East London Chorus
East London Chorus has been making music for 40 years, performing regularly in central 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. Recent seasons included works by contemporary composers Paul Patterson, Brian Chapple and John Rutter, as well as Bach, Vivaldi, Haydn, Handel, Brahms, Schubert, Mozart, Vaughan Williams and Fauré. The Chorus performed Brahms Ein Deutches Requiem with the LongfordBrown piano duo twice in May 07 and twice on tour in Denmark. In July 08 we performed Ariel Ramirez’s Misa Criolla , with works by Bernstein, John Rutter and George Shearing. For this season’s programme, visit the Concerts page.Regular foreign tours are undertaken; we have performed in Prague and France. In May 2006 the Chorus went on tour to Italy with performances in and around Padua and toured in Denmark in August 2007.
In September 08, the Chorus participated in London Open Rehearsal, with part of the rehearsal broadcast on Radio London. In October, the Chorus sang at one of the Sunday events in the Molten Festival in Barking, and in December that year, performed Bach and Handel at St John’s Waterloo. Murray Stewart conducted his final concert with ELC in March 09, a performance of music by Duruflé, Dyson and Holst.
A new era began in April 09 with the appointment of Alexander Chaplin as Music Director. Under his guidance we have performed works by Deitrich Buxtehude, Howard Goodall, and Britten as well as more contemporary show tunes. In July 2010, we toured in Devon and Cornwall, performing in Truro and Exeter Cathedrals, Buckfast Abbey and Lanlivery church.
The forthcoming 2011-2012 season sees the 40th anniversary of the formation of the North East London Polytechnic Choir (NELP) which became East London Chorus. 2012 also sees a rather important national anniversary and we cannot let such an auspicious year pass without marking it in some fashion. To this end, we have planned a celebratory programme which will include Handel’s “Coronation Anthems” and Vivaldi’s “Gloria”, along with a selection of pieces from the first concerts ever produced by NELP. We start our celebrations in St Paul’s Covent Garden in Oct 2011 and the 40th Anniversary concert will be the “Coronation Mass” by Mozart to be performed in St James’ Piccadilly in July 2012.
