Profiles
The City Chorus began life in 1920 as a choir set up by staff of the National Provincial Bank, as it was then known. It was from the first a significant London musical group, attracting distinguished soloists and performing the core classical repertoire. After an inaugural performance in Westminster Central Hall of Coleridge Taylor's Hiawatha, the National Provincial Bank Musical Society went from strength to strength, and in 1922 was honoured to have the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams conducting his own Fantasia on Christmas Carols. The repertoire expanded to include works by Elgar, Brahms and Holst, and one of the choir's concerts was shown on television, a novelty at the time.In 1965, the choir underwent a fundamental change when it appointed its first ever professional conductor, Ian Humphris. Another change occurred in 1969 when the Provincial's merger with Westminster Bank led to the change of the choir’s name to the National Westminster Bank Choir. The Nat West Bank, now part of the Royal Bank of Scotland, has subsequently provided much appreciated support throughout the years.Since then, the choir has changed its name to City Chorus and performed a wide range of music from the sixteenth century to modern choral compositions and arrangements, including works by Clucas, Grabu, Fauré, Lotti, Schubert,Mozart, Rossini, Orff and Elgar.
The musical director of the choir is Paul Ayres who has studied music at Oxford University, and now works freelance as a composer & arranger, choral conductor & musical director, and organist & accompanist. His compositions usually involve words – solo songs, choral pieces, incidental music – and he works with many choirs and theatre groups. Paul is conductor of the London College of Music Chamber Choir and the Walbrook Singers, and he has given many solo organ recitals throughout the world.
To join the choir
Our next Opening Evening for new members is on Tuesday, 13th September 2011. Please ring our Membership Secretary Rosie on 01923 283 179 or email membership@londoncitychorus.com for more information, or visit the website www.londoncitychorus.com .