TPC's 60-year legacy of ambitious music-making
When Thames Philharmonic Choir performs Britten's Ceremony of Carols on 21 December, it will mark 60 years since an earlier performance by Putney Choral Union – one of TPC's predecessor choirs – at St Mary’s Church, Putney on 12 December 1964. The work was paired with Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols performed by Putney Choral Society. The two choirs subsequently merged under the direction of John Bate, Thames Philharmonic's Artistic Director until 2019.
During this intervening period, the choir has achieved many milestones, giving well over 200 performances locally and at central London venues such as the Royal Albert Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Cadogan Hall. The choir’s repertoire has been wide-ranging, encompassing works by composers such as Bach, Brahms, Byrd, Palestrina and Verdi as well as modern composers such as Sir James MacMillan, Cecilia McDowall, Jonathan Dove, John Rutter and David Willcox. In 2023, the choir commissioned a new composition from talented local composer, Emily Hazrati, giving the world premiere performance of Ave Maris Stella at the June concert that year.
But it's the big works that often create the most significant memories. Tenor Rupert Truman joined TPC in 2022 after a 50-year break from singing. "I was a chorister at Saint Margaret’s where TPC now practises. I have powerful memories of singing pieces such as the Messiah as a treble. It’s taken me an awfully long time to find out whether I had a singing voice after my voice broke. After 50 years it’s a bit like starting again. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my two years with the choir, the highlights being singing the big pieces at the Cadogan Hall every year – a real joy."
For soprano Kim Tremearne – a member since 1980 – highlights include singing "the wonderful Dream of Gerontius in Southwark Cathedral, the moving performance of The Armed Man in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the magnificent Bach B Minor Mass in Cadogan Hall. My first concert with the choir threw me straight in the deep end with a performance of Bartok’s Cantata Profana – it was challenging!"
As a leading UK choir, TPC has also been invited to take part in significant national occasions, such as what Kim describes as "the unforgettable VE day 50th anniversary celebrations in front of the Queen and heads of state". She also remembers "a novel performance of a musical version of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits’ in the Queen Elizabeth Hall and singing opera choruses in a series of ‘opera pops’ concerts in the Festival Hall, for which we were engaged by Victor Hochhauser".
In 2011 and 2014, the Choir was invited to lead the Sunday services at St George’s Chapel, Windsor and the choir has become a regular contributor to Sunday services at Southwark Cathedral. This builds on its long-standing tradition of annual summer residencies at English cathedrals, replacing the cathedral choir over an extended weekend during the holiday period. Says alto Annie Dobell, "I love the intensity of our Sundays singing services at Southwark Cathedral: we face the challenge of singing in a smaller group, feeling more exposed. Even for those with no religious affiliation, these days have a real spiritual quality about them. Singing psalms, for example, is a wonderfully 'mindful' experience. Even better are the summer residencies in cathedrals around the country. Four days of thinking about nothing but making music with people you like, in beautiful places. The music fills your head and stays with you long after you return home."
Bass Hamish Norbrook enjoys the choir's link with a choir in Konstanz, Germany – twinned with Richmond upon Thames. The Konstanzer Oratrienchor visited Richmond in 1982 as part of the twinning ceremony and TPC has joined the German choir, since renamed the Sinfonischer Chor Konstanz, on a dozen subsequent occasions, most recently in Konstanz in May 2023. "During my studies and for work I spent quite a bit of time dotting around Germany ('Germanies' in those days). Singing the Brahms Requiem in German brought back many happy memories. Dominique (Hamish’s wife, a soprano with the choir) and I made good friends in Konstanz."
The 60th anniversary performance of Ceremony of Carols will take place at All Saints Church, Kingston. The programme will include Chilcott’s charming Christmas fantasy On Winter’s Night and Janacek’s stunning setting of the Lord’s Prayer as well as rousing carols for choir and audience. Solo parts will be sung by TPC's latest cohort of choral scholars; the harpist will be Olivia Jageurs, and the organist James Orford. The concert will be conducted by Music Director, Harry Bradford. We hope it will set everyone up perfectly for the festive season.
For full information and to book, visit www.thamesphilharmonicchoir.co.uk/event-details/a-ceremony-of-carols
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