Hertford Choral Society has a reputation for being imaginative and innovative. There have been several specific initiatives in recent years – in one case receiving an award from NFMS (as Making Music was at that time).

Currently, the choir is focusing its attention on the “whole audience experience”. This is seen as becoming more critical as the years go by and (particularly young) audiences are growing up to expect high quality, both aurally and visually, in performances they attend. The “whole audience experience” begins with consideration of what it is like for an audience member as they approach the concert venue. From that time to the point that they leave after the performance is under the control of the Society. Account is taken of the time of the year and the character of the programme to be performed in deciding, for example, whether a riot of flowers or glittering Christmas trees are the appropriate visual style. Particular attention is paid to the lighting of the concert. The normal venue is a church that does not have especially attractive indigenous lighting, so the Society calls on the expertise of Smart Light and Sound to help. The lighting rigs have been quite adventurous already (showing regular users of the building things they have never seen before!) and more ideas are being discussed.

In order to encourage younger singers, the Society has offered bursaries to Year 12 and 13 pupils from local schools. However, since the introduction of AS level exams, take-up of this scheme has fallen away. Not only did pupils have free access to all the activities of the Society, they were also given a contribution towards private singing lessons.

A scheme that has been run at various times with different London conservatoires is the opportunity for post-graduate conductors to learn more about choral conducting. Over the years, students from the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music have worked with the Musical Director, Derek Harrison, and the choir to gain valuable insight into and practical experience of working with a “typical British Choral Society”. Among the students who have worked with the choir are : Andrea Quinn, Nick Wilks, Nick Jenkins and Andrew Morley.

The scheme that won an award for the Society is the Part Coaching Scheme. Under this scheme, a professional singer/coach joins each section of the choir with the purpose of leading them in the learning of the works being rehearsed and coaching them in how to tackle the demands arising from the music. However we do not have regular part coaches since it is not so easy to find those special singers who are prepared to take on this role.