London Philharmonic Choir
Encyclopedia
The London Philharmonic Choir (LPC) is one of the leading independent British choirs in the United Kingdom
based in London
. The Patron is Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
and Sir Roger Norrington
is President. The choir, comprising over 200 members, holds charitable status and is governed by a committee of nine elected directors. As a charity, its aims are to promote, improve, develop and maintain education in the appreciation of the art and science of music by the presentation of public concerts.
The LPC was formed in 1946 with Frederic Jackson as Chorus Master, for the London Philharmonic Orchestra
(LPO). On 15 May 1947, The choir made its début with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall
under the baton of Victor De Sabata
. Their first recording was of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
with the LPO in 1947 followed by the first radio broadcast of Vaughan Williams' Sancta Civitas
and Verdi's Stabat Mater
in March 1948 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
. Throughout Jackson's tenure (1947–1969), the choir worked closely with the LPO and with major conductors and soloists of the period including Sir Adrian Boult
, Eduard van Beinum
, Dame Janet Baker, Peter Pears
and Kathleen Ferrier
. Despite funding cuts to the LPO in the 1950s, the choir maintained work by being engaged by other orchestras. By the mid 1960s LPC's performance standards were slipping and Jackson was invited to retire. His successor, John Alldis
improved the standards of the choir and also encouraged the performance of contemporary works such as David Bedford
's Star clusters, Nebulae and Places in Devon. The choir worked with Bernard Haitink
and Sir John Pritchard during their time as LPO Principal conductors in the 1970s. A noted LPC recording called Sounds of Glory in 1976, now marketed as Praise - 18 Choral Masterpieces, has become the best-selling recording for the choir to date. In 1979, LPC undertook its first overseas tour to Germany.
In 1982, Richard Cooke succeeded Alldis as Chorus Master and saw the choir through a productive decade. In 1984, the choir registered as a charity. The choir performed under Georg Solti
and Klaus Tennstedt
who were the two principal LPO conductors of that decade. The LPC also continued to enjoy touring overseas. A noted recording with Tennstedt of the Mahler eighth
symphony won an award in 1987. However, the early 1990s was a period of turmoil for the LPO and LPC as financial recession and resignations at the LPO created a climate of uncertainty, while there was some press opposition to the appointment of Franz Welser-Möst as Principal Conductor. Cooke resigned in 1991 due in part to the strained working relationship with Welser-Möst and disputes between choir and LPO management. The LPO appointed Jeremy Jackman
as the next Chorus Master in 1992. However with the choir's difficulties being widely advertised, existing membership levels declined and recruitment of new members became a challenge. Jackman resigned in 1994 after only two seasons at the helm.
Neville Creed became the next Chorus Master (1994–present). His enthusiasm helped to build back morale and membership. In 1996, at the end of the Welser-Möst tenure, the LPC became autonomous after being severed from the LPO's payroll. During this bleak period, the choir was able to secure concerts with other London orchestras and with arts promotion institutions such as IMG Artists
and Raymond Gubbay
for much needed financial aid. Over time, the choir's performance standard, visibility and reputation improved. Eventually, relations with the LPO settled into mutual respect and good will and the LPC was given the right of first refusal for most future choral projects with the LPO. In 1997, the choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with a concert at the Albert Hall
attended by Princess Alexandra and Ursula Vaughan Williams
. In 2002, the choir adopted a new constitution and became a registered charity with the legal protection of a limited company. For their 60th anniversary in 2007, the book Hallelujah! An informal history of the London Philharmonic Choir was published. The LPC continues to work closely with the LPO's Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski
(2007–present) and Guest Principal Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin
(2009–present).
holding charitable status
. The choir, while being rooted in the British choral tradition, also performs a wide repertoire of different styles and languages. The choir's aim is to perform large choral works to professional standard whilst providing a friendly social network for its members. As a charity, its aims are to promote, improve, develop and maintain education in the appreciation of the art and science of music by the presentation of public concerts. The choir also aims to encourage and support for the public benefit all art forms, particularly but not exclusively those involving music, including other cultural and educational activities in order to make these more accessible to the public at large.
, tenor
, alto
and soprano
. Each vocal section is divided into upper and lower voices. The choir also accepts female tenors and male altos as members. Each section has a voice representative who looks after the interests of the section members, notes attendance and acts as liaison with the committee.
All members are volunteers and each member is auditioned prior to joining. Members who pass their audition pay a one-off £25 subscription. There is no annual membership fee. Existing members are re-auditioned every 1 or 3 years with the choir.
The choir rehearses on Monday and/or Wednesday nights depending on the current project and the rehearsals are normally based at Bishopsgate Institute
.
and other organisations. The committee is divided into a Board of Directors which is made up of the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Choir Manager, Membership Coordinator and Voice representatives; and non board members including the Enquiries officer, Librarian and Tours Manager.
Revenue is derived from initial subscription, donations and above all from concert engagements. The Artistic Director and the Accompanist are paid positions. The Artistic Director also holds an ex officio position on the committee.
and disbanded in 1939 at the onset of World War II
) and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
. The appointed choir master was Professor Frederic Jackson as Charles Kennedy Scott was unable to resume conductorship. This alliance made the London Philharmonic Choir the first major London choir to be attached to one of the big independent London orchestras.
In the founding years, the choir was composed of amateur and professional singers, the latter being paid a sum of ten shillings and sixpence per rehearsal session. The amateur members paid the annual membership fee of one guinea
. The choir also commenced a membership drive with the placement of an advertisement in the February 1947 issue of The Musical Times
.. In March 1947, after recruiting over 300 members, rehearsals commenced on Wednesday evenings at the Westminster Cathedral
Hall.
The choir made its début on 15 May 1947 with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the LPO
conducted by Victor De Sabata
at the Royal Albert Hall
. The choir's first recording was Igor Stravinsky
's Symphony of Psalms
in 1947 under Ernest Ansermet
. This was followed by their first radio broadcast of Vaughan Williams' Sancta Civitas
and Verdi's Stabat Mater
in March 1948 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
(BBCSO) under Sir Adrian Boult. Another first for the choir was the Proms performance in August 1952 of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
with the LPO conducted by Basil Cameron
at the Royal Albert Hall.
In the early 1950s, the LPO
was in financial difficulties as funding from the London County Council
was severed. Despite the LPO
's loyalty to the choir, the financial crisis resulted in the choir being used less during this period. The LPO board cited "...because of the number of professional choristers, the cost of putting a concert with the Choir had become so great that it was difficult to maintain its interest." Jackson was now paid by engagement rather than a fixed salary. The LPO
board also agreed "that in the circumstances, no objection could be raised if the choir found work for themselves, provided reference was made to the LPO
before any engagement was accepted". By 1958, the choir's annual membership fee was raised to one pound ten shillings as a means to maintain administration funds. This was further raised in 1959 to £3 as the choir was now responsible for the remuneration of the Chorus Master.
The LPC continued its partnership with the LPO throughout the 1960s. In the spring of 1967, Bernard Haitink
was appointed principal conductor of the LPO
and in the first season under his reign, the LPC performed Britten's Spring Symphony
, Bruckner's E Minor Mass
and Mahler's Resurrection Symphony
. In March 1968, the choir made its first television broadcast: a performance of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius at Canterbury Cathedral
with the LPO
conducted by Sir Adrian Boult with soloists Peter Pears
, Dame Janet Baker and John Shirley-Quirk
. The production was directed by Brian Large
for the BBC
and broadcast in colour.
However, by the late 1960s the LPO board were dissatisfied with the dwindling performance quality of the LPC and by implication, with Jackson. Jackson's retirement as Chorus Master was announced in May 1969, "... after 21 years owing to the pressure of other engagements...". John Alldis
, who was Founding Chorus Master of the London Symphony Chorus
(LSC), succeeded as Chorus Master of the LPC that same year.
Frederic Jackson died on 10 February 1972 while conducting Verdi's Requiem at the Royal Academy of Music
. He was 67 years old.
fostered a new era for the LPC. The committee restructured with the addition of voice section representatives. The choir's annual membership fee was also abolished. Rehearsals were relocated to Bishopsgate Institute
as Alldis favoured its acoustics. Recruitment of new members commenced almost immediately with advertisements and invitation by existing members. Alldis also re-auditioned existing LPC members to maintain standards. Some former LSC members loyal to Alldis followed him to the LPC. One new recruit who joined as a tenor in 1972 was David Temple
. He is now the conductor and musical director of the Crouch End Festival Chorus
. David had been invited to become the Music Director of Crouch End Arts Festival in 1984 by John Gregson, its Director and fellow LPC tenor. Together they founded Crouch End Festival Chorus in that year. It was at this time that Malcolm Hicks joined as accompanist and Deputy Chorus Master.
Along with maintaining a high performance level with standard choral repertoire, Alldis
also encouraged the choir to undertake contemporary works such as David Bedford
's Star Clusters, Nebulae and Places in Devon which was commissioned for the LPC and Brass of the LPO
and was given its première on 7 March 1971 at the Royal Festival Hall
. Another performance of a contemporary work occurred in August 1972 when David Rowland
's Cantate Laetantes Alleluia was featured at the International Carnival of Experimental Sound - ICES-72 - in the Roundhouse
at Chalk Farm
.
The LPC performed with major classical soloists of the decade. These included, Kiri Te Kanawa
, Heather Harper
, Sheila Armstrong
, Margaret Price
, Norma Procter, Helen Watts
, Peter Pears
, Richard Lewis
, Robert Tear
, John Carol Case
, John Shirley-Quirk
, Norman Bailey and Raimund Herincx
.
In 1976, the choir recorded Sounds of Glory which is a compilation of hymns and songs for choir and orchestra for use in television advertisements and the like. The recording is now marketed under the title Praise - 18 Choral Masterpieces and has become the best-selling album for the choir to date. In 1979, the choir undertook its first European tour, to Wilhelmshaven
in Northern Germany
, performing Bruckner's E Minor Mass
with the local wind ensemble. This tour was arranged through contacts from a choir member as part of Wilhelmshaven's annual music festival Wochenende an der Jade.
After 13 years as chorus master of the LPC, Alldis retired in 1982, the year of LPO's golden jubilee
.
John Alldis died on 20 December 2010. He was 81 years old.
and a month later became a registered charity.
During the 1980s, recordings became less frequent as most came to be offered to professional ensembles. However, the choir sang regularly under the baton of such conductors as Sir Georg Solti
and Klaus Tennstedt
. Opportunities for touring became more common; in 1985, for example, the choir visited Italy
with Tennstedt, performing Beethoven's Ninth in Perugia
and Pompeii
. Tennstedt became the choir's first president when he commenced his tenure as the LPO's Principal Conductor and Artistic Director in 1983. It was with Tennstedt that the choir recorded the Mahler's Eighth Symphony
together with the Tiffin School boys' choir and the LPO
for EMI
in 1987. This recording won the 1987 Gramophone Magazine's 'Orchestral Record of the Year Award'. Tennstedt
stood down from the LPO
in 1987 due to ill health, having nurtured good rapport with Cooke and the LPC during his tenure. In 1988, members of the choir wore monks' habits during their performance of the British concert première of Olivier Messian's 5-hour-long opera, Saint François d'Assise (Saint Francis of Assisi) at the Royal Festival Hall conducted by Kent Nagano
, a performance they then took to Lyon.
In 1990, the LPO appointed Franz Welser-Möst
to the post of Principal Conductor. That same year, the LPO became the first "resident" orchestra at the South Bank
(the arts complex which includes the Royal Festival Hall). This enabled the LPO (and its choir) to have first choice in dates, rehearsals and repertoire. In 1991, Tennstedt conducted the LPC and LPO in three performances of Mahler's Eighth Symphony
at the Royal Festival Hall one of which was attended by Mahler's granddaughter, Anna.
