About HHCOS

Haddo House Choral & Operatic Society (HHCOS) is a large and vibrant choral society based at the beautiful Haddo House located in rural Aberdeenshire 18 miles north of Aberdeen city in the North East of Scotland.

Musical director Alice E Dennis, GTCL, LTCL takes the rehearsals and she and the committees that run HHCOS are determined to maintain professional organisation alongside a very high standard of performance.

The Choral Society is widely recognised as being one of the strongest in the area with their busy schedule of: an annual opera, major concert and several carol events. Alice conducts their carol concerts, Gilbert and Sullivan productions and some of their annual concerts whilst the major opera productions and concerts are conducted by guest conductors such as Ben Parry and David Jones.

Alice trains up to 5 Haddo Choirs at any one time, involving over 200 singers. The Haddo Voices are a new group of youth choirs: Haddo Children's Voices, Haddo Boys' Voices and Haddo Girls' Voices. HHCOS also covers the Haddo Combined Treble Voice Choir who have achieved recognition at national level in competitions such as BBC Radio 3's Choir of  the Year competition.

HHCOS prides itself on its high standard of performance, achieved by the local community working alongside the professional artists brought in for producing and designing the opera, for the major solo roles and for playing in the orchestra for the opera and concerts alike.

HUG now involves over 300 members of all ages and backgrounds. Gifted amateurs of all ages take part in the wide range of productions including the HHCOS  full scale Opera, large Choral Concert and Carol Concerts. There are also musical shows from the the Haddo Youth Music Theatre and the Haddo Children's Theatre and youth concerts involving the Haddo Youth and Children's Choirs as well as national competition with them and the Haddo Combined Treble Voice Choir. This unique blend makes Haddo the ultimate community arts centre.

At the present time HHCOS celebrates the many young people who have grown up in the area who have performed at Haddo in one or more of the 'HUG' groups and have gone on to study music and the performing arts at tertiary level. Currently two young singers who have attended Haddo since their school days and who are at the start of promising singing careers are Lisa Moffat, and Eleanor Dennis.

Haddo House Choral & Operatic Society is a charity registered in Scotland, Reg SC016577

Facilities

The elegantly Adams designed  Haddo House, surrounded by  gardens, park and lake with its abundant Scottish wildlife, is a uniquely beautiful and peaceful setting for concerts, operas and other shows. Situated 20 miles north of Aberdeen, (map) the House is Administered by the National Trust for Scotland, and was the home of  founder Lady Aberdeen. The NTS have  agreed to allow 'Haddo User Groups' (HUG), of which HHCOS is the prominent member, to use the attendant facilities for rehearsals and performances. If you would like to see more pictures of Haddo, and its surroundings visit the estate site.

The facilities comprise a purpose built rehearsal room, known as the 'Peatyards' and the historic and beautiful timber-built wooden theatre known as 'Haddo House Hall' for performances. The Choral Society also uses the tiny and picturesque Chapel, attached to the side of the main House for their popular carol concerts. These venues are a delight for both artists and their audiences.