The London Chorus is London's most versatile choir, practising and performing a challenging and varied repertoire and continually developing its tradition of excellence.

Founded as the London Choral Society in 1903 in order to bring Elgar's Dream of Gerontius to London, the choir established its tradition of innovation right from the start, giving a number of first performances in its early years.

This has continued up to the present day. In recent years the choir has promoted the first London performances of works by Samuel Barber, Frank Martin, Richard Blackford, Ronald Corp and others, as well as performing an extremely wide repertoire ranging from plainsong, through the mainstream choral repertoire, to music of the present day, both classical and on the lighter side.

The 100 or so members of the choir are amateur singers from all walks of life, but performances are at the highest professional level and take place in all the major London venues, as well as elsewhere in England and abroad.

Ronald Corp joined the choir as Chorus Master in 1985 and was appointed Musical Director in 1994. Under his direction the choir has developed to give performances at a standard which is second-to-none.

Their commission from him of Laudamus (1994) led to a première of great critical acclaim at St. John's, Smith Square and to two further performances, the third being at a Royal Festival Hall Gala Concert.

They perform on all three Sullivan discs recorded by Ronald Corp and the New London Orchestra. The latest recording by these combined forces is of Rutland Boughton's opera, The Queen of Cornwall, which won accolades as 'Disc of the Month' in Opera magazine, March, 2011 and 'Editor's Choice' in Gramophone magazine, September, 2011.

More recently they have recorded And All the Trumpets Sounded which is the earliest extant major choral work by Ronald Corp (1988), along with members of Highgate Choral Society, baritone soloist Mark Stone, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Coupled with music by Michael Hurd, the disc is available on the Dutton Epoch label.

In March, 2011 Ronald Corp also took them on tour to South Africa, giving a concert to include Vaughan Williams' Symphony No. 1 ('A Sea Symphony') in Cape Town.

www.londonchorus.org.uk

Ronald Corp - Composer and Conductor - Official Website / All contents © 2008 - 2012

Ronald Corp with the NLO and New London Chorus in Cadogan Hall, Chelsea, London, in November 2006