About us
The London Chorus was founded as the London Choral Society in 1903 and in 1904 presented the first London performance of Edward Elgar‘s The Dream of Gerontius.
Our goal is to perform exceptional choral music with precision, passion, and integrity; to challenge and inspire audiences through imaginative programming; and to nurture outstanding musicianship within the choir, fostering artistic growth and memorable concert experiences.
Established in 1903 the choir’s first performances included Sullivan’s The Golden Legend and Mendelssohn’s Elijah. Then in 1904 its tradition of innovative performances began with Edward Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. Innovation and ambition have shaped its history from the outset, and the choir continues that tradition today through inspiring programming and high musical standards. Over the years, it has performed London premieres of works by Samuel Barber, Frank Martin, Richard Blackford, Paul Patterson, Ronald Corp, and others as well as works ranging from plainsong, through the mainstream choral repertoire, to that of the present day.
The London Chorus has benefited from the leadership of distinguished musical directors, including Sir Simon Rattle, Dame Jane Glover, and Ronald Corp OBE, and is now led by William Vann.
The choir has performed at all London’s top venues including the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican.
Highlights include performances at the BBC Proms, the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Paralympics and the Centenary Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance in 2018 in the Royal Albert Hall.
The choir has also toured internationally including to Poland, South Africa, Italy and Germany and has justly been referred to as “London’s most versatile choir”.
Musical Director – William Vann
A multiple-prize winning and critically acclaimed choral, orchestral and opera conductor and song accompanist, William Vann is equally at home on the podium or at the piano and is particularly renowned for his revival performances and recordings of lost and lesser-known works of vocal and choral music by British composers.
Born in Bedford, he was a Chorister at King’s College, Cambridge and a Music Scholar at Bedford School. He subsequently read law and took up a choral scholarship at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he was taught the piano by Peter Uppard, and studied piano accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music with Malcolm Martineau and Colin Stone.
William is also the founder and Artistic Director of the London English Song Festival, the Director of Music at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and the Music Director of Dulwich Choral Society. He is an Associate of the RAM, a Fellow of the Royal College of Organists, a Trustee of the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society, a Samling Artist, a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians, the Chairman of Kensington and Chelsea Music Society and a regular conductor and vocal coach at the Dartington and Oxenfoord International Summer Schools.
Conductor Laureate – Adrian Brown
Adrian Brown is a distinguished conductor, descending from the teaching tradition of Sir Adrian Boult. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in London, he studied with Boult, who described him as “a musician of exceptional attainments.” In 1975, Brown became the only British conductor to reach the finals of the Karajan Conductors’ Competition, leading the Berlin Philharmonic in his first engagement.
He has since conducted leading UK orchestras, including the BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony, London Sinfonietta, and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestras. Internationally, he has appeared with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic and the Camerata Salzburg. A champion of contemporary music, Brown has given premieres and inspired generations through his tenure with the Stoneleigh Youth Orchestra and work with national youth ensembles.
Honoured with the Classic FM Award, the Lady Hilary Groves Prize, the Berlioz Medal, and the Elgar Medal, Brown continues to contribute to British musical life. His Elgar Sinfonia, founded in 2018, has gained acclaim for performances of rare British repertoire and choral works. With enduring associations across Britain, he remains a tireless advocate for musical excellence and education.
Artistic Associate – Edward Batting
Edward has a long-standing association with The London Chorus, where he has frequently appeared in concerts as organ accompanist and more recently as an ad hoc rehearsal conductor. He brings a wealth of choral and operatic experience to his work.
Edward is the Musical Director of St Alban’s the Martyr, Holborn and directs the professional choir there in works spanning from the Renaissance to the present day. Alongside his choral work, he has extensive experience as a repetiteur and vocal coach, including as a senior coach with the Jette Parker Programme at the Royal Opera House and in preparing singers for major international stages.
As a freelance organist, he has given recitals at Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral, and St Paul’s Cathedral, and performed concertos at St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Mayfield Festival, and the Teatro Regio in Turin.
Patron – HRH The Duke of Gloucester
HRH The Duke of Gloucester carries out a significant number of public duties and undertakes hundreds of official engagements in the UK and overseas each year. The Duke is associated with over 150 charities and organisations. His patronages reflect his professional and personal interests, which include international humanitarian issues, heritage and the built environment and military veterans.
The London Chorus is deeply grateful to the Duke of Gloucester for his support of the choir.
Vice Patrons
The London Chorus is exceptionally fortunate to have three British classical heavyweights as our vice-patrons.
Roderick Williams is one of this country’s most sought after baritones on the concert platform and in recital, encompassing a repertoire from the baroque to world premieres. In 2016 he won the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Singer of the year award.
Praised by Opera for her “dramatic wit and vocal control”, British soprano Mary Bevan is internationally renowned in baroque, classical and contemporary repertoire, and appears regularly with leading conductors, orchestras and ensembles around the world.
Petroc Trelawny is a British classical music radio and television broadcaster. He is one of the best-known voices across the BBC’s classical music programming. He currently presents the weekday In Tune programme on BBC Radio Three and has presented the BBC Proms on radio and television for twenty five years.
Chairman – Lord Blackwater
Lord Blackwater has been chairman of The London Chorus since 2022. He is Professor of Modern British history at the University of Buckingham, and the author of a number of histories and biographies. Among the latter is a short life of Ralph Vaughan Williams, who remains one of his favourite composers, along with others in the English choral tradition. He is also, as Simon Heffer, a columnist for The Daily and Sunday Telegraph, for which he has written on and off since 1985, and has been deputy editor of both The Daily Telegraph and of The Spectator. He has made a number of music documentaries for BBC Radio 3. He was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from which he holds BA and MA degrees in English and a PhD in History. He is married with two adult sons and lives in north Essex.
Support the London chorus
Become part of a 120-year tradition of choral singing. Friends of The London Chorus enjoy benefits including discounted tickets, opportunities to meet soloists and the conductor, social events, and much more
“The London Chorus offers unrivalled musical opportunities, in a wonderfully friendly environment!”
Matt (tenor), member since 2013