Choir Archive

Timeline

1941 A group of enthusiasts at the Board of Trade gets together to sing lunchtime madrigals under the leadership of Vivienne Constantanides.

1944 Board of Trade Choir formed and registered as a charity.

1945 First performance of Messiah at St Margaret’s, Westminster.

1945 The Choir sings Christmas carols in Trafalgar Square.

1946 Choir receives its first newspaper review (thought to be the Daily Telegraph) for its premiere of Sanctuary by Albert Whitnall.

1952 First public performance with orchestra at Caxton Hall (Handel’s Acis and Galatea).

1953 First choir to give a concert in Westminster Hall since 1394.

1975 The Choir performs with the Rosebery Orchestra for its inaugural performance.

1978 Christopher Herrick takes over as conductor.

1980 Name changed to The Whitehall Choir.

1983 First concert on the South Bank (Handel’s Israel in Egypt) as part of the Choir’s 40th anniversary season.

1990 First concert (Monteverdi’s Vespers) with the London Baroque Orchestra (now called Sinfonia) which was especially formed for the occasion.

1991 Stages Verdi’s Requiem in the Royal Albert Hall with Twickenham Choral Society, with 500 singers from 6 choirs. Audience reaches almost 3000.

1993 First concert performance of Derek Bourgeois’ A Barchester Choral Suite at the Golden Jubilee concert.

1996 First tour to Dieppe, France, concerts at historic church of St Rémy.

2001 Paul Spicer succeeds Christopher Herrick as conductor.

2003 First Whitehall Choir performance of Holst’s Hymn of Jesus.

2006 London premiere of The Deciduous Cross by Paul Spicer at St John’s, Smith Square.
Recorded it, along with Bruckner’s Mass in E minor, as first CD.

2009 Recorded CD of Christmas music: Fairest flower of any field.

2013 Launched Young Composer Competition as part of 70th anniversary celebrations

2014 Recorded CD of music suitable for passiontide to the Ascension: Ascendit.

2017 Jo Tomlinson succeeds Paul Spicer as conductor

History

Read a history of the Whitehall Choir
written in 2003 for the Choir’s 60th anniversary.

Past concerts