The economic recession of the 1990s was a turbulent period for the arts in Britain. High-level resignations at the LPO management fostered tension and uncertainty for the LPO and LPC. Furthermore, Welser-Möst was not enamoured with the choir, preferring what he called a more 'Continental sound'. Inevitably, the working relationship was strained between Cooke and Welser-Möst. In August 1991, after a performance at The Proms
of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Tennstedt
, Cooke concluded his engagement with the LPC.
Richard Cooke is now Music Director of the Royal Choral Society
.
, a former member of the King's Singers
, as the next Chorus Master in late 1991 to commence in 1992. The LPO did not programme any concerts involving the LPC in the 1992/93 season to allow the choir time to regroup. With the departure of Cooke, some LPC members, uncertain of the choir's future, defected to other choirs resulting in declining membership. Recruitment was made all the more challenging as the choir's difficulties were widely advertised. Despite this setback, Jackman and the fragmented choir worked hard to achieve decent results for Beethoven's Ninth with Tennstedt
, Janáček's Glagolitic Mass
with Jiří Bělohlávek
and Haydn's Creation with Sir Roger Norrington. In March 1994, Jackman handed in his resignation after working with the choir for only two concert seasons. By late 1994, after months of searching and auditioning, the LPO eventually appointed Neville Creed as the next LPC Chorus Master.
Jeremy Jackman
is now Musical Director of the English Baroque Choir
, the Cecilian Singers in Leicester
, and the Jay Singers in Norfolk
. He also gives music masterclasses and workshops.
and Guildford
choirs. He collaborated with the LPC by preparing the Tiffin Boys' Choir on the Mahler Eight
recording in 1987. His brother, Marcus Creed
, is also a noted English conductor, now based in Germany
. Creed's enthusiasm and drive enabled the LPC to undertake a membership drive and to build up morale. The choir was able to give creditable performances with the LPO
at the Royal Festival Hall
in the 1994/95 LPO
concert season of the Britten and Verdi Requiems under Welser-Möst
, Berlioz concerts with Norrington
, Beethoven's Ninth and Bruckner's Te Deum
with Haitink, and two performances of Verdi's Aida
with Zubin Mehta
.
However, the prevailing economic conditions in the arts in Britain meant orchestras were under ever increasing financial strains. By the time of Franz Welser-Möst
departure in 1996, the LPC ceased to be on the payroll of the LPO and became autonomous. This meant that the choir needed to maintain some form of financial stability while recognising concerts with the LPO were no longer guaranteed. The main focus for the choir was to improve its standard of choral singing if it were to survive as reputation alone was not enough to garner any engagements. The choir began approaching and performing with other orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
, The London Symphony Orchestra
and the Philharmonia Orchestra
. The choir also actively pursued engagements from arts organisations through networks known by individual choir members, such as IMG Artists
(Hampton Court Music Festival) and Raymond Gubbay
(Classical Spectacular concerts). LPC members were also likely to be found augmenting other larger choirs and their respective orchestras, such as the Royal Choral Society
or the London Symphony Chorus
if a large force was required for a particular performance. Eventually, the relationship between the LPO and LPC settled into one of mutual respect and goodwill. The choir was now given the right of first refusal for future choral projects involving the LPO
.
In 1996, Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
accepted the choir's invitation to become its first Patron. In the same year, Sir Roger Norrington became the second President of the choir. In 1997, the LPC celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a performance of Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall conducted by Neville Creed and attended by Princess Alexandra and Ursula Vaughan Williams
.
In 2002, the choir adopted a new constitution and became a registered charity with the legal protection of a limited company
. In 2003, Neville Creed's role changed from Chorus Master to Artistic Director. This enabled him to have a say on the type of programming the choir was to undertake. However, Creed's increasing commitments as Director of Cultural Activities at St Edward's School in Oxford
, resulted in the appointment of Matthew Rowe as Associate Chorus Director to work alongside Creed.
2004 and 2005 saw an exceptional number of tours and high-prestige performances for members of the LPC. In January 2004, Rowe prepared and accompanied the LPC to perform Mahler’s Resurrection symphony
(and to première John Harbison
's Abraham) before Pope John Paul II
at the Vatican
. For this "Papal Concert of Reconciliation", the LPC were joined by the Ankara State Polyphonic Choir, the Kraków Philharmonic Choir, members of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
under Gilbert Levine
. In April, the choir sang Haydn’s Creation in Hong Kong
, returning to perform La Damnation de Faust with Mark Elder
in London
and the Mahler’s Resurrection symphony with the Philharmonia
under Esa-Pekka Salonen
in Paris
and at the Royal Festival Hall
. Other performances that year included Glagolitic Mass
(June), Janáček's The Eternal Gospel and Mahler's Third Symphony
(July), La Damnation de Faust and Carmina Burana
(October), A Sea Symphony (November) and Raymond Gubbay's Christmas classics and Beethoven Ninth (December).
In 2005 alone, the choir toured six countries beginning with Greece
in January, Malaysia and Australia
in June, Germany
in July, Switzerland
in September and finally Italy
in November. In May 2005, the choir performed Britten's War Requiem
with the LPO under Kurt Masur
. This concert - the last before the Royal Festival Hall's closure for refurbishment - marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II
in Europe
and was recorded by the LPO for the orchestra's recently launched CD label. The LPC celebrated their 60th anniversary in May 2007, with a choral concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
. This event also coincided with the book launch of Hallelujah! An informal history of the London Philharmonic Choir written by author and long standing member of the choir, Daniel Snowman.
In June 2007, the Royal Festival Hall was reopened following extensive refurbishment. The LPC participated in the gala opening concert, one highlight of which was a celebratory new composition, Alleluia, by the composer - and member of the LPC bass section - Julian Anderson
. In September 2007, as part of its ongoing commitment as a charity, the LPC was involved with its first Mayor of London Open Rehearsal at the Bishopsgate Institute
.
In July 2008, Rowe prepared the choir for the Doctor Who Prom with the BBC Philharmonic
under conductors Stephen Bell
and Ben Foster
held at the Royal Albert Hall
. Soloists were Melanie Pappenheim
and Tim Phillips
. He also undertook non-LPC engagements, such as mentor to Katie Derham
in BBC 2's production of Maestro
shown in August and September 2008. After 6 years, Rowe left the LPC at the end of 2008 to take up the position of symphony orchestra conductor for the San Diego State University
School of Music and Dance in January 2009. Creed returned to full duties as Artistic Director and the role of Associate Chorus Director was made redundant.
With the success of the 2008 Doctor Who Prom, the choir was invited to perform in the "Evolution!" Prom in August 2009, performing Jón Leifs
Hekla, Op 52 and also the première of Goldie
's composition Sine Tempore (Without Time) commissioned by the BBC. The creation of this work was featured in the two-part series Classic Goldie
on BBC 2.
In September 2009, the choir, augmented by the London Chorus
, recorded 50 greatest pieces of classical music with the LPO under David Parry
at Henry Wood Hall. This "download only" recording released in December 2009, was the first for the LPC. This recording was ranked 4th on the Gramophone Magazine classical charts as of 30 October 2010.
The choir's first engagement under the LPO's Principal Guest Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin
occurred in April 2009 with the performance of Brahms' Requiem with the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall
. This performance was recorded for the LPO label and released 29 March 2010.
As part of the 115th BBC Prom season, the choir again participated in a Doctor Who Prom
on 24 July which was reprised the following day. The prom also featured the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
with conductors Ben Foster and Grant Llewellyn
with music by Murray Gold
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The Patron is Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
and Sir Roger Norrington
Roger Norrington
Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington, CBE is a British conductor. He is the son of Sir Arthur Norrington and his brother is Humphrey Thomas Norrington....
is President. The choir, comprising over 200 members, holds charitable status and is governed by a committee of nine elected directors. As a charity, its aims are to promote, improve, develop and maintain education in the appreciation of the art and science of music by the presentation of public concerts.
The LPC was formed in 1946 with Frederic Jackson as Chorus Master, for the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
(LPO). On 15 May 1947, The choir made its début with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
under the baton of Victor De Sabata
Victor de Sabata
Victor de Sabata was an Italian conductor and composer. He is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished operatic conductors of the twentieth century, especially for his Verdi, Puccini and Wagner. He is also acclaimed for his interpretations of orchestral music...
. Their first recording was of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
Symphony of Psalms
The Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky was written in 1930 and was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece is a three-movement choral symphony and was composed during Stravinsky's neoclassical period. The symphony derives...
with the LPO in 1947 followed by the first radio broadcast of Vaughan Williams' Sancta Civitas
Sancta Civitas
Sancta Civitas is an oratorio by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Written between 1923 and 1925, it received its first performance in Oxford in May 1926, during the General Strike. Although its title is in Latin, the libretto is entirely in English, based upon texts from Revelation, as well as Taverner's...
and Verdi's Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Roman Catholic hymn to Mary. It has been variously attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III...
in March 1948 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
. Throughout Jackson's tenure (1947–1969), the choir worked closely with the LPO and with major conductors and soloists of the period including Sir Adrian Boult
Adrian Boult
Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was...
, Eduard van Beinum
Eduard van Beinum
Eduard van Beinum was a Dutch conductor.-Biography:Beinum was born in Arnhem, Netherlands, where he received his first violin and piano lessons at an early age. He joined the Arnhem Orchestra as a violinist in 1918. His grandfather was conductor of a military band...
, Dame Janet Baker, Peter Pears
Peter Pears
Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
and Kathleen Ferrier
Kathleen Ferrier
Kathleen Mary Ferrier CBE was an English contralto who achieved an international reputation as a stage, concert and recording artist, with a repertoire extending from folksong and popular ballads to the classical works of Bach, Brahms, Mahler and Elgar...
. Despite funding cuts to the LPO in the 1950s, the choir maintained work by being engaged by other orchestras. By the mid 1960s LPC's performance standards were slipping and Jackson was invited to retire. His successor, John Alldis
John Alldis
John Alldis was an English chorus-master and conductor.After his education at Felsted, Alldis studied as a choral scholar under Boris Ord at King's College, Cambridge, from 1949 to 1952....
improved the standards of the choir and also encouraged the performance of contemporary works such as David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
's Star clusters, Nebulae and Places in Devon. The choir worked with Bernard Haitink
Bernard Haitink
Bernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam...
and Sir John Pritchard during their time as LPO Principal conductors in the 1970s. A noted LPC recording called Sounds of Glory in 1976, now marketed as Praise - 18 Choral Masterpieces, has become the best-selling recording for the choir to date. In 1979, LPC undertook its first overseas tour to Germany.
In 1982, Richard Cooke succeeded Alldis as Chorus Master and saw the choir through a productive decade. In 1984, the choir registered as a charity. The choir performed under Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
and Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt was a German conductor from Merseburg; he conducted such orchestras as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kiel Opera in Northern Germany; North German Radio Orchestra, in Hamburg; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.-Life and career:He studied violin and...
who were the two principal LPO conductors of that decade. The LPC also continued to enjoy touring overseas. A noted recording with Tennstedt of the Mahler eighth
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the work is often performed with fewer than a...
symphony won an award in 1987. However, the early 1990s was a period of turmoil for the LPO and LPC as financial recession and resignations at the LPO created a climate of uncertainty, while there was some press opposition to the appointment of Franz Welser-Möst as Principal Conductor. Cooke resigned in 1991 due in part to the strained working relationship with Welser-Möst and disputes between choir and LPO management. The LPO appointed Jeremy Jackman
Jeremy Jackman
Jeremy Jackman is a UK choral director, composer and arranger, and formerly a counter-tenor of the King's Singers.-Biography:Jackman was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral. He trained at the Royal College of Music and Hull University....
as the next Chorus Master in 1992. However with the choir's difficulties being widely advertised, existing membership levels declined and recruitment of new members became a challenge. Jackman resigned in 1994 after only two seasons at the helm.
