West London Chorus to Perform Handel's Messiah

100-strong choir's concert will focus on the Christmas elements


Hilary Campell conducting West London Chorus. Picture: West London Chorus

November 30, 2024

The West Lond Chorus is planning to perform the first part of Handel’s Messiah which includes the Christmas elements in its seasonal concert.

With over 100 members singing with an orchestra a highly impactful evening is promised starting at 7.30pm on Saturday 7 December at St Michael and All Angels Church in Chiswick.

Conducted by Musical Director Hilary Campbell with Katie Holmes leading the orchestra, Katie Trethewey will be the soprano soloist with Eleanor Minney as alto, James Robinson tenor and Lawrence White bass. Liam Dunachie will be the organist.

Tickets cost £20 or £5 for under 18s.

There will also be a ‘Mini messiah’ taking place earlier in the day - for children 4 to 12 years of age.

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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