York Musical Society

Registered Charity Number: 504611

Links

Contact Us

Friends of YMS

YORK MUSICAL SOCIETY
(Founded 1765)

CONDUCTOR : PHILIP MOORE
Honorary Assistant Conductor : Leslie Bresnen
Accompanist : Richard McVeigh

Honorary Life Members
Mrs Joyce E. Goodwin
Mr Raymond R.G. Lovely
Mr C.G. Poole
Dr Kenneth Thomson
Mr John Tierney

YORK MUSICAL SOCIETY is the oldest Musical Society in England. It was founded in 1765 by several of the city's musicians including John Camidge (1734 - 1803), Organist of York Minster from 1756.

The Society began as a club concerned more with instrumental music, and in its early days it seems to have been quite exclusive in its membership. Rule 2 in 1825 said "No person in any business or profession shall be deemed admissible as a Member of this Society, unless he be a principal or partner in such business or profession". The total membership was limited to sixty, who met on Mondays at 7.00 p.m. in BAYNES'S coffee house in Petergate. Supper was at 9.30 p.m. and cost two shillings (10p) which included malt liquor. Members could bring friends to meetings (but not more than one in four meetings) if they were residents of York. Instrumental performers "being disqualified by Rule 2 from being admitted into this Society" were not subject to this restriction and could be introduced at any meeting.

In 1833 York Choral Society was formed, most likely to provide a more democratic group for music making, and this flourished until the end of the century, by which time the societies had merged.

When Thomas Tertius Noble became conductor of the Musical Society in 1900 he increased its membership to over 200 and it has continued as a large choir since that time.

Membership rules are somewhat more relaxed these days, the only requirements being a basic ability to sing, the payment of a modest subscription and a minimum number of rehearsal attendances for any given concert.