TOWNSVILLE CHORAL SOCIETY
Est. 1906
ABOUT THE CHOIR
The Townsville Choral Society Choir began in 1906 and has been the prominent choir in the Townsville region since then. Our Choir sings at civic ceremonies and events such as ANZAC Day, Carols by Candlelight and community festivals, as well as competing at the North Queensland Eisteddfod, which is held every 2 years, on and one year off.
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Rehearsals are held at the Townsville Choral Society Hall every Tuesday at 7pm. No auditions are required and new members are always welcome. For more information on joining, like and follow the Townsville Choral Society on Facebook and Instagram.
2026 North Queensland Eisteddfod: 3 - 5 April, 2026, Cairns
The 2026 North Queensland Eisteddfod will be held over the Easter weekend. Our choristers will travel to Cairns to compete.
Eisteddfod season involves a more rigorous rehearsal schedule than the rest of the year. In preparation for the Eisteddfod, TCS Choir will rehearse at the following times:
Tuesdays: 7:00–9:30pm, beginning 27 January
Sundays: 1:00–5:00pm, beginning 1 February
Fridays: 7:00–9:30pm - sectionals, beginning 6 February (not all choristers required each week)
We understand that there will be occasional absences through this rehearsal period.
Post Eisteddfod, TCS choir will prepare for a June concert. Rehearsals will reduce to only Tuesday evenings for this concert season.
Our Musical Director
Claire Davies is Townsville Choral Society's Musical Director, Senior Vice President and has been a TCS committee member for over ten years. She is also the President of the North Queensland Eisteddfod Association. Previous to 2026, she was TCS's Deputy Musical Director from 2013 - 2025.
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A stalwart on production teams, Claire has vocally directed Townsville Choral Society's productions of Annie, Grease, We Will Rock You, Les Miserables, Heathers, Mamma Mia!, The Little Mermaid, 9 to 5, Billy Elliot, & Juliet and the current repeat season of Mamma Mia!
​Claire has performed in many Townsville Choral Society productions, including The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Legally Blonde, Wicked and The Little Mermaid. She was most recently onstage as the Queen of Diamonds in Alice by Heart. You may have seen Claire performing in Townsville's Carols by Candlelight, and as a soloist in concerts with Barrier Reef Orchestra.
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​Away from TCS, Claire teaches at Southern Cross Catholic College and directs the school's developing choral program, and is passionate about providing students with opportunities to showcase their musicality and performance skill. ​Claire won the North Queensland Eisteddfod's award for most proficient conductor in 2022.
CHAMPIONSHIP AND AGGREGATE WINNERS
The records for the Choral Championship go back to 1982, and the Townsville Choral Society won the Championship trophy for the first time in 2017. The Aggregate trophy is the trophy for the highest marks in the set pieces - our records date back to 1969, and while we have won this trophy many times over the years, 2018 was the first time we have won both the Championship and the Aggregate in the same year. Since then, we have won the Championship and Aggregate together in 2022 and 2023.
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COLLABORATIONS
In October 2013, the choir took part in the one-night-only concert Hats Off To Gilbert and Sullivan with NQOMT and Barrier Reef Orchestra. This same collaboration celebrated Townsville's 150 years by performing together in the Townsville City Council's T150 Gala Variety Concert headlining David Campbell in 2016. Since 2021 our choir has collaborated annually with the Barrier Reef Orchestra for an October concert featuring a range of repertoire, and we look forward to many more collaborations in the future
