The Glasgow Orpheus Choir (1901 – 1951)

On 21 November 1946 a portrait of Sir Hugh Roberton (1874 – 1952) was presented to Glasgow Corporation by the Glasgow Orpheus Choir

The portrait was completed in 1938 ¹ and exhibited at the Royal Glasgow Institute in the same year, priced at £165. ²

The Glasgow Orpheus Choir had its origins in the Toynbee Social Club, a working men`s club in the east end of Glasgow. As part of the club`s activities it had established the Toynbee Musical Association. This was a group of about 40 people, gathered to socialise and sing as a choir. The group was joined in the autumn of 1901 in a hall in Rottenrow by their new conductor Hugh Stevenson Roberton. He later reported that although they were not necessarily trained singers they were ‘bright and eager’. The choir`s initial performances, given in model lodging houses etc., were low-key and a concert given at the end of their first year was not a success. After much hard work, the choir sang as part of the East End of Glasgow Exhibition in December 1903. The performance given was ‘memorable’ and the audience was extremely enthusiastic. This was followed by further concerts including performances at the Corporation Saturday Afternoon Recitals – for a fee of 3 guineas! – and concerts outside of Glasgow in Balmore, Bowling, Alexandria and Ardrossan.

1905 saw the start of annual concerts by the choir at the City Hall which proved to be a great success and in 1906 the choir severed relationships with Toynbee House and took up residence at the Collins’ Institute. Here, at the suggestion of Hugh Roberton, the choir was named the Glasgow Orpheus Choir and at this time had a membership of about 32 singers. The following year the choir`s first large-scale performance took place in St Andrews Hall, Glasgow, and was a major success. Thereafter, the choir sang to large and enthusiastic audiences. In 1911, Roberton founded and edited the Monthly Record of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir later called The Lute. He also wrote most of the content. During the 1914-18 War, the choir gave many concerts for soldiers in hospitals and in army camps. To celebrate ten years since its founding, an anniversary concert was given in 1915.

In 1920 the choir`s annual visits to London began. Here they sang to packed audiences. Throughout the 1920s the choir travelled extensively in Europe, South Africa, Canada and the United States. Each season they gave of the order of 40 concerts. By this time the choir was about 140 strong. It was invited to sing at 10 Downing Street on two occasions and in 1928 performed at Balmoral Castle for George V and Queen Mary. The choir also sang regularly on the BBC becoming something of a national institution. However, Roberton was a lifelong pacifist and because of his views the BBC initially refused to broadcast performances by the Orpheus Choir during WW2. However, after the matter was raised in parliament the ban was lifted and a performance by the choir was broadcast in June 1942. Despite Roberton`s pacifist views, the choir performed numerous concerts for soldiers in hospitals and camps and in May-June 1946 it toured the British Occupied Zone in Germany. After the war the choir performed annually at the Edinburgh Festival and continued to give many concerts. However, in 1951 Sir Hugh Roberton took the decision to retire and resigned as conductor. The choir`s final concert as the Glasgow Orpheus Choir was given in Glasgow in 1951. Each choir member was presented with a black and white print of the donated portrait signed by Sir Hugh Roberton.³

When Sir Hugh Roberton resigned as conductor at the age of 77, the name Orpheus retired with him although the choir continued to perform and was renamed the Glasgow Phoenix Choir. Sir Hugh Roberton died on 7 October 1952.

References

1. Information on file at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre
2. Billcliffe, Rodger, Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, 1861-1989, The Woodend Press, 1990.
3. Dorothy Gunnee, member of the Phoenix Choir, by email

See also

richardtoye.blogspot.com/2007/09/radical-conduct-how-sir-hugh-roberton.html

The Musical Times, Novello & Co., 1 May 1925

Craigie, Wemyess, Sir Hugh S. Roberton, Scotland’s Magazine, Scottish Tourist Board, February 1974