.  He won various prizes including the Recital Diploma which is the highest award given to an RAM student.  Since then his work has involved a mixture of organ and piano playing, choir training and teaching.

Nicholas holds a Masters degree from Reading University, a post-graduate MusB in composition from Durham and is a Fellow of both the Royal College of Organists and Trinity College of Music.  His academic and practical talents are widely recognised in the field of music.

But do we take our music seriously? There is nothing so deep in our hearts. Here are just a few comments from our members:

"My weekly dose of heaven."

"The best way I know of forgetting all the troubles and stresses of the day."

"It was rewarding to use my voice again with a choir after many years of singing alone."

"I am rediscovering the enjoyment of choral singing many years after my voice broke."

"Going to choir practice is a bit like walking the dog. It doesn't matter how bad the day has been or how rushed I am, I always enjoy it and feel more relaxed afterwards."