Gabriel Fauré Choir

Gabriel Fauré Choir is a London-based choral ensemble founded in 1983, known for performances of choral repertoire spanning Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century works, with a particular emphasis on music by Gabriel Fauré, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, and contemporaries. The choir has collaborated with leading British and international institutions including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Albert Hall, Southbank Centre, and Royal Academy of Music. Its concert activity encompasses liturgical settings, concert performances, and recordings, engaging repertoire by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonín Dvořák, and Olivier Messiaen.

History

The ensemble was founded in 1983 during a period of renewed interest in choral societies alongside organizations like the London Symphony Orchestra, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Royal College of Music. Early performances took place in venues such as St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral, and the Temple Church, often featuring programmes that placed works by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina beside pieces by Francis Poulenc and Herbert Howells. The choir’s development paralleled trends in British choral practice influenced by figures like Herbert Sumsion, John Rutter, and Sir David Willcocks, leading to collaborations with conductors and soloists from institutions such as the English National Opera and the Royal Opera House. Tours and guest appearances have included performances at festivals such as the Edinburgh International Festival, the Three Choirs Festival, and international events in cities like Paris, Vienna, and Florence, reflecting connections to ensembles including the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

Name and Repertoire

Named in honor of Gabriel Fauré—whose works include the Requiem, the Cantique de Jean Racine, and numerous chamber works—the choir emphasizes mélodie, liturgical music, and large-scale choral-orchestral repertoire. Programmes regularly juxtapose Fauréan works with music by Camille Saint-Saëns, Hector Berlioz, Charles-Marie Widor, and Jules Massenet, while also presenting Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst, and William Walton. The ensemble’s repertoire spans a cappella motets by Josquin des Prez and Orlando di Lasso to contemporary commissions by living composers associated with entities like the Cheltenham Music Festival, BBC Proms, and the Royal Philharmonic Society. Seasons often include oratorio performances—Handel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem, and Bach’s Mass in B minor—alongside lesser-known choral cycles by Fauré and Gabriel Pierné.

Organization and Leadership

The choir operates as a non-profit ensemble in the model of British choral societies and collaborates with music institutions such as the Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund for project funding. Artistic leadership has included conductors trained at conservatoires such as the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and guest directors drawn from ensembles like the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, the Monteverdi Choir, and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. Administrative governance follows structures similar to the Association of British Choral Directors and the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council’s best practices, with boards and committees liaising with orchestras including the City of London Sinfonia and promoters such as HarrisonParrott. The choir’s auditioned membership blends amateur enthusiasts and professional singers who also perform with groups like The Sixteen, London Philharmonic Choir, and the European Union Youth Orchestra.

Performances and Recordings

Notable performances have taken place at venues including the Royal Festival Hall, Cadogan Hall, Southwark Cathedral, and during seasons at the BBC Proms and the Wigmore Hall. Collaborations with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra, and the English Concert have supported performances of works by Mahler, Brahms, Stravinsky, and Debussy. The choir’s recordings encompass live concert releases, studio projects, and broadcast sessions for the BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM, featuring repertoire from Fauré’s Requiem to modern commissions premiered with ensembles like the London Chamber Orchestra and labels associated with Hyperion Records and Signum Records. The discography includes choral anthologies that sit alongside recordings by peers such as Choir of Westminster Abbey and St Martin-in-the-Fields Choir.

Community Outreach and Education

Education initiatives mirror partnerships with conservatoires and schools, including outreach in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and local state schools across Greater London. The choir runs workshops, community singing projects, and youth schemes modeled after projects by the El Sistema movement and the Singing Schools Programme, engaging amateur choirs, church congregations, and community centres tied to institutions like Age UK and local borough arts offices. Masterclasses, joint projects, and mentorship programmes have involved soloists and conductors associated with Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Mark Elder, and André Previn, and have led to premieres of commissioned works supported by bodies such as the PRS for Music Foundation and the Arts Council England. Through these activities, the ensemble contributes to London’s choral ecosystem alongside organizations like the London Community Choirs and regional choral festivals.

Category:British choirs Category:Classical music in London