Petros Singers to Celebrate the USA in Bernstein, Broadway and Beyond

---

Choir’s summer concert being held on the fourth of July

Petros Singers' Christmas 2025 performance

June 23, 2026

Hammersmith’s acclaimed chamber choir, the Petros Singers, are marking the 250th anniversary of American independence with a vibrant summer concert on Saturday 4 July, bringing a rich sweep of American choral and popular music to St Peter’s Church, Black Lion Lane.

Titled Bernstein, Broadway and Beyond, the two-hour programme runs from 7pm to 9pm and showcases the extraordinary breadth of American musical culture — from contemporary choral masterpieces to jazz standards and Hollywood classics. Around 40 singers will be joined by celebrated jazz pianist Oliver Lallemant, whose solo improvisations will thread through the evening.

The concert opens with a set of works by some of the most influential names in modern American choral writing. Audiences can expect the shimmering harmonies of Eric Whitacre, the pioneering voice of Amy Beach, the luminous textures of Morten Lauridsen, and the enduring beauty of Randall Thompson’s much-loved Alleluia.

The first half closes with a flourish: Leonard Bernstein’s radiant finale Make Our Garden Grow from Candide — a piece that has become a modern anthem of hope and renewal.

Musical director Richard Bannan says the programme reflects the astonishing variety of American musical achievement.

“American culture has been extraordinarily influential for such a young country,” he explains. “From Amy Beach’s groundbreaking success to the dominance of Whitacre and Lauridsen over the last twenty-five years, the variety is remarkable.”

After the interval, the choir shifts gear into the world of jazz, musical theatre and golden-age songwriting. The second half features classics from George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Harold Arlen, and Richard Rodgers — including favourites such as Blue Moon, Over the Rainbow, Let’s Do It, and I Got Rhythm.

“It is impossible to imagine popular music without America’s influence in jazz, musical theatre and cinema,” says Bannan. “I wanted the programme to reflect that breadth. The second half is so full of familiarity that, if the audience doesn’t leave with at least one earworm, we haven’t done our job.”

Between choral sets, Oliver Lallemant — former resident pianist at The Ritz — will perform solo jazz improvisations, including a piece created live from audience suggestions.

Programme highlights include:

• Eric Whitacre – Animal Crackers
• Amy Beach – Three Choral Responses
• Morten Lauridsen – Nocturnes
• Randall Thompson – Alleluia
• Leonard Bernstein – Make Our Garden Grow
• George Gershwin – I Got Rhythm
• Cole Porter – Let’s Do It
• Harold Arlen – Over the Rainbow
• Fats Waller & Harry Brooks – Ain’t Misbehavin’
• Richard Rodgers – Blue Moon
• Duke Ellington – I’m Beginning to See the Light
• Piano solos and improvisations by Oliver Lallemant

Tickets are £20 (concessions £17, under-30s £7) and available via the Petros Singers website.

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.