A Life in Theatre - An evening with Michael Attenborough CBE

A fundraising evening for the West London Chorus

Michael Attenborough CBE
Michael Attenborough CBE

June 16, 2024

Michael Attenborough CBE will be telling of his life in the theatre in a special event organised to raise funds for the West London Chorus.

The son of Richard Attenborough and Sheila Sim is a highly acclaimed theatre director and long-time Chiswick resident.

He was Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre between 2002 and 2013 and before that Principal Associate Director and Executive Producer of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) from 1990 to 2002. He continues to be an Honorary Associate Artist of the RSC.

Michael Attenborough has directed plays across the world and teaches at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and a number of universities on a regular basis.

He is the recipient of two honorary doctorates, one from the University of Leicester, where he is now a Distinguished Honorary Fellow and one from the University of Sussex, where he is Honorary Professor of English and Drama.

A Life in Theatre - An evening with Michael Attenborough CBE takes place on Saturday 22 June at St Michael's Church, Elmwood Road, starting at 6:30pm. He will be in conversation with Bridget Osborne, editor of the Chiswick Calendar.

The original Chiswick Choir was founded in 1976 in W4 by John Thackray, a passionate musician who served as conductor for many London choirs. Between 1984 and 2015 the choir was conducted by Alistair Jones and since January 2016 the choir has been under the direction of award-winning composer and conductor Hilary Campbell. In 2021 the choir changed its name to the West London Chorus to reflect its wider reach and appeal.

Over the course of its career the Choir has built a repertoire principally based on the European tradition from the 16th to 20th centuries. The choir has also performed more contemporary pieces, including the world premiere of Alistair Jones’s Stabat Mater in 2006, Will Todd’s Mass In Blue and works by Bob Chilcott and others.

The choir’s repertoire includes most of the major works suited to a group of its size – the Bach Passions, Mass in B minor, oratorios by Handel, works by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, Verdi’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and so on. Excursions into the 20th century have included performances of Britten’s Saint Nicolas, Tippet’s A Child of Our Time and Stravinsky’s A Symphony of Psalms.

It always welcomes new members, and more information is available on its web site.

The choir also offers a limited number of vocal scholarships each year to nurture the skills and experience of talented singers between the ages of 18 and 30.

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