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| London Handel Festival Choir | |
|---|---|
| Name | London Handel Festival Choir |
| Origin | London |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Genre | Classical music, Baroque music, Choral music |
| Chief conductor | Graham Eccles |
London Handel Festival Choir is a choral ensemble based in London specializing in the music of George Frideric Handel and related Baroque music repertoire. Founded in 1978, the choir has appeared in major London venues and at festivals, collaborating with orchestras, soloists, and conductors associated with historically informed performance. The ensemble's work intersects with institutions such as the Royal Albert Hall, Barbican Centre, and the Southbank Centre.
The choir was established during a period of revived interest in George Frideric Handel sparked by performances at the Handel Festival, Halle and initiatives surrounding the Handel Tercentenary events of the 20th century. Early seasons featured music from the Baroque to the Classical period, often linked to projects at the Handel House Museum and performances alongside ensembles from the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music. The group grew through collaborations with the English National Opera, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and visits to venues such as St Martin-in-the-Fields and Southwark Cathedral. Touring included appearances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, exchanges with choirs from Berlin, Paris, and Rome, and festival dates tied to the Glyndebourne Festival circuit.
Artistic leadership has combined choral directors, guest conductors, and period specialists. Conductors who have led the choir include figures from the historically informed performance movement and mainstream classical music scene, such as directors with links to the Academy of Ancient Music, the English Concert, and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. The ensemble has worked with conductors associated with the BBC Proms, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and international maestros from Vienna and Amsterdam. Leadership also fostered relationships with soloists and pedagogue-conductors from the Royal Academy of Music, Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, and conservatoires across Europe.
The choir's core repertoire centers on oratorios, cantatas, and choral works by George Frideric Handel such as Messiah (Handel), Israel in Egypt, and Samson (Handel), while also performing works by contemporaries and successors including Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Philipp Telemann, Arcangelo Corelli, Domenico Scarlatti, and Henry Purcell. Programmes have juxtaposed Handel with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Joseph Haydn, and Ludwig van Beethoven in thematic concerts, and have included modern commissions from composers connected to the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Regular performance sites have included St John's Smith Square, Westminster Abbey, Cadogan Hall, and partnership concerts at the Royal Festival Hall. The choir has participated in staged oratorio productions influenced by directors from English National Opera and collaborated with ensembles like the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and the English Chamber Orchestra.
Recordings feature live and studio versions of major Handel works and selections from the Baroque repertoire, often released on independent classical labels and appearing on playlists curated by broadcasters such as the BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM. Broadcast collaborations have included live transmissions from St Martin-in-the-Fields and festival recordings for BBC Television and international stations. The choir's discography includes oratorio extracts, choral anthology albums, and collaborative albums with period instrument ensembles, drawing attention from reviewers in publications aligned with the Gramophone (magazine) and critics connected to the Royal Philharmonic Society.
Education and outreach form a central strand of the choir's mission, partnering with schools across Greater London, music hubs associated with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and youth choirs from institutions like The Purcell School and Chetham's School of Music. Workshops and masterclasses have been led by singers and conductors linked to the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, and international conservatoires such as the Conservatoire de Paris. Community projects have included participatory performances at St Luke's and collaborative initiatives with charities active in arts access across London Borough of Camden and Southwark. The choir has also supported scholarship programmes with the Royal Academy of Music and provided apprenticeship pathways for choral scholars from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.
The choir's performances have been recognized in festival programming and by nominations from bodies such as the Royal Philharmonic Society and critics in publications like The Times (London) and The Guardian (London). It has received commendations in national arts listings and been featured in curated seasons at the Southbank Centre and the Barbican Centre, as well as invitations to international festivals including events in Halle (Saale) and Salzburg Festival programs. The ensemble's recordings have been shortlisted in specialist awards issued by interest groups connected to the Early Music Network and reviewers from Gramophone (magazine).
Category:Choirs based in London Category:Early music choirs