London Philharmonic

The London Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1947 as the chorus for the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Working under conductors such as Boulez, Elder, Gatti, Haitink, Jurowski, Masur, Norrington, Rattle, Solti, Tennstedt and Welser-MÐ"¶st, the choir has always met with critical acclaim. Now widely regarded as one of the nation's finest choirs, we perform regularly with the LPO and other world-class orchestras at major venues and festivals throughout the year.

From time to time we tour abroad вЂ" recently to Paris, Lucerne, Rome, Athens, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Canary Islands, and further afield to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Perth. In January 2004 we were invited to sing in the Vatican's Papal Concert of Reconciliation. We have also built up an impressive discography throughout our history and continue to participate in recordings for CD, radio and television.

Our standards are high, but it's not all hard work - we're a very friendly and relaxed choir, enjoying not only the singing but a bit of socialising too. You'll find out more about what we do - including information about joining us - on the following page

Concerts in 2007 and 2008 include

Julian Anderson Alleluia Vladimir Jurowski

J.S. Bach Lobet den Herrn Neville Creed

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Christoph von DohnÐ"ÐŽnyi

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Christoph Eschenbach

Berlioz Requiem Yan Pascal Tortelier

Bernstein Chichester Psalms Steven Sloane

Bruckner Motets Neville Creed

Elgar 150th Anniversary Mark Elder

Handel Dixit Dominus Steven Sloane

Haydn FUNharmonics Family Concert Matthew Rowe

Ives Symphony No. 4 David Robertson

Korngold Film Music John Wilson

Mahler Das klagende Lied Vladimir Jurowski

Mahler Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection) Simone Young

Mahler Symphony No. 3 Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

Mozart Requiem Vladimir Jurowski

Orff Carmina Burana Andrew Greenwood

Tippett A Child of our Time Sir Andrew Davis

Verdi Requiem Vladimir Jurowski

Next concert

Royal Gala Concert

Tuesday 9 October 2007

7.30 pm, Royal Festival Hall

Paul Daniel conductor

Emma Bell soprano

Susan Bickley mezzo-soprano

Philip Langridge tenor

Sir Willard White bass

Harry Christophers conductor*

Ken Burton director**

The Sixteen*

London Adventist Chorale**

London Philharmonic Orchestra

London Philharmonic Choir

Philharmonia Chorus

Angmering Chorale

Billinghurst Choral Society

London Forest Choir

Voicelab Surge

Royal Choral Society

National Anthem

Handel Zadok the priest

Purcell goes Gospel

Elgar Introduction and Allegro

Beethoven Symphony No. 9 вЂ" 4th movement

Our creation

The London Philharmonic Choir was formed from the rump of an earlier choir created in 1919 by Charles Kennedy Scott (1876вЂ"1965), the вЂ?Philharmonic Choir’, which had been disbanded in 1939 with the outbreak of war. In November 1946, a meeting took place at the Royal Academy of Music at which former members of the Philharmonic Choir came together to discuss the formation of a new ensemble that they hoped would carry on the tradition.The chorus master was to be Frederic Jackson, Professor of Piano at the RAM.

Jackson’s ambition was to create a choir that could perform major choral works вЂ?in the finest possible manner’, and it was hoped to start rehearsals in early 1947 at Livingstone Hall in the Broadway near St James’s Park. The annual subscription for members would be one guinea (Ð'Ј1.05, but more like Ð'Ј35 in today’s money).

Another key figure involved in setting up the new choir was George Barker. He had heard that the London Philharmonic Orchestra was interested in the creation of a first-class choir and asked for a mandate to approach the LPO to discuss the possibilities of musical and financial co-operation.The encouragement given both at the meeting and expressed in letters of support from old choir members unable to attend made it clear that the formation of the new choir should go ahead. It was also agreed that George Barker should approach the committee of the Orchestra with a view to opening negotiations.

During the next five weeks the choir was generously financed by Rita Beevor, an enthusiastic member of the former Philharmonic Choir who shared the vision for its restoration.

She was Honorary Secretary and backbone of the London Philharmonic Choir for the five years until her death in 1952.

On 13 December 1946, negotiations with the LPO culminated in their agreeing to support the new choir for its first year with Ð'Ј1,000.

The Orchestra also agreed that, subject to satisfactory evidence of its abilities, they would employ the choir in May 1947 to perform Beethoven’s Ninth followed by another major choral work later in the year.The Orchestra hoped to employ the whole choir annually to perform two major and two minor choral works, and agreed that the choir could use the name �London Philharmonic Choir’ as long as