Neville Creed became the next Chorus Master (1994–present). His enthusiasm helped to build back morale and membership. In 1996, at the end of the Welser-Möst tenure, the LPC became autonomous after being severed from the LPO's payroll. During this bleak period, the choir was able to secure concerts with other London orchestras and with arts promotion institutions such as IMG Artists
IMG Artists
IMG Artists LLC is a top universal performing arts management corporation that was acquired by International Management Group in 1984. Chairman and CEO of IMG, Mark McCormack, bought out Hamlen/Landau, a small, New York based artist-management music agency, founded by Charles Hamlen and Edna...
and Raymond Gubbay
Raymond Gubbay
Raymond Gubbay is a classical music promoter and impresario based in London. The programme to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his starting out as a promoter says that, after arranging small scale concerts around the UK, he began gradually to promote in London...
for much needed financial aid. Over time, the choir's performance standard, visibility and reputation improved. Eventually, relations with the LPO settled into mutual respect and good will and the LPC was given the right of first refusal for most future choral projects with the LPO. In 1997, the choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with a concert at the Albert Hall
Albert Hall
Albert P. Hall is an American actor.Born in Brighton, Alabama, Hall graduated from the Columbia University School of the Arts in 1971. That same year he appeared Off-Broadway in The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel and on Broadway in the Melvin Van Peebles musical Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death...
attended by Princess Alexandra and Ursula Vaughan Williams
Ursula Vaughan Williams
Ursula Vaughan Williams, née Joan Ursula Penton Lock was an English poet and author, and biographer of her second husband, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.-Biography:...
. In 2002, the choir adopted a new constitution and became a registered charity with the legal protection of a limited company. For their 60th anniversary in 2007, the book Hallelujah! An informal history of the London Philharmonic Choir was published. The LPC continues to work closely with the LPO's Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski
Vladimir Jurowski
Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Mikhail Jurowski.Jurowski began his musical studies at the Moscow Conservatory...
(2007–present) and Guest Principal Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a French Canadian conductor. He is Music Director Designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and will become Music Director in 2012.-Biography:...
(2009–present).
Organisation
The LPC is an independent amateur mixed-voice choirChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
holding charitable status
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. The choir, while being rooted in the British choral tradition, also performs a wide repertoire of different styles and languages. The choir's aim is to perform large choral works to professional standard whilst providing a friendly social network for its members. As a charity, its aims are to promote, improve, develop and maintain education in the appreciation of the art and science of music by the presentation of public concerts. The choir also aims to encourage and support for the public benefit all art forms, particularly but not exclusively those involving music, including other cultural and educational activities in order to make these more accessible to the public at large.
Choir
The choir consists of a pool of over 200 members ranging from college students, working age to retirees. There are four vocal sections; bassBass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
, tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, alto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
and soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
. Each vocal section is divided into upper and lower voices. The choir also accepts female tenors and male altos as members. Each section has a voice representative who looks after the interests of the section members, notes attendance and acts as liaison with the committee.
All members are volunteers and each member is auditioned prior to joining. Members who pass their audition pay a one-off £25 subscription. There is no annual membership fee. Existing members are re-auditioned every 1 or 3 years with the choir.
The choir rehearses on Monday and/or Wednesday nights depending on the current project and the rehearsals are normally based at Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute is a cultural institute, located on Bishopsgate, in proximity of Liverpool Street station and Spitalfields market, London, England.Bishopsgate Institute was established in 1895...
.
Committee
The committee is made up of members of the choir and they are in charge of the running of the choir and liaising with the London Philharmonic OrchestraLondon Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
and other organisations. The committee is divided into a Board of Directors which is made up of the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Choir Manager, Membership Coordinator and Voice representatives; and non board members including the Enquiries officer, Librarian and Tours Manager.
Revenue is derived from initial subscription, donations and above all from concert engagements. The Artistic Director and the Accompanist are paid positions. The Artistic Director also holds an ex officio position on the committee.
Patrons
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Presidents
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Chorus Masters
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Jeremy Jackman Jeremy Jackman is a UK choral director, composer and arranger, and formerly a counter-tenor of the King's Singers.-Biography:Jackman was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral. He trained at the Royal College of Music and Hull University.... |
Chairmen
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Jackson Era (1947 - 1969)
The LPC was formed in December 1946 by former members of the Philharmonic Choir (founded in 1919 by Charles Kennedy ScottCharles Kennedy Scott
Charles Kennedy Scott was an English organist and choral conductor who played an important part in developing the performance of choral and polyphonic music in England, especially of early and modern English music.-Training:Educated at Southampton Grammar School, he entered the Brussels...
and disbanded in 1939 at the onset of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
) and the London Philharmonic Orchestra
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
. The appointed choir master was Professor Frederic Jackson as Charles Kennedy Scott was unable to resume conductorship. This alliance made the London Philharmonic Choir the first major London choir to be attached to one of the big independent London orchestras.
In the founding years, the choir was composed of amateur and professional singers, the latter being paid a sum of ten shillings and sixpence per rehearsal session. The amateur members paid the annual membership fee of one guinea
Guinea (British coin)
The guinea is a coin that was minted in the Kingdom of England and later in the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom between 1663 and 1813...
. The choir also commenced a membership drive with the placement of an advertisement in the February 1947 issue of The Musical Times
The Musical Times
The Musical Times is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom. It is currently the oldest such journal that is still publishing in the UK, having been published continuously since 1844. It was published as The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular until...
.. In March 1947, after recruiting over 300 members, rehearsals commenced on Wednesday evenings at the Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral
Westminster Cathedral in London is the mother church of the Catholic community in England and Wales and the Metropolitan Church and Cathedral of the Archbishop of Westminster...
Hall.
The choir made its début on 15 May 1947 with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
conducted by Victor De Sabata
Victor de Sabata
Victor de Sabata was an Italian conductor and composer. He is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished operatic conductors of the twentieth century, especially for his Verdi, Puccini and Wagner. He is also acclaimed for his interpretations of orchestral music...
at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. The choir's first recording was Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
's Symphony of Psalms
Symphony of Psalms
The Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky was written in 1930 and was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece is a three-movement choral symphony and was composed during Stravinsky's neoclassical period. The symphony derives...
in 1947 under Ernest Ansermet
Ernest Ansermet
Ernest Alexandre Ansermet was a Swiss conductor.- Biography :Ansermet was born in Vevey, Switzerland. Although he was a contemporary of Wilhelm Furtwängler and Otto Klemperer, Ansermet represents in most ways a very different tradition and approach from those two musicians. Originally he was a...
. This was followed by their first radio broadcast of Vaughan Williams' Sancta Civitas
Sancta Civitas
Sancta Civitas is an oratorio by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Written between 1923 and 1925, it received its first performance in Oxford in May 1926, during the General Strike. Although its title is in Latin, the libretto is entirely in English, based upon texts from Revelation, as well as Taverner's...
and Verdi's Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater
Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Roman Catholic hymn to Mary. It has been variously attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III...
in March 1948 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:...
(BBCSO) under Sir Adrian Boult. Another first for the choir was the Proms performance in August 1952 of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
Symphony of Psalms
The Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky was written in 1930 and was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece is a three-movement choral symphony and was composed during Stravinsky's neoclassical period. The symphony derives...
with the LPO conducted by Basil Cameron
Basil Cameron
Basil Cameron, CBE was an English conductor. He was born in Reading, Berkshire, England, the son of a German immigrant family. His birth name was Basil George Cameron Hindenberg. -Career:...
at the Royal Albert Hall.
In the early 1950s, the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
was in financial difficulties as funding from the London County Council
London County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
was severed. Despite the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
's loyalty to the choir, the financial crisis resulted in the choir being used less during this period. The LPO board cited "...because of the number of professional choristers, the cost of putting a concert with the Choir had become so great that it was difficult to maintain its interest." Jackson was now paid by engagement rather than a fixed salary. The LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
board also agreed "that in the circumstances, no objection could be raised if the choir found work for themselves, provided reference was made to the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
before any engagement was accepted". By 1958, the choir's annual membership fee was raised to one pound ten shillings as a means to maintain administration funds. This was further raised in 1959 to £3 as the choir was now responsible for the remuneration of the Chorus Master.
The LPC continued its partnership with the LPO throughout the 1960s. In the spring of 1967, Bernard Haitink
Bernard Haitink
Bernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam...
was appointed principal conductor of the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
and in the first season under his reign, the LPC performed Britten's Spring Symphony
Spring Symphony
The Spring Symphony is Benjamin Britten's Opus 44. It is dedicated to Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was premiered in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on Thursday 14 July 1949 as part of the Holland Festival, when the composer was 35...
, Bruckner's E Minor Mass
Mass No. 2 (Bruckner)
The Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27, by Anton Bruckner is a setting of the mass ordinary for vocal soloists, chorus and wind band. Bruckner wrote it to celebrate the construction of a new church....
and Mahler's Resurrection Symphony
Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his...
. In March 1968, the choir made its first television broadcast: a performance of Elgar's Dream of Gerontius at Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
with the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
conducted by Sir Adrian Boult with soloists Peter Pears
Peter Pears
Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
, Dame Janet Baker and John Shirley-Quirk
John Shirley-Quirk
John Shirley-Quirk CBE is an English bass-baritone.He was born in Liverpool, England, and sang in his high school choir. He played the violin and was awarded a scholarship. While studying chemistry and physics at Liverpool University, he studied voice with Austen Carnegie...
. The production was directed by Brian Large
Brian Large
Brian Large is a television director specializing in opera and classical music broadcasts.-Studies:...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and broadcast in colour.
However, by the late 1960s the LPO board were dissatisfied with the dwindling performance quality of the LPC and by implication, with Jackson. Jackson's retirement as Chorus Master was announced in May 1969, "... after 21 years owing to the pressure of other engagements...". John Alldis
John Alldis
John Alldis was an English chorus-master and conductor.After his education at Felsted, Alldis studied as a choral scholar under Boris Ord at King's College, Cambridge, from 1949 to 1952....
, who was Founding Chorus Master of the London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Chorus
The London Symphony Chorus is a large symphonic concert choir based in London, England, consisting of over 150 amateur singers, and is one of the major symphony choruses of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1966 as the LSO Chorus to complement the work of the London Symphony Orchestra...
(LSC), succeeded as Chorus Master of the LPC that same year.
Frederic Jackson died on 10 February 1972 while conducting Verdi's Requiem at the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
. He was 67 years old.
Alldis Era (1969 - 1982)
The arrival of John AlldisJohn Alldis
John Alldis was an English chorus-master and conductor.After his education at Felsted, Alldis studied as a choral scholar under Boris Ord at King's College, Cambridge, from 1949 to 1952....
fostered a new era for the LPC. The committee restructured with the addition of voice section representatives. The choir's annual membership fee was also abolished. Rehearsals were relocated to Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute is a cultural institute, located on Bishopsgate, in proximity of Liverpool Street station and Spitalfields market, London, England.Bishopsgate Institute was established in 1895...
as Alldis favoured its acoustics. Recruitment of new members commenced almost immediately with advertisements and invitation by existing members. Alldis also re-auditioned existing LPC members to maintain standards. Some former LSC members loyal to Alldis followed him to the LPC. One new recruit who joined as a tenor in 1972 was David Temple
David Temple
David Temple is a British conductor and musical director of Crouch End Festival Chorus which he has conducted at the Barbican Centre, Royal Festival Hall and Symphony Hall, Birmingham...
. He is now the conductor and musical director of the Crouch End Festival Chorus
Crouch End Festival Chorus
Crouch End Festival Chorus is a symphonic choir based in Crouch End, a northern suburb of London. CEFC was formed in 1984 by John Gregson and David Temple, who remains the choir's conductor...
. David had been invited to become the Music Director of Crouch End Arts Festival in 1984 by John Gregson, its Director and fellow LPC tenor. Together they founded Crouch End Festival Chorus in that year. It was at this time that Malcolm Hicks joined as accompanist and Deputy Chorus Master.
Along with maintaining a high performance level with standard choral repertoire, Alldis
John Alldis
John Alldis was an English chorus-master and conductor.After his education at Felsted, Alldis studied as a choral scholar under Boris Ord at King's College, Cambridge, from 1949 to 1952....
also encouraged the choir to undertake contemporary works such as David Bedford
David Bedford
David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music....
's Star Clusters, Nebulae and Places in Devon which was commissioned for the LPC and Brass of the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
and was given its première on 7 March 1971 at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
. Another performance of a contemporary work occurred in August 1972 when David Rowland
David Rowland
David Lincoln Rowland was an American industrial designer who is best known for the 40/4 chair he created in the late 1950s, a stacking chair so named because 40 chairs can be stored in a stack high, with sales in the millions.-Biography:Rowland was born on February 12, 1924 in Los Angeles...
's Cantate Laetantes Alleluia was featured at the International Carnival of Experimental Sound - ICES-72 - in the Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
at Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm
Chalk Farm is an area of north London, England. It lies directly to the north of Camden Town and its underground station is the closest tube station to the nearby, upmarket neighbourhood of Primrose Hill....
.
The LPC performed with major classical soloists of the decade. These included, Kiri Te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
, Heather Harper
Heather Harper
Heather Harper CBE is a Northern Ireland-born British operatic soprano.She was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1930, where she received her early musical training...
, Sheila Armstrong
Sheila Armstrong (singer)
Dr. Sheila Armstrong is an English soprano, equally noted for opera, oratorio, symphonic music and lieder.Educated at the Royal Academy of Music, she was co-winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award in 1965, and as of 2011 was a trustee of the award fund.She was active in English opera and oratorio...
, Margaret Price
Margaret Price
Dame Margaret Berenice Price, DBE was a Welsh soprano.-Early years:Price was born in Blackwood, Wales. Born with deformed legs, she was operated on at age four and suffered pain in her legs the rest of her life. She often looked after her younger brother John who was born with a mental handicap...
, Norma Procter, Helen Watts
Helen Watts
Helen Watts CBE was a Welsh contralto. She was born at Wales in Milford Haven and educated at the School of S. Mary and S. Anne, Abbots Bromley and the Royal Academy of Music. She began her career with the Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, and was a regular broadcaster on the Welsh Home Service...
, Peter Pears
Peter Pears
Sir Peter Neville Luard Pears CBE was an English tenor who was knighted in 1978. His career was closely associated with the composer Edward Benjamin Britten....
, Richard Lewis
Richard Lewis (tenor)
Richard Lewis CBE was a Welsh tenor.Born Thomas Thomas in Manchester to Welsh parents, Lewis began his career as a boy soprano and studied at the Royal Manchester College of Music from 1939 to 1941...
, Robert Tear
Robert Tear
Robert Tear, CBE was a Welsh tenor and conductor.Tear was born in Barry, Glamorgan, Wales, UK, the son of Thomas and Edith Tear. He attended Barry Boys' Grammar School and during this period sang in the chorus of the first Welsh National Opera's production of 'Cavalleria Rusticana' in April 1946...
, John Carol Case
John Carol Case
John Carol Case is an English baritone.Case was born in Salisbury, England. Awarded a choral scholarship at King's College, he graduated from Cambridge University with MA and BMus degrees....
, John Shirley-Quirk
John Shirley-Quirk
John Shirley-Quirk CBE is an English bass-baritone.He was born in Liverpool, England, and sang in his high school choir. He played the violin and was awarded a scholarship. While studying chemistry and physics at Liverpool University, he studied voice with Austen Carnegie...
, Norman Bailey and Raimund Herincx
Raimund Herincx
Raimund Frederick Herincx is a British operatic bass baritone. Throughout a varied international career, Herincx performed in most of the world's great opera houses and with many of the world's leading symphony orchestras, having been in demand in international opera and in the choral and...
.
In 1976, the choir recorded Sounds of Glory which is a compilation of hymns and songs for choir and orchestra for use in television advertisements and the like. The recording is now marketed under the title Praise - 18 Choral Masterpieces and has become the best-selling album for the choir to date. In 1979, the choir undertook its first European tour, to Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
in Northern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, performing Bruckner's E Minor Mass
Mass No. 2 (Bruckner)
The Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27, by Anton Bruckner is a setting of the mass ordinary for vocal soloists, chorus and wind band. Bruckner wrote it to celebrate the construction of a new church....
with the local wind ensemble. This tour was arranged through contacts from a choir member as part of Wilhelmshaven's annual music festival Wochenende an der Jade.
After 13 years as chorus master of the LPC, Alldis retired in 1982, the year of LPO's golden jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
.
John Alldis died on 20 December 2010. He was 81 years old.
Cooke Era (1982–1991)
Alldis' successor was Richard Cooke who took up the post on 10 March 1982. On 12 March 1984, the choir adopted the rules by the Charity CommissionCharity Commission
The Charity Commission for England and Wales is the non-ministerial government department that regulates registered charities in England and Wales....
and a month later became a registered charity.
During the 1980s, recordings became less frequent as most came to be offered to professional ensembles. However, the choir sang regularly under the baton of such conductors as Sir Georg Solti
Georg Solti
Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his...
and Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt was a German conductor from Merseburg; he conducted such orchestras as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kiel Opera in Northern Germany; North German Radio Orchestra, in Hamburg; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.-Life and career:He studied violin and...
. Opportunities for touring became more common; in 1985, for example, the choir visited Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with Tennstedt, performing Beethoven's Ninth in Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
and Pompeii
Pompeii
The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning...
. Tennstedt became the choir's first president when he commenced his tenure as the LPO's Principal Conductor and Artistic Director in 1983. It was with Tennstedt that the choir recorded the Mahler's Eighth Symphony
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the work is often performed with fewer than a...
together with the Tiffin School boys' choir and the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
for EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in 1987. This recording won the 1987 Gramophone Magazine's 'Orchestral Record of the Year Award'. Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt was a German conductor from Merseburg; he conducted such orchestras as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kiel Opera in Northern Germany; North German Radio Orchestra, in Hamburg; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.-Life and career:He studied violin and...
stood down from the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
in 1987 due to ill health, having nurtured good rapport with Cooke and the LPC during his tenure. In 1988, members of the choir wore monks' habits during their performance of the British concert première of Olivier Messian's 5-hour-long opera, Saint François d'Assise (Saint Francis of Assisi) at the Royal Festival Hall conducted by Kent Nagano
Kent Nagano
__FORCETOC__Kent George Nagano is an American conductor and opera administrator. He is currently the music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and the Bavarian State Opera.-Biography:...
, a performance they then took to Lyon.
In 1990, the LPO appointed Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst is an Austrian conductor who is currently the music director for the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera.- Biography :...
to the post of Principal Conductor. That same year, the LPO became the first "resident" orchestra at the South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
(the arts complex which includes the Royal Festival Hall). This enabled the LPO (and its choir) to have first choice in dates, rehearsals and repertoire. In 1991, Tennstedt conducted the LPC and LPO in three performances of Mahler's Eighth Symphony
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the work is often performed with fewer than a...
at the Royal Festival Hall one of which was attended by Mahler's granddaughter, Anna.
The economic recession of the 1990s was a turbulent period for the arts in Britain. High-level resignations at the LPO management fostered tension and uncertainty for the LPO and LPC. Furthermore, Welser-Möst was not enamoured with the choir, preferring what he called a more 'Continental sound'. Inevitably, the working relationship was strained between Cooke and Welser-Möst. In August 1991, after a performance at The Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt was a German conductor from Merseburg; he conducted such orchestras as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kiel Opera in Northern Germany; North German Radio Orchestra, in Hamburg; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.-Life and career:He studied violin and...
, Cooke concluded his engagement with the LPC.
Richard Cooke is now Music Director of the Royal Choral Society
Royal Choral Society
The Royal Choral Society is an amateur choir, based in London. Formed soon after the opening of the Royal Albert Hall in 1871, the choir gave its first performance as the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society on 8 May 1872 – the choir's first conductor Charles Gounod included the Hallelujah Chorus from...
.
Jackman Era (1992 - 1994)
The LPO appointed Jeremy JackmanJeremy Jackman
Jeremy Jackman is a UK choral director, composer and arranger, and formerly a counter-tenor of the King's Singers.-Biography:Jackman was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral. He trained at the Royal College of Music and Hull University....
, a former member of the King's Singers
King's Singers
The King's Singers is a British a cappella vocal ensemble who celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2008. Their name recalls King's College in Cambridge, England, where the group was formed by six choral scholars in 1968. In the United Kingdom, their popularity peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s...
, as the next Chorus Master in late 1991 to commence in 1992. The LPO did not programme any concerts involving the LPC in the 1992/93 season to allow the choir time to regroup. With the departure of Cooke, some LPC members, uncertain of the choir's future, defected to other choirs resulting in declining membership. Recruitment was made all the more challenging as the choir's difficulties were widely advertised. Despite this setback, Jackman and the fragmented choir worked hard to achieve decent results for Beethoven's Ninth with Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt
Klaus Tennstedt was a German conductor from Merseburg; he conducted such orchestras as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kiel Opera in Northern Germany; North German Radio Orchestra, in Hamburg; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.-Life and career:He studied violin and...
, Janáček's Glagolitic Mass
Glagolitic Mass
The Glagolitic Mass is a composition for soloists , double chorus, organ and orchestra by Leoš Janáček. The work was completed on 15 October 1926...
with Jiří Bělohlávek
Jirí Belohlávek
Jiří Bělohlávek is a Czech conductor. His father was a barrister and judge. In his youth Bělohlávek studied cello with Miloš Sádlo and was later a graduate of the Prague Conservatory and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague...
and Haydn's Creation with Sir Roger Norrington. In March 1994, Jackman handed in his resignation after working with the choir for only two concert seasons. By late 1994, after months of searching and auditioning, the LPO eventually appointed Neville Creed as the next LPC Chorus Master.
Jeremy Jackman
Jeremy Jackman
Jeremy Jackman is a UK choral director, composer and arranger, and formerly a counter-tenor of the King's Singers.-Biography:Jackman was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral. He trained at the Royal College of Music and Hull University....
is now Musical Director of the English Baroque Choir
English Baroque Choir
The English Baroque Choir is an amateur choir based in London, England. It performs music in a wide variety of styles from the Renaissance to contemporary music, but specialises in music of the Baroque era....
, the Cecilian Singers in Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, and the Jay Singers in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
. He also gives music masterclasses and workshops.
Creed Era (1994 - present)
Neville Creed was the former head of music at Tiffin School and conductor of the BournemouthBournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
and Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
choirs. He collaborated with the LPC by preparing the Tiffin Boys' Choir on the Mahler Eight
Symphony No. 8 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 8 in E-flat major by Gustav Mahler is one of the largest-scale choral works in the classical concert repertoire. Because it requires huge instrumental and vocal forces it is frequently called the "Symphony of a Thousand", although the work is often performed with fewer than a...
recording in 1987. His brother, Marcus Creed
Marcus Creed
Marcus Creed is an English conductor.Born in Eastbourne, Sussex , he was educated at King's College in Cambridge, Christ Church in Oxford, and Guildhall School in London. He moved to Germany in 1976 and worked firstly as a coach and chorusmaster at the Deutsche Oper Berlin...
, is also a noted English conductor, now based in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Creed's enthusiasm and drive enabled the LPC to undertake a membership drive and to build up morale. The choir was able to give creditable performances with the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
in the 1994/95 LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
concert season of the Britten and Verdi Requiems under Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst is an Austrian conductor who is currently the music director for the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera.- Biography :...
, Berlioz concerts with Norrington
Roger Norrington
Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington, CBE is a British conductor. He is the son of Sir Arthur Norrington and his brother is Humphrey Thomas Norrington....
, Beethoven's Ninth and Bruckner's Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
with Haitink, and two performances of Verdi's Aida
Aida
Aida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
with Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta
Zubin Mehta is an Indian conductor of western classical music. He is the Music Director for Life of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.-Biography:...
.
However, the prevailing economic conditions in the arts in Britain meant orchestras were under ever increasing financial strains. By the time of Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst
Franz Welser-Möst is an Austrian conductor who is currently the music director for the Cleveland Orchestra and the Vienna State Opera.- Biography :...
departure in 1996, the LPC ceased to be on the payroll of the LPO and became autonomous. This meant that the choir needed to maintain some form of financial stability while recognising concerts with the LPO were no longer guaranteed. The main focus for the choir was to improve its standard of choral singing if it were to survive as reputation alone was not enough to garner any engagements. The choir began approaching and performing with other orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, The London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
and the Philharmonia Orchestra
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
. The choir also actively pursued engagements from arts organisations through networks known by individual choir members, such as IMG Artists
IMG Artists
IMG Artists LLC is a top universal performing arts management corporation that was acquired by International Management Group in 1984. Chairman and CEO of IMG, Mark McCormack, bought out Hamlen/Landau, a small, New York based artist-management music agency, founded by Charles Hamlen and Edna...
(Hampton Court Music Festival) and Raymond Gubbay
Raymond Gubbay
Raymond Gubbay is a classical music promoter and impresario based in London. The programme to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his starting out as a promoter says that, after arranging small scale concerts around the UK, he began gradually to promote in London...
(Classical Spectacular concerts). LPC members were also likely to be found augmenting other larger choirs and their respective orchestras, such as the Royal Choral Society
Royal Choral Society
The Royal Choral Society is an amateur choir, based in London. Formed soon after the opening of the Royal Albert Hall in 1871, the choir gave its first performance as the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society on 8 May 1872 – the choir's first conductor Charles Gounod included the Hallelujah Chorus from...
or the London Symphony Chorus
London Symphony Chorus
The London Symphony Chorus is a large symphonic concert choir based in London, England, consisting of over 150 amateur singers, and is one of the major symphony choruses of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1966 as the LSO Chorus to complement the work of the London Symphony Orchestra...
if a large force was required for a particular performance. Eventually, the relationship between the LPO and LPC settled into one of mutual respect and goodwill. The choir was now given the right of first refusal for future choral projects involving the LPO
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera...
.
In 1996, Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy
Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy is the youngest granddaughter of King George V of the United Kingdom and Mary of Teck. She is the widow of Sir Angus Ogilvy...
accepted the choir's invitation to become its first Patron. In the same year, Sir Roger Norrington became the second President of the choir. In 1997, the LPC celebrated its 50th Anniversary with a performance of Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall conducted by Neville Creed and attended by Princess Alexandra and Ursula Vaughan Williams
Ursula Vaughan Williams
Ursula Vaughan Williams, née Joan Ursula Penton Lock was an English poet and author, and biographer of her second husband, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.-Biography:...
.
In 2002, the choir adopted a new constitution and became a registered charity with the legal protection of a limited company
Limited company
A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...
. In 2003, Neville Creed's role changed from Chorus Master to Artistic Director. This enabled him to have a say on the type of programming the choir was to undertake. However, Creed's increasing commitments as Director of Cultural Activities at St Edward's School in Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, resulted in the appointment of Matthew Rowe as Associate Chorus Director to work alongside Creed.
2004 and 2005 saw an exceptional number of tours and high-prestige performances for members of the LPC. In January 2004, Rowe prepared and accompanied the LPC to perform Mahler’s Resurrection symphony
Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his...
(and to première John Harbison
John Harbison
John Harris Harbison is an American composer, best known for his operas and large choral works.-Life:...
's Abraham) before Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
at the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. For this "Papal Concert of Reconciliation", the LPC were joined by the Ankara State Polyphonic Choir, the Kraków Philharmonic Choir, members of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:...
under Gilbert Levine
Gilbert Levine
Sir Gilbert Levine, KC*SG is an American conductor. He is considered an "outstanding personality in the world of international music television."-Education:...
. In April, the choir sang Haydn’s Creation in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, returning to perform La Damnation de Faust with Mark Elder
Mark Elder
Sir Mark Philip Elder, CBE is a British conductor. He is the music director of the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, England.-Biography:Elder was born in Hexham, Northumberland, England, the son of a dentist...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Mahler’s Resurrection symphony with the Philharmonia
Philharmonia
The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke...
under Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.-Early career:...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
. Other performances that year included Glagolitic Mass
Glagolitic Mass
The Glagolitic Mass is a composition for soloists , double chorus, organ and orchestra by Leoš Janáček. The work was completed on 15 October 1926...
(June), Janáček's The Eternal Gospel and Mahler's Third Symphony
Symphony No. 3 (Mahler)
The Symphony No. 3 by Gustav Mahler was written between 1893 and 1896. It is his longest piece and is the longest symphony in the standard repertoire, with a typical performance lasting around ninety to one hundred minutes.- Structure :...
(July), La Damnation de Faust and Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana
Carmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces...
(October), A Sea Symphony (November) and Raymond Gubbay's Christmas classics and Beethoven Ninth (December).
In 2005 alone, the choir toured six countries beginning with Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
in January, Malaysia and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in June, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in July, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in September and finally Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in November. In May 2005, the choir performed Britten's War Requiem
War Requiem
The War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed January 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts, in telling juxtaposition, are settings of Wilfred Owen poems...
with the LPO under Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur
Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times...
. This concert - the last before the Royal Festival Hall's closure for refurbishment - marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and was recorded by the LPO for the orchestra's recently launched CD label. The LPC celebrated their 60th anniversary in May 2007, with a choral concert at the Queen Elizabeth Hall
Queen Elizabeth Hall
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival...
. This event also coincided with the book launch of Hallelujah! An informal history of the London Philharmonic Choir written by author and long standing member of the choir, Daniel Snowman.
In June 2007, the Royal Festival Hall was reopened following extensive refurbishment. The LPC participated in the gala opening concert, one highlight of which was a celebratory new composition, Alleluia, by the composer - and member of the LPC bass section - Julian Anderson
Julian Anderson
Julian Anderson is a British composer and teacher of composition.-Biography:Anderson studied at Westminster School, then with John Lambert at the Royal College of Music, with Alexander Goehr at Cambridge University, privately with Tristan Murail in Paris, and on courses given by Olivier Messiaen,...
. In September 2007, as part of its ongoing commitment as a charity, the LPC was involved with its first Mayor of London Open Rehearsal at the Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute is a cultural institute, located on Bishopsgate, in proximity of Liverpool Street station and Spitalfields market, London, England.Bishopsgate Institute was established in 1895...
.
In July 2008, Rowe prepared the choir for the Doctor Who Prom with the BBC Philharmonic
BBC Philharmonic
The BBC Philharmonic is a British broadcasting symphony orchestra based at Media City UK, Salford, England. It is one of five radio orchestras maintained by the British Broadcasting Corporation. The orchestra's primary concert venue is the Bridgewater Hall....
under conductors Stephen Bell
Stephen Bell
Stephen Bell was an English professional footballer who played as a winger.He made his debut for Middlesbrough F.C. aged 16 years and 323 days against Southampton on 30 January 1982 in the Football League First Division, making him the joint youngest player to appear in a competitive game for the...
and Ben Foster
Ben Foster (orchestrator)
Ben Foster is a British composer, orchestrator and conductor who is best known for his work as an orchestrator on the BBC series Doctor Who.- Career :...
held at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
. Soloists were Melanie Pappenheim
Melanie Pappenheim
Melanie Pappenheim is an English soprano singer and composer, notable for her vocal work with various British cross-disciplinary composers, with avant-garde theatre companies and on soundtracks .-Contemporary music:Pappenheim is a frequent collaborator with contemporary composer-performers Simon...
and Tim Phillips
Tim Phillips (musician)
Tim Phillips is a Canadian composer and singer-songwriter, based in London, England.He has written music for many screen productions, including HBO's Entourage, the ITV serial Talk To Me and the Channel 4 series Shameless, produced by Company Pictures...
. He also undertook non-LPC engagements, such as mentor to Katie Derham
Katie Derham
Katie Derham is a British newscaster and a presenter on television and radio.-Early life:Derham was born in Stockport to John and Margaret Derham, and grew up in Wilmslow...
in BBC 2's production of Maestro
Maestro (TV series)
Maestro is a 2008 reality TV talent show-themed television series produced by the BBC's Classical Music Department in the United Kingdom. It was shown on BBC Two in August and September 2008....
shown in August and September 2008. After 6 years, Rowe left the LPC at the end of 2008 to take up the position of symphony orchestra conductor for the San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
School of Music and Dance in January 2009. Creed returned to full duties as Artistic Director and the role of Associate Chorus Director was made redundant.
With the success of the 2008 Doctor Who Prom, the choir was invited to perform in the "Evolution!" Prom in August 2009, performing Jón Leifs
Jón Leifs
Jón Leifs , was an Icelandic composer.Jón was born in Sólheimar. He left Iceland in 1916 to study in Germany at the Leipzig Conservatory. He graduated in 1921 having studied piano, and then devoted his time to conducting and composing. He became successful as a conductor, and also as a writer.He...
Hekla, Op 52 and also the première of Goldie
Goldie
Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
's composition Sine Tempore (Without Time) commissioned by the BBC. The creation of this work was featured in the two-part series Classic Goldie
Classic Goldie
Classic Goldie was a British two part documentary directed by Toby Macdonald shown on BBC Two in Summer 2009.- Background :The show was based around the Drum and Bass musician Goldie learning how to create a piece of classical music. Goldie was a competitor on the BBC television conducting series...
on BBC 2.
In September 2009, the choir, augmented by the London Chorus
London Chorus
The London Chorus is an amateur choir, under the musical direction of Ronald Corp. It was founded in 1903 by Arthur Fagge as The London Choral Society. Its first concert was a performance of Sullivan's The Golden Legend in October 1903...
, recorded 50 greatest pieces of classical music with the LPO under David Parry
David Parry (conductor)
David Parry is an English conductor who is particularly known for his work within the field of opera. Described as "a man of the theatre with whom directors love to work; he is good with singers; he knows the British opera world like the back of his hand...
at Henry Wood Hall. This "download only" recording released in December 2009, was the first for the LPC. This recording was ranked 4th on the Gramophone Magazine classical charts as of 30 October 2010.
The choir's first engagement under the LPO's Principal Guest Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a French Canadian conductor. He is Music Director Designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and will become Music Director in 2012.-Biography:...
occurred in April 2009 with the performance of Brahms' Requiem with the LPO at the Royal Festival Hall
Royal Festival Hall
The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected...
. This performance was recorded for the LPO label and released 29 March 2010.
As part of the 115th BBC Prom season, the choir again participated in a Doctor Who Prom
Doctor Who Prom (2010)
The Doctor Who Prom 2010 was a concert showcasing incidental music from the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, along with classical music, performed as part of the BBC's Proms series of concerts...
on 24 July which was reprised the following day. The prom also featured the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
with conductors Ben Foster and Grant Llewellyn
Grant Llewellyn
Grant Llewellyn is a Welsh conductor.- Biography :Grant Llewellyn began developing his conducting reputation in 1985, when he was awarded a conducting fellow position at the Tanglewood Music Center in Massachusetts. There his mentors included Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur and André...
with music by Murray Gold
Murray Gold
Murray Gold is an English composer for stage, film, and television and a dramatist for both theatre and radio.-Television:Gold has been nominated for a BAFTA four times in the category Best Original Television Music, for Vanity Fair , Queer as Folk , Casanova and Doctor Who...
.
Noted Performances
| Date | |Performance | |Conductor | | Occasion | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 May 1947 | Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of... |
Ninth Symphony | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Victor De Sabata Victor de Sabata Victor de Sabata was an Italian conductor and composer. He is widely recognized as one of the most distinguished operatic conductors of the twentieth century, especially for his Verdi, Puccini and Wagner. He is also acclaimed for his interpretations of orchestral music... |
Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
LPC Debut |
| 12 October 1947 | Igor Stravinsky Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor.... |
Symphony of Psalms Symphony of Psalms The Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky was written in 1930 and was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece is a three-movement choral symphony and was composed during Stravinsky's neoclassical period. The symphony derives... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Ernest Ansermet Ernest Ansermet Ernest Alexandre Ansermet was a Swiss conductor.- Biography :Ansermet was born in Vevey, Switzerland. Although he was a contemporary of Wilhelm Furtwängler and Otto Klemperer, Ansermet represents in most ways a very different tradition and approach from those two musicians. Originally he was a... |
Royal Opera House Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The... Covent Garden Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as... |
First Recording by the LPC |
| 20 March 1948 21 March 1948 |
Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many... |
Sancta Civitas Sancta Civitas Sancta Civitas is an oratorio by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Written between 1923 and 1925, it received its first performance in Oxford in May 1926, during the General Strike. Although its title is in Latin, the libretto is entirely in English, based upon texts from Revelation, as well as Taverner's... |
BBCSO BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:... |
Sir Adrian Boult Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was... |
Maida Vale Studios Maida Vale Studios Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present... |
First Broadcast by the LPC |
| Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century... |
Stabat Mater Stabat Mater Stabat Mater is a 13th-century Roman Catholic hymn to Mary. It has been variously attributed to the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi and to Innocent III... |
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| 13 October 1949 | Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.-Life:Bloch was born in Geneva and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon afterwards. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe... |
Sacred Service (Avodath Hakodesh) | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.-Life:Bloch was born in Geneva and began playing the violin at age 9. He began composing soon afterwards. He studied music at the conservatory in Brussels, where his teachers included the celebrated Belgian violinist Eugène Ysaÿe... |
Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
London Première |
| 9 March 1950 | Benjamin Britten Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to... |
Spring Symphony Spring Symphony The Spring Symphony is Benjamin Britten's Opus 44. It is dedicated to Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was premiered in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam on Thursday 14 July 1949 as part of the Holland Festival, when the composer was 35... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Eduard van Beinum Eduard van Beinum Eduard van Beinum was a Dutch conductor.-Biography:Beinum was born in Arnhem, Netherlands, where he received his first violin and piano lessons at an early age. He joined the Arnhem Orchestra as a violinist in 1918. His grandfather was conductor of a military band... |
Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
UK Première |
| 30 June 1951 | Edmund Rubbra Edmund Rubbra Edmund Rubbra was a British composer. He composed both instrumental and vocal works for soloists, chamber groups and full choruses and orchestras. He was greatly esteemed by fellow musicians and was at the peak of his fame in the mid-20th century. The most famous of his pieces are his eleven... |
Festival Te Deum Te Deum The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise".... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Frederic Jackson | Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
World Première and closing event of the Art Council's 'Season of the Arts' (Festival of Britain) |
| 20 June 1952 | Franz Reizenstein Franz Reizenstein Franz Theodor Reizenstein was a German-born British composer and concert pianist. He left Germany for sanctuary in Britain in 1934 and went on to have his career there, including teaching at the Royal Northern College of Music and Boston University, as well as performing.-Life and work:Franz... |
Voices of Night | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Sir Adrian Boult Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was... |
Maida Vale Studios Maida Vale Studios Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC studios on Delaware Road, Maida Vale, London.It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4 from 1946 to the present... |
UK Première Broadcast |
| 26 August 1952 | Igor Stravinsky Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor.... |
Symphony of Psalms Symphony of Psalms The Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky was written in 1930 and was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece is a three-movement choral symphony and was composed during Stravinsky's neoclassical period. The symphony derives... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Basil Cameron Basil Cameron Basil Cameron, CBE was an English conductor. He was born in Reading, Berkshire, England, the son of a German immigrant family. His birth name was Basil George Cameron Hindenberg. -Career:... |
Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
First LPC Performance at the Proms |
| 3 June 1953 | Malcolm Arnold Malcolm Arnold Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain... |
Symphony No.2 Symphony No. 2 (Arnold) The Symphony No. 2, Op 40 by Malcolm Arnold is a symphony dating from 1953. Arnold composed the symphony on commission from the Bournemouth Winter Garden's Society... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Sir Adrian Boult Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 7 October 1953 | Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many... |
Serenade to Music Serenade to Music Serenade to Music is a work by Ralph Vaughan Williams for 16 vocal soloists and orchestra, composed in 1938. The text is an adaptation of the discussion about music and the music of the spheres in Act V, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. Vaughan Williams later arranged... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many... |
Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
LPO's London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... 21st anniversary concert |
| 19 November 1954 | Albert Roussel Albert Roussel Albert Charles Paul Marie Roussel was a French composer. He spent seven years as a midshipman, turned to music as an adult, and became one of the most prominent French composers of the interwar period... |
Aeneas | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Jean Martinon Jean Martinon Jean Martinon was a French conductor and composer.-Biography:Martinon was born in Lyon, where he began his education, going on to the Conservatoire de Paris to study under Albert Roussel for composition, under Charles Munch and Roger Désormière for conducting, under Vincent d'Indy for harmony,... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 10 June 1955 | Samuel Barber Samuel Barber Samuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music... |
Prayers of Kierkegaard Prayers of Kierkegaard Prayers of Kierkegaard is a one-movement extended cantata written by Samuel Barber between 1942 and 1954. The piece has four main subdivisions and is based on prayers by Søren Kierkegaard... (Op.30) |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Massimo Freccia Massimo Freccia Massimo Filippo Antongiulio Maria Freccia was an Italian American conductor. He had an international reputation but never held a post as music director of a major orchestra or opera house. Unusually for an Italian, he built his career around symphonic music rather than opera... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 20 November 1955 | Stanley Bate Stanley Bate -Life:Bate received early training in music and had composed two operas by age twenty. He studied under Ralph Vaughan Williams, R.O. Morris, Gordon Jacob, and Arthur Benjamin, and then in Paris with Nadia Boulanger and in Berlin with Paul Hindemith. He wrote incidental music for performances at... |
Symphony No. 4 | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Sir Adrian Boult Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
World Première |
| 5 February 1956 | Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century... |
The Tale of the Stone Flower The Tale of the Stone Flower (Prokofiev) The Tale of the Stone Flower is Sergei Prokofiev's eighth and last ballet, written between 1948 and 1953. It is based on the Russian Ural folk tale of the same name by Pavel Bazhov and is also the last of the trilogy of ballets Prokofiev wrote in the Russian ballet tradition.-Numbers:Prologue:The... (Orchestral Suite) |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Anatole Fistoulari Anatole Fistoulari Anatole Fistoulari was a noted 20th century conductor.Anatole Fistoulari was born in Kiev Ukraine into a musical family... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 16 March 1956 | Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of... |
Der glorreiche Augenblick (The Glorious Moment Op. 136) |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Hermann Scherchen Hermann Scherchen Hermann Scherchen was a German conductor.-Life:Scherchen was originally a violist and played among the violas of the Bluthner Orchestra of Berlin while still in his teens... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 6 October 1957 | Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many... |
Serenade to Music Serenade to Music Serenade to Music is a work by Ralph Vaughan Williams for 16 vocal soloists and orchestra, composed in 1938. The text is an adaptation of the discussion about music and the music of the spheres in Act V, Scene 1 of The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. Vaughan Williams later arranged... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Sir Adrian Boult Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
LPO's London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... 25th anniversary and LPC's 10th anniversary concert |
| Gustav Holst Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets.... |
The Planets The Planets The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst... |
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| 2 June 1959 | Igor Stravinsky Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor.... |
The Lamentations of Jeremiah | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
William Steinberg William Steinberg William Steinberg was a German-American conductor.- Biography :Steinberg was born Hans Wilhelm Steinberg in Cologne, Germany. He displayed early talent as a violinist, pianist, and composer, conducting his own choral/ orchestral composition at age 13... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 13 December 1960 | Frank Martin Frank Martin (composer) Frank Martin was a Swiss composer, who lived a large part of his life in the Netherlands.-Childhood and youth:... |
Le Mystère de la Nativité (The Mystery of the Nativity) |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Jaroslav Krombholc Jaroslav Krombholc Jaroslav Krombholc was a Czech conductor. He made various recordings of Czech operas for Supraphon, notably Janáček's Káťa Kabanová, and Martinů's Julietta. He was succeeded as chief conductor of the National Theatre, Prague by Václav Talich.-References:... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 24 June 1961 | Havergal Brian Havergal Brian Havergal Brian , was a British classical composer.Brian acquired a legendary status at the time of his rediscovery in the 1950s and 1960s for the many symphonies he had managed to write. By the end of his life he had completed 32, an unusually large number for any composer since Haydn or Mozart... |
Symphony No. 1 in D minor "The Gothic" Symphony No. 1 (Havergal Brian) The Symphony No. 1 in D minor by Havergal Brian was composed between 1919 and 1927, and partly owes its notoriety to being perhaps the largest symphony ever composed... |
Polyphonia Symphony Orchestra | Bryan Fairfax Bryan Fairfax Bryan Fairfax is a retired Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who is known for his championing of little known or neglected works.... |
Westminster Central Hall Westminster Central Hall The Westminster Central Hall or Methodist Central Hall is a Methodist church in the City of Westminster. It occupies the corner of Tothill Street and Storeys Gate just off Victoria Street in London, near the junction with The Sanctuary next to the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre and facing... |
World Première |
| 26 October 1961 | Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of... arr. Herbert Zipper Herbert Zipper Herbert Zipper was an internationally renowned composer, conductor, and arts activist... |
Elegischer Gesang Elegischer Gesang Elegischer Gesang , Op. 118, is a work by Ludwig van Beethoven, which is scored for string quartet and four voices. The work furthers Beethoven's late infatuation with the genre of the string quartet. It is one of Beethoven's least known works and is not performed or recorded very often.-External... (Elegy for choir and organ) |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Sir Adrian Boult Adrian Boult Sir Adrian Cedric Boult CH was an English conductor. Brought up in a prosperous mercantile family he followed musical studies in England and at Leipzig, Germany, with early conducting work in London for the Royal Opera House and Sergei Diaghilev's ballet company. His first prominent post was... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 18 February 1962 | William Walton William Walton Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera... |
Gloria | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Malcolm Sargent Malcolm Sargent Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was an English conductor, organist and composer widely regarded as Britain's leading conductor of choral works... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
London Première |
| 17 April 1962 | Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child... |
An American Requiem (When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd) When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd (Hindemith) When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd: A Requiem for those we love is a 1946 composition by composer Paul Hindemith, based on the poem of the same name by Walt Whitman. Conductor Robert Shaw commissioned the work after the 1945 death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith was a German composer, violist, violinist, teacher, music theorist and conductor.- Biography :Born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, Hindemith was taught the violin as a child... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 2 January 1966 | William Walton William Walton Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera... |
The Twelve | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
William Walton William Walton Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera... |
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,... |
UK Première (Orchestral Version) |
| 29 October 1963 | Pablo Casals Pablo Casals Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time... |
El Pessebre (The Manger) | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Pablo Casals Pablo Casals Pau Casals i Defilló , known during his professional career as Pablo Casals, was a Spanish Catalan cellist and conductor. He is generally regarded as the pre-eminent cellist of the first half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest cellists of all time... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 24 May 1966 | Franz Schmidt Franz Schmidt Franz Schmidt was an Austrian composer, cellist and pianist of Hungarian descent and origin.- Life :Schmidt was born in Pozsony , in the Hungarian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire . His father was half Hungarian and his mother entirely Hungarian... |
The Book With Seven Seals | Polyphonia Symphony Orchestra | Bryan Fairfax Bryan Fairfax Bryan Fairfax is a retired Australian conductor based in the United Kingdom, who is known for his championing of little known or neglected works.... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première |
| 28 January 1970 | Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of... |
Choral Fantasia | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Bernard Haitink Bernard Haitink Bernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
Royal Philharmonic Society bicentenary concert |
| Ninth Symphony | ||||||
| 7 March 1972 | David Bedford David Bedford David Vickerman Bedford , was an English composer and musician. He wrote and played both popular and classical music.... |
Star clusters, Nebulae and Places in Devon | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... Brass |
John Alldis John Alldis John Alldis was an English chorus-master and conductor.After his education at Felsted, Alldis studied as a choral scholar under Boris Ord at King's College, Cambridge, from 1949 to 1952.... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
World Première Commissioned work |
| 1 March 1977 | William Walton William Walton Sir William Turner Walton OM was an English composer. During a sixty-year career, he wrote music in several classical genres and styles, from film scores to opera... |
Belshazzar's Feast Belshazzar's Feast (Walton) Belshazzar's Feast is an oratorio by the English composer William Walton. It was first performed at the Leeds Festival on 8 October 1931. The work has remained one of Walton's most celebrated compositions and one of the most popular works in the English choral repertoire... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Georg Solti Georg Solti Sir Georg Solti, KBE, was a Hungarian-British orchestral and operatic conductor. He was a major classical recording artist, holding the record for having received the most Grammy Awards, having personally won 31 as a conductor, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to his... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
William Walton's 75th Birthday and Solti's last LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... concert |
| 18 September 1977 | Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic... |
Symphony No. 2 Resurrection Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Bernard Haitink Bernard Haitink Bernard Johan Herman Haitink, CH, KBE is a Dutch conductor and violinist.- Early life :Haitink was born in Amsterdam, the son of Willem Haitink and Anna Haitink. He studied music at the conservatoire in Amsterdam... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
Concert for Haitink's 10th Anniversary as LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... 's Principal Conductor |
| 8 October 1977 | Joseph Horovitz Joseph Horovitz Joseph Horovitz is a British composer and conductor. Horovitz's family emigrated to England in 1938. He studied music and modern languages at New College, Oxford, and later attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying composition with Gordon Jacob. He then undertook a year of further... |
Samson | Various Brass Bands | Joseph Horovitz Joseph Horovitz Joseph Horovitz is a British composer and conductor. Horovitz's family emigrated to England in 1938. He studied music and modern languages at New College, Oxford, and later attended the Royal College of Music in London, studying composition with Gordon Jacob. He then undertook a year of further... |
Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
World Première for Royal Silver Jubilee Festival Concert and National Brass Band Festival |
| 28 September 1986 | Benjamin Britten Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to... |
War Requiem War Requiem The War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed January 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts, in telling juxtaposition, are settings of Wilfred Owen poems... |
BBCSO BBC Symphony Orchestra The BBC Symphony Orchestra is the principal broadcast orchestra of the British Broadcasting Corporation and one of the leading orchestras in Britain.-History:... |
John Pritchard | Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
Part of the Britten Tippett Festival |
| 6 July 1987 | Gustav Holst Gustav Holst Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets.... |
Hymn of Jesus | Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra | Richard Cooke | Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
LPC's 40th anniversary concert |
| Karl Orff | Carmina Burana Carmina Burana Carmina Burana , Latin for "Songs from Beuern" , is the name given to a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces were written principally in Medieval Latin; a few in Middle High German, and some with traces... |
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| 10 December 1988 | Olivier Messiaen Olivier Messiaen Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations... |
Saint François d'Assise (Saint Francis of Assisi) | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Kent Nagano Kent Nagano __FORCETOC__Kent George Nagano is an American conductor and opera administrator. He is currently the music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and the Bavarian State Opera.-Biography:... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
UK Première (Complete concert performance) |
| 22 April 1995 | Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt Arvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from... |
Litany: Prayers of St John Chrysostom for Each Hour of the Day and Night |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Roger Norrington Roger Norrington Sir Roger Arthur Carver Norrington, CBE is a British conductor. He is the son of Sir Arthur Norrington and his brother is Humphrey Thomas Norrington.... |
Queen Elizabeth Hall Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival... |
UK Première with The Hilliard Ensemble |
| 13 May 1997 | Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams OM was an English composer of symphonies, chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also a collector of English folk music and song: this activity both influenced his editorial approach to the English Hymnal, beginning in 1904, in which he included many... |
Sea Symphony | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Neville Creed | Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
LPC 50th Anniversary Concert |
| 16 September 1999 | Thomas Adés Thomas Adès Thomas Adès is a British composer, pianist and conductor.-Biography:Adès studied piano with Paul Berkowitz and later composition with Robert Saxton at Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London... |
America: A Prophecy | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Kurt Masur Kurt Masur Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
London Première |
| 5 October 2002 | Richard Fitzhugh | Where Everything is Music | Richard Pearce (Organ) | Neville Creed | Mote Hall, Maidstone Maidstone Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural... |
World Première for The Mayor of Maidstone's Charity Concert |
| 15 October 2003 | Julian Anderson Julian Anderson Julian Anderson is a British composer and teacher of composition.-Biography:Anderson studied at Westminster School, then with John Lambert at the Royal College of Music, with Alexander Goehr at Cambridge University, privately with Tristan Murail in Paris, and on courses given by Olivier Messiaen,... |
I saw Eternity | (acapella A cappella A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato... ) |
Neville Creed | St Botolph's Aldgate St Botolph's Aldgate St Botolph's Church, Aldgate, St Botolph-without-Aldgate, or just Aldgate Church, is a Church of England liberal and inclusive parish church in the City of London, standing at the junction of Houndsditch and Aldgate High Street. The current 18th century church is made of brick with stone quoins... |
World Première |
| 17 January 2004 | John Harbison John Harbison John Harris Harbison is an American composer, best known for his operas and large choral works.-Life:... |
Abraham | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:... |
Sir Gilbert Levine Gilbert Levine Sir Gilbert Levine, KC*SG is an American conductor. He is considered an "outstanding personality in the world of international music television."-Education:... |
Paul VI Audience Hall Paul VI Audience Hall The Paul VI Audience Hall is a building in Rome, mostly in Italy but partially in Vatican City, but the Italian part of the building is an exterritorial area of the Holy See used by the Pope as an alternative to Saint Peter's Square for conducting his Wednesday morning General Audience... , Vatican Vatican City Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of... |
World Première at the 'Papal Concert of Reconciliation' |
| 8 May 2005 | Benjamin Britten Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He showed talent from an early age, and first came to public attention with the a cappella choral work A Boy Was Born in 1934. With the premiere of his opera Peter Grimes in 1945, he leapt to... |
War Requiem War Requiem The War Requiem, Op. 66 is a large-scale, non-liturgical setting of the Requiem Mass composed by Benjamin Britten mostly in 1961 and completed January 1962. Interspersed with the traditional Latin texts, in telling juxtaposition, are settings of Wilfred Owen poems... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Kurt Masur Kurt Masur Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
Concert for 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... and last performance at the Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... prior to refurbishment. |
| 23 August 2006 | Mark-Anthony Turnage Mark-Anthony Turnage Mark-Anthony Turnage is a prolific English composer of classical music. His initial musical studies were with Oliver Knussen, John Lambert, and later with Gunther Schuller... |
A Relic of Memory | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Mikhail Jurowski.Jurowski began his musical studies at the Moscow Conservatory... |
Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
UK Première for BBC Proms 53. |
| 13 May 2007 | Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity... |
Lobet den Herrn | (acapella A cappella A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato... ) |
Neville Creed | Queen Elizabeth Hall Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall is a music venue on the South Bank in London, United Kingdom that hosts daily classical, jazz, and avant-garde music and dance performances. The QEH forms part of Southbank Centre arts complex and stands alongside the Royal Festival Hall, which was built for the Festival... |
LPC 60th Anniversary Concert |
| Anton Bruckner Anton Bruckner Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, complex polyphony, and considerable length... |
Bruckner Motets | |||||
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music... |
Requiem | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Mikhail Jurowski.Jurowski began his musical studies at the Moscow Conservatory... |
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| 11 June 2007 | Julian Anderson Julian Anderson Julian Anderson is a British composer and teacher of composition.-Biography:Anderson studied at Westminster School, then with John Lambert at the Royal College of Music, with Alexander Goehr at Cambridge University, privately with Tristan Murail in Paris, and on courses given by Olivier Messiaen,... |
Alleluia Alleluia The word "Alleluia" or "Hallelujah" , which at its most literal means "Praise Yah", is used in different ways in Christian liturgies.... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Jurowski Vladimir Mikhailovich Jurowski is a Russian conductor. He is the son of conductor Mikhail Jurowski.Jurowski began his musical studies at the Moscow Conservatory... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
World Première for the Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... gala reopening and LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... 's 75th Anniversary season. |
| 4 April 2009 | Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene... |
A German Requiem | LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick Nézet-Séguin Yannick Nézet-Séguin is a French Canadian conductor. He is Music Director Designate of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and will become Music Director in 2012.-Biography:... |
Royal Festival Hall Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,900-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge. It is a Grade I listed building - the first post-war building to become so protected... |
First collaboration with LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... Principal Guest Conductor |
| 1 August 2009 | Goldie Goldie Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist... |
Sine Tempore | BBC Concert Orchestra BBC Concert Orchestra The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five which is not a full-scale symphony orchestra.... |
Charles Hazelwood | Royal Albert Hall Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941.... |
BBC Commission; World Première for BBC Evolution! Prom (Prom 21 and 23). |
International Tours
| Date | |Country | |Orchestra / Ensemble | | Occasion | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 August 1979 | Rathausplatz, Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Fregatten-Kapitän Hermann Goldbeck | Marinemusikkorps Nordsee | Bruckner Mass No. 2 (E Minor) Mass No. 2 (Bruckner) The Mass No. 2 in E minor, WAB 27, by Anton Bruckner is a setting of the mass ordinary for vocal soloists, chorus and wind band. Bruckner wrote it to celebrate the construction of a new church.... |
Church Service "Jesus Christ the beautiful world"' for the "Wochenende an der Jade" Festival |
| 22 September 1985 | Chiesa Di San Domenico, Perugia Perugia Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area.... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Klaus Tennstedt Klaus Tennstedt Klaus Tennstedt was a German conductor from Merseburg; he conducted such orchestras as the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Kiel Opera in Northern Germany; North German Radio Orchestra, in Hamburg; the Minnesota Orchestra; and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.-Life and career:He studied violin and... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Beethoven Ninth | |
| 23 September 1985 | Haydn Die Schöpfung | |||||
| 24 September 1985 | Teatro Grande, Pompeii Pompeii The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman town-city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was destroyed and completely buried during a long catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning... |
Beethoven Ninth | ||||
| 8 December 1988 | Opéra National de Lyon Opéra National de Lyon Opéra National de Lyon is an opera company in Lyon, France which performs in the Nouvel Opéra, a modernized version in 1993 of the original 1831 opera house.The inaugural performance of François-Adrien Boïeldieu's La Dame blanche was given on 1 July 1831... |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Kent Nagano Kent Nagano __FORCETOC__Kent George Nagano is an American conductor and opera administrator. He is currently the music director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal and the Bavarian State Opera.-Biography:... |
LPO London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... |
Saint François d'Assise (Saint Francis of Assisi) |
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| 17 March 1994 | Teatro Roméo, Murcia Murcia -History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village... |
Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Jeremy Jackman Jeremy Jackman Jeremy Jackman is a UK choral director, composer and arranger, and formerly a counter-tenor of the King's Singers.-Biography:Jackman was a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral. He trained at the Royal College of Music and Hull University.... |
Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra | Haydn Te Deum Beethoven Mass in C Mass in C major (Beethoven) Ludwig van Beethoven wrote his Mass in C major, Op. 86, to a commission from Prince Nikolaus Esterházy II in 1807. In fulfilling this commission, Beethoven was extending a tradition established by Joseph Haydn, who following his return from England in 1795 had composed one mass per year for the... |
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| 18 March 1994 | Teatro Arriaga Teatro Arriaga The Teatro Arriaga is an opera house in Bilbao, Spain. It was built in Neo-baroque style by architect Joaquín Rucoba in 1890, the same architect that built the city hall... , Bilbao Bilbao Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain... |
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| 25 April 1998 | Teatro Real Teatro Real The Teatro Real or simply El Real , is a major opera house located in Madrid, Spain.-History:... , Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
García Navarro Luis Antonio García Navarro Luis Antonio García Navarro , was a Spanish conductor.-Biography:García Navarro was born in Chiva, Valencia , and studied in Valencia and the Madrid Royal Conservatory before moving to Vienna to study at the University of Music and Performing Arts with Hans Swarowsky, Karl Oesterreicher, and... |
Orquesta Sinfonica De Madrid Madrid Symphony Orchestra The Madrid Symphony Orchestra , founded in 1903, is the oldest existing Spanish symphony orchestra not linked to an opera house in Spain.-History:... |
Tippett Tippett Tippett is the surname of:*Andre Tippett , American footballer*Clark Tippet , American dancer*Dave Tippett , ice hockey coach*Gerald Tippett, fictional character in Shortland Street... A Child of our Time A Child of Our Time A Child of Our Time is an oratorio written by Michael Tippett between 1939 and 1941."After more than ten years of thoughtful planning, Michael Tippett summed up his musical, political, spiritual and philosophical beliefs in his first oratorio, A Child of Our Time... |
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| 24 February 2000 | Palau De La Música, Valencia | Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
García Navarro Luis Antonio García Navarro Luis Antonio García Navarro , was a Spanish conductor.-Biography:García Navarro was born in Chiva, Valencia , and studied in Valencia and the Madrid Royal Conservatory before moving to Vienna to study at the University of Music and Performing Arts with Hans Swarowsky, Karl Oesterreicher, and... |
Orquesta de Valencia | Beethoven Missa Solemnis Missa Solemnis (Beethoven) The Missa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823. It was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg, under the auspices of Beethoven's patron Prince Nikolai Galitzin; an incomplete performance was given in Vienna on 7 May 1824, when the Kyrie,... |
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| 25 February 2000 26 February 2000 |
Teatro Real Teatro Real The Teatro Real or simply El Real , is a major opera house located in Madrid, Spain.-History:... , Madrid Madrid Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan... |
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| 15 June 2000 | Dům Kultury, Teplice Teplice Teplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town .... |
Czech Republic Czech Republic The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest.... |
Ulrich Backofen | Radio Symphony Orchestra Warszawa | Verdi Requiem | Saxon Bohemian Music Festival |
| 16 June 2000 | Kreuzkirche Kreuzkirche The Church of the Cross in Dresden is the largest church in Saxony, and home to the Dresdner Kreuzchor boy choir. Known since the early 12th century, it was officially dedicated on 10 June 1388 to the Holy Cross. Since 1491, it has burned down five times... , Dresden Dresden Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area.... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
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| 28 December 2000 | St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków St. Mary's Basilica, Kraków St. Mary's Basilica , is a Brick Gothic church re-built in the 14th century , adjacent to the Main Market Square in Kraków, Poland... (Kosciól Mariacki) |
Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
Gilbert Levine Gilbert Levine Sir Gilbert Levine, KC*SG is an American conductor. He is considered an "outstanding personality in the world of international music television."-Education:... |
(A Capella) | Bogurodzica Bogurodzica Bogurodzica is the oldest Polish religious hymn. It was composed somewhere between the 10th and 13th centuries. The origin of the song is not clear.... (Mother of God) |
1000 Year Anniversary of the Diocese of Kraków |
| LPO | Beethoven Ninth | |||||
| 7 January 2003 | Teatro Guimerá Teatro Guimerá Teatro Guimerá is a theatre located in the capital city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands is the oldest theater in the Canary Islands.Founded in the 19th century... , Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capital , second-most populous city of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the 21st largest city in Spain, with a population of 222,417 in 2009... |
Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... |
Víctor Pablo Pérez | Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife The Orquesta Sinfónica de Tenerife is an orchestra in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra is considered one of the best symphony orchestras in Spain.The symphony orchestra was first opened in 1970. It is presently the... |
Verdi Requiem | XIX Festival de Música de Canarias |
| 9 January 2003 | Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island... |
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| 17 January 2004 | Paul VI Audience Hall Paul VI Audience Hall The Paul VI Audience Hall is a building in Rome, mostly in Italy but partially in Vatican City, but the Italian part of the building is an exterritorial area of the Holy See used by the Pope as an alternative to Saint Peter's Square for conducting his Wednesday morning General Audience... , Vatican City Vatican City Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Gilbert Levine Gilbert Levine Sir Gilbert Levine, KC*SG is an American conductor. He is considered an "outstanding personality in the world of international music television."-Education:... |
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:... |
Mahler Symphony No. 2 Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his... John Harbison John Harbison John Harris Harbison is an American composer, best known for his operas and large choral works.-Life:... 's Abraham |
Papal Concert of Reconciliation |
| 15 April 2004 16 April 2004 |
|Hong Kong Cultural Centre Hong Kong Cultural Centre The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is a multipurpose performance facility in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong. Located at Salisbury Road, it was founded by the former Urban Council and, after 2000, is administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong Government... Concert Hall, Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
|China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
|Samuel Wong Samuel Wong Samuel Wong is a Hong Kong-born Canadian conductor and ophthalmologist .Trained at Harvard and Columbia, Dr. Wong is an eye surgeon practicing in Manhattan, Brooklyn and upstate New York.... |
|Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra , is the largest symphony orchestra in Hong Kong. First established in 1895 as an amateur orchestra, under the name Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957, and became a professional orchestra in 1974 under the funding... |
Haydn, The Creation | |
| 26 April 2004 | Théâtre du Châtelet Théâtre du Châtelet The Théâtre du Châtelet is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.One of two theatres built on the site of a châtelet, a small castle or fortress, it was designed by Gabriel Davioud at the request of Baron Haussmann between 1860 and... , Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen Esa-Pekka Salonen is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.-Early career:... |
Philharmonia Orchestra Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke... |
Mahler Symphony No. 2 Symphony No. 2 (Mahler) The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, known as the Resurrection, was written between 1888 and 1894, and first performed in 1895. Apart from the Eighth Symphony, this symphony was Mahler's most popular and successful work during his lifetime. It is his first major work that would eventually mark his... |
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| 15 January 2005 | |Athens Concert Hall Athens Concert Hall The Athens Concert Hall is a concert hall located in Athens, on Vassilissis Sofias Avenue.... , Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... |
Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... |
Kurt Masur Kurt Masur Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times... |
|LPO | Beethoven Ninth | |
| 17 June 2005 18 June 2005 19 June 2005 |
Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Dewan Filharmonik Petronas is Malaysia's first purpose built concert hall for classical music by Malaysia's oil company, Petronas. It is the home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Since then, this hall has hosted many of the world's leading artists and orchestras... , Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
Malaysia | Jaap van Zweden Jaap van Zweden Jaap van Zweden is a Dutch conductor and violinist.-Biography:Van Zweden's father, a pianist, encouraged him to begin violin studies at age five, and he studied music in Amsterdam... |
Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra The Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra is a Malaysian orchestra, resident at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur. The orchestra gives concerts throughout Malaysia and also in Singapore.... |
Alto Rhapsody Alto Rhapsody The Alto Rhapsody, Op 53, is a work for contralto, male chorus, and orchestra by Johannes Brahms. It was written as a wedding gift for Robert and Clara Schumann's daughter, Julie. Brahms scholars have long speculated that the composer may have had romantic feelings for Julie, which he may have... Beethoven Ninth |
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| 21 June 2005 | Neville Creed | Iain Farrington Iain Farrington Iain Farrington is a British pianist, organist, composer and arranger. He works regularly with some of the country's leading singers, instrumentalists and choirs, both in concert and as a répétiteur, as well as giving solo recitals... (organ) |
various | |||
| 24 June 2005 25 June 2005 |
|Perth Concert Hall | Australia Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area... |
Matthias Bamert Matthias Bamert Matthias Bamert is a Swiss composer and conductor.Matthias Bamert studied music in his native Switzerland as well as in Paris and Darmstadt, falling in with the likes of Pierre Boulez and Karlheinz Stockhausen; these associations can be detected in his own compositions from the 1970's... |
|West Australian Symphony Orchestra West Australian Symphony Orchestra The West Australian Symphony Orchestra , often known as the "Orchestra of the West", is the premier professional orchestra of the state of Western Australia.-History:... |
Beethoven Missa Solemnis Missa Solemnis (Beethoven) The Missa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823. It was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg, under the auspices of Beethoven's patron Prince Nikolai Galitzin; an incomplete performance was given in Vienna on 7 May 1824, when the Kyrie,... |
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| 29 July 2005 | |Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Gilbert Levine Gilbert Levine Sir Gilbert Levine, KC*SG is an American conductor. He is considered an "outstanding personality in the world of international music television."-Education:... |
|Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"... |
Beethoven Missa Solemnis Missa Solemnis (Beethoven) The Missa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823. It was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg, under the auspices of Beethoven's patron Prince Nikolai Galitzin; an incomplete performance was given in Vienna on 7 May 1824, when the Kyrie,... |
World Youth Day 2005 World Youth Day 2005 The 20th World Youth Day 2005 was a Catholic youth festival that started on August 16 and continued until August 21, 2005 in Cologne, Germany. It was the first World Youth Day and foreign trip of Pope Benedict XVI, who joined the festival on August 18. This meeting was decided by the previous... |
| 6 September 2005 | |Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern, Lucerne Lucerne Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and... |
Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... |
Kurt Masur Kurt Masur Kurt Masur is a German conductor, particularly noted for his interpretation of German Romantic music.- Biography :Masur was born in Brieg, Lower Silesia, Germany and studied piano, composition and conducting in Leipzig, Saxony. Masur has been married three times... |
|LPO | Beethoven Ninth | |
| 24 November 2005 | |St John Lateran, Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... |
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Paolo Olmi | |LPO | Rossini Stabat Mater Stabat Mater (Rossini) Rossini composed his Stabat Mater late in his career after retiring from the composition of opera. He began the work in 1831 but did not complete it until 1841.-Composition:... |
Rome IV Festival Internazionale di Musica e Arte Sacra |
| 21 February 2008 | St. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong St. John's Cathedral, Hong Kong St. John's Cathedral , officially The Cathedral Church of St. John the Evangelist and located at 4 Garden Road, Central, is an Anglican cathedral in Hong Kong. It is the Diocesan cathedral of the... |
China | Neville Creed | Iain Farrington (organ) | various | |
| 23 February 2008 | |Hong Kong Cultural Centre Hong Kong Cultural Centre The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is a multipurpose performance facility in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong. Located at Salisbury Road, it was founded by the former Urban Council and, after 2000, is administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong Government... |
Edo de Waart Edo de Waart Edo de Waart is a Dutch conductor, and the Music Director of both the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.... |
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra The Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra , is the largest symphony orchestra in Hong Kong. First established in 1895 as an amateur orchestra, under the name Sino-British Orchestra, it was renamed the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in 1957, and became a professional orchestra in 1974 under the funding... |
Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms Symphony of Psalms The Symphony of Psalms by Igor Stravinsky was written in 1930 and was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece is a three-movement choral symphony and was composed during Stravinsky's neoclassical period. The symphony derives... , Rachmaninoff's The Bells The Bells (Rachmaninoff) The Bells , Op. 35, is a choral symphony by Sergei Rachmaninoff, written in 1913. The words are from the poem The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe, very freely translated into Russian by the symbolist poet Konstantin Balmont. The traditional Gregorian melody Dies Irae is used frequently throughout the work... |
Hong Kong Arts Festival Hong Kong Arts Festival Hong Kong Arts Festival , founded in 1973, is a focus programmes for the Culture of Hong Kong, in order to provides a wide range of art programmes from all over the world.... |
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| 1 January 2009 | |Bartók Béla Nemzeti Hangversenyterem, Palace of Arts Palace of Arts (Budapest) The Palace of Arts is a building in Ferencváros, Budapest, Hungary, officially opened in March 2005. It is located near Lágymányosi Bridge, accessible from the southern end of Grand Boulevard with a ten-minute walk or by HÉV, or by No.1, No.2, and No.24 streetcars... , Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... |
Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... |
Ádám Fischer Ádám Fischer Ádám Fischer is a Hungarian conductor of Jewish family origin. He is the general music director of the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra, with which he has recorded the complete Haydn symphonies for the Nimbus label, the first digital recording of the cycle... |
|LPO | Haydn Die Schöpfung | |