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Details
Crypt Cafe - St Martin-in-the-Fields
Trafalgar Square
Westminster
London
WC2N 4JJ
England
Programme
Thomas Tallis – Spem in alium nunquam habui à 40
Performers
William Vann – organ
Guy Protheroe – Conductor
English Chamber Choir
Programme Note
The English Chamber Choir was formed in 1972, following a rehearsal of the London Symphony Orchestra and London Symphony Chorus. David Measham, then principal violinist with the Orchestra, was just embarking on a second career as a conductor and one of his first appointments was as conductor of the Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra, in succession to its founder, Andrew (now Sir Andrew) Davis. He was also to conduct some of the LSO’s more ‘commercial’ engagements. In both cases, he was soon to need a choir, and he found an enthusiastic response from singers of the LSC who were keen to explore both the chamber choir repertoire and the opportunities to perform ‘symphonic rock’, then in its heyday.
The Choir’s earliest engagements included Haydn’s Nelson Mass , Faure’s Requiem and Kodaly’s Laudes Organi with Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra, and live performances at the Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park , of the rock-opera Tommy with The Who. These were followed by Rick Wakeman’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth with the LSO at the Royal Festival Hall. So the Choir established early on in its existence its reputation for variety and new challenges – and today it is still performing classical masterpieces alongside popular new titles. Over the years the Choir has performed in all the major concert halls in London (South Bank, Barbican, St John’s Smith Square, Cadogan Hall, Royal Albert Hall), in St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Westminster Cathedral and many other Churches known for their musical traditions. It has sung abroad in Brussels , Antwerp , Basle, Zurich , Athens and Plovdiv (Bulgaria), and has visited many cities, towns and villages throughout the UK.
Guy Protheroe began his musical education as a chorister at Canterbury Cathedral, and continued with music scholarships to St Edward’s School and Magdalen College , Oxford . He became conductor and musical director of the English Chamber Choir soon after its formation in 1972, and has brought to it a wealth of experience from his work in other areas of the music industry. On leaving Oxford he also founded the contemporary music ensemble Spectrum, which toured extensively in the UK , Europe and the USA , and collected recording awards for its CDs of music by Jonathan Harvey and Xenakis. Its staged performances of Xenakis’ Oresteia , presented by the English Bach Festival Trust, opened the Linbury Studio theatre at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden . He worked for many years as arranger and musical director for Vangelis Papathanassiou (of Chariots of Fire fame) and has collaborated with the French composer Eric Levi on the series of Era albums, which although not available in the UK , have sold many millions of copies worldwide. As well as conducting, he is in demand as a singer, arranger and an expert adviser and witness on issues relating to music copyright and plagiarism.
This concert will last approximately one hour without an interval.