London Symphony Chorus
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London Symphony Chorus | |
|---|---|
 The LSC and the LSO in the Barbican Concert Hall, 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | LSC |
| Origin | London, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Classical |
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | CBS, Chandos, Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, EMI, Erato, Hallé, Hyperion, LSO Live, Philips, RCA, Virgin |
| Website | www.lsc.org.uk |
The London Symphony Chorus (abbreviated to LSC) is a large symphonic concert choir based in London, England, consisting of over 150 amateur singers, and is one of the major symphony choruses of the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1966 as the LSO Chorus to complement the work of the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). The LSC is today an independent self-run organisation governed by a council of nine elected representatives. It continues to maintain a close association with the LSO but also takes part in projects with other orchestras and organisations both in the UK and abroad.[1] The LSC performs mainly at the Barbican Centre in London as well as appearing at other concert venues around the UK and Europe and regularly at the Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
Repertoire
The Chorus's core repertoire consists of the major nineteenth and twentieth century orchestral choral works.[2] The Chorus has performed and recorded works such as Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius, Mahler's Second, Third and Eighth Symphonies, Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Dvořák's Stabat Mater, Janáček's Glagolitic Mass, Britten's War Requiem, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Missa Solemnis, Berlioz's La damnation de Faust and Roméo et Juliette, Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder, Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem, Rossini's Stabat Mater, Stravinsky's Oedipus Rex & Symphony of Psalms, Tippett's A Child of Our Time and Verdi's Requiem.
The Chorus has also taken part in concert performances and commercial recordings of operas including Beethoven's Fidelio, Berlioz's Les Troyens and Benvenuto Cellini, Bernstein's Candide, Britten's Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, Verdi's Falstaff and Otello, Wagner's Götterdämmerung and Strauss's Elektra.
Discography awards
The London Symphony Chorus's discography consists of over 90 recordings.[3] Award winning recordings include:
| Year of recording | Work | Orchestra/Conductor | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Bernstein: Candide | LSO, Leonard Bernstein (conductor) | Grammy Award Best Classical Album |
| 1991 | Britten: War Requiem | LSO, Richard Hickox (conductor) | Grand Prix du Disque Gramophone Award Best Choral Recording |
| 1995 | Britten: Peter Grimes | LSO, Richard Hickox (conductor) | Grammy Award Best Opera Recording |
| 2000 | Berlioz: Les Troyens | LSO, Colin Davis (conductor) | Grammy Award Best Opera Recording, Best Classical Album |
| 2004 | Verdi: Falstaff | LSO, Colin Davis (conductor) | Grammy Award Best Opera Recording |
| 2007 | Britten: Billy Budd | LSO, Daniel Harding (conductor) | Grammy Award Best Opera Recording |
| 2009 | Wagner: Götterdämmerung | Hallé Orchestra, Mark Elder (conductor) | Gramophone Award Best Opera Recording |
Conductors
Since its creation the Chorus has had a number of celebrated choir trainers including John Alldis, Arthur Oldham, Richard Hickox and Stephen Westrop. The position is currently vacant.[4]
The London Symphony Chorus has performed with the leading conductors of the day including Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Colin Davis, Mark Elder, John Eliot Gardiner, Valery Gergiev, Bernard Haitink, Mariss Jansons, Charles Mackerras, Antonio Pappano, André Previn, Simon Rattle, Mstislav Rostropovich, Georg Solti and Michael Tilson Thomas.
Patrons
Past
Present
External links
References
- ^ "About us". official website. London Symphony Chorus. 2009. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ "Repertoire". official website. London Symphony Chorus. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ "Discography". official website. London Symphony Chorus. Retrieved 11 April 2010.
- ^ "Chorus Director". official website. London Symphony Chorus. Retrieved 20 May 2011.
- ^ "Charities of Princess Diana". Love to Know. Retrieved 2010-12-20.
- ^ "New Patron for LSC" (Press release). London Symphony Chorus. 2010-12-14. Retrieved 2010-12-20.