Lutterworth and District Choral Society traces its history back to the late 19th century, with the formation of the Lutterworth Orchestral and Choral Society.  As our 1996 centenary booklet proclaims, concerts in those days ‘were held in the Town Hall commencing at eight o’clock, carriages at 10’.  The conductor was the Rector of St Mary’s parish church, Rev. M. F. Alderson, and he directed a choir of 38 with a dozen instrumentalists.

There is no record of what happened during the war but during the 1920s the organist at St Mary’s, George Haswell, took over the baton of what had by then become the Lutterworth Musical Society.  The programmes included both secular and sacred music, with enthusiastic reviews and requests for encores. One reviewer noted on 25th January 1924, ‘Complete success attended the annual concert of the Lutterworth Musical Society, held at the Town Hall on Friday evening.  The Society is in its twenty-fifth season, and under the direction of Mr. G. J. Haswell (conductor) and Mr. G. Bond (honorary secretary) is now in a very flourishing condition – demonstrated by the high standard of musical excellence attained by the orchestral and choral sections.  The proceeds were devoted to the District Nurse Fund.’