Karl Jenkins – The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace

We celebrated composer Karl Jenkins’ 80th birthday with his powerful and haunting Mass for Peace – surely as relevant now as when it was first performed in 2000. We were lucky enough to sing again with the orchestra of the London Choral Sinfonia, conducted by Michael Waldron. ​

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Vaughan Williams – Five Mystical Songs; Durufle – Requiem
Musical Director Michael Waldron led the choir, mezzo-soprano Amy Lyddon, baritone Samuel Pantcheff and the Orchestra of the London Choral Sinfonia in a performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical songs and then Maurice Duruflé’s Requiem, one of the most poignant and beautiful of 20th century choral masterpieces at Holy Trinity, Sloane Square – the church described by Sir John Betjeman as the Cathedral of the Arts and Crafts Movement. The orchestra also played Vaughan Williams’ sumptuous Five Variants of Dives and Lazarus.

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Handel – Ode For St Cecilia's Day; Mozart – Mass in C Minor 

We concluded our celebratory Golden Jubilee year with a November concert featuring Handel’s timely Ode for St Cecilia’s Day, followed by Mozart’s magnificent Great Mass in C minor K427.

Conducted by our Acting Musical Director Laurence Williams, with soloists including tenor Nathan Vale and soprano Anna-Luise Wagner, the choir once gain joined forces with Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra in the atmospheric St Andrew Holborn.

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Shearing, Chilcott and Horovitz – 'Sunshine after Rain'

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We continued our 50th anniversary celebrations with a lively concert of fresh, exciting and accessible music at St Andrew Holborn in June.

Our programme of George Shearing's Songs and Sonnets of Shakespeare, Bob Chilcott's Songs and Cries of London and Joseph Horowitz's Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo was conducted by Michael Waldron with soloist baritone Samuel Pantcheff.

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Mendelssohn – Elijah 

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We started celebrations of our choir’s Golden Jubilee in style, performing Mendelssohn’s dramatic and uplifting oratorio Elijah on Sunday April 2 at London's prestigious Cadogan Hall.

We were joined by the critically-acclaimed professional forces of conductor Michael Waldron, soprano Jenny Stafford, mezzo Carolyn Dobbin, tenor Peter Bronder, bass Laurence Williams and the Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra. 

Sung in English, this powerful work, with its easy appeal and stirring choruses, is based on the life of the prophet Elijah, with fire, storms, curses and a truly beautiful exploration of faith and doubt. 

Handel – Messiah

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We kicked off the Christmas season in late November with a performance of Handel’s Messiah.
For more than 280 years, Messiah has held a unique place in the affections of music lovers across the world. Its compelling arias and many magnificent choruses – not least the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus and ‘For Unto Us a Child is Born’ – are among the most popular pieces of classical music ever written.
Featuring the 130 voices of Islington Choral Society, the Hertforshire Chamber Orchestra and internationally acclaimed soloists, our concert was a memorable evening of glorious choral music in the wonderful setting of St. Andrew Holborn. 

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Todd – Mass in Blue; Rutter – Feel the Spirit

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An imaginative interpretation of 7 familiar spirituals, and a beguiling blues and jazz interpretation of the Latin Mass.

This was our first concert at LSO St Luke’s.

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Songs of Gratitude – Handel, Purcell, Bach

 

Despite the sadness and disappointments of the past 2 years, those of us still standing have much to be grateful for. This concert reflected our thankfulness through the sublime works of Handel, Purcell and Bach.

Once again we joined with Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra for a programme of Zadok the Priest, Purcell’s I Was Glad, Bach’s cantata Wir Danken dir