East London
Chorus
East London Chorus has been
making music for over 30 years, performing regularly in Central
London and East London venues. Based at the University of East London
Docklands campus, the Chorus draws members from the University and the
wider community in Docklands, East London and beyond.
In 1997 the choir celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a specially commissioned work by Robert Walker.
The Chorus has a varied classical repertoire. The 06-07 season included works by contemporary composers: Paul Patterson and Brian Chapple, as well as Haydn, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart and Vaughan Williams. The Chorus performed Brahms Ein Deutches Requiem with the LongfordBrown piano duo twice in May and will do so twice on tour in Denmark. For this season's programme, visit the Concerts page.
Regular foreign tours are undertaken, the choir having performed in Prague, France and Italy in recent years. The Chorus went on tour to Italy in May 2006, with performances in and around Padua, and toured in Denmark in August 2007.
As well as
music-making, the Chorus has a busy
social and fundraising calendar.
We are delighted to have formed an alliance with Cancer Research UK in aid of breast cancer research. In this way our fund-raising efforts can be dedicated to supporting and promoting Cancer Research UK at our concerts. This provides an opportunity for our members to use their talents to raise funds and awareness for the charity, and to enable audiences to enjoy our concerts whilst supporting an exceptionally worthwhile cause. In the season 2006-7 the Chorus raised £1000 for Cancer Research UK. CRUK page
We are proud of our association with James Longford and the LongfordBrown Piano Duo. James was our accompanist for many years until 2007.
New members in all voices are welcome - visit the 'Join' page. Rehearsal dates
Accompanist
For the new season, our accompanist is Edward Batting. He
studied with Richard Popplewell at the Royal College of Music. During his
time at the RCM he was awarded an Exhibition Scholarship, the Haigh,
Kistner, Canon Bark and Walford Davies organ prizes, the Lofthouse prize
for Continuo, and gained his FRCO. He is currently Organist and Director
of Music at S.Alban's Holborn, where he conducts and accompanies the
professional choir in a wide and varied repertoire (c.150 mass settings
and c.400 motets) He is much in demand as both recitalist and accompanist
having appeared in major venues including Westminster Abbey and St.Paul's
Cathedral, and performed and recorded with leading choirs including The
Exmoor Singers, Chantage, and the National Youth Choir of Great Britain.
He has worked on several critically acclaimed opera
productions. He is also in demand as a vocal coach having worked in this
capacity for the International Cantiere d'Arte, Montepulciano, the Al
Bustan Festival in Beirut, the Teatro Massimo Palermo, and for the Young
Artists' Programme at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Contact
Edward Batting
Several commercial recordings have been made, the latest being a disc of choral music by the distinguished French composer Jean Langlais, recorded for Koch International.
East London Chorus, with Hertfordshire and Harlow Choruses, recorded Bliss's Morning Heroes under Michael Kibblewhite.
With Murray Stewart, East London Chorus has recorded Jean Langlais Psaumes Solonnels
Clarence
Davies (Bass) was awarded UEL World Music Society's
Cultural Awareness Award in 2006.
Carol Singing for Cancer Research UK in Canary Wharf Shopping Mall December 2006
Outside our rehearsal venue at
UEL Docklands
Members of the Chorus at St Martin-in-the-Fields
Rehearsing at St Martin-in-the-Fields
Rehearsing at UEL, Docklands, Nov 04
Our banner
outside St Alfege, Greenwich
Sopranos in rehearsal
Lecture Theatre rehearsal venue, UEL Docklands
James Longford, our accompanist
until August 2007
James trained at the Royal College of Music and was one of the youngest people to be awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Organists. He is much in demand as a chamber musician, vocal accompanist and continuo player, performing all over the UK and recently in the US and Italy. He and Lindy Tennent-Brown are the Longford Brown Piano Duo www.jameslongford.com
Sponsored Greyhound walk pictures
Come and Sing Day December 2003
Come and Sing Day January 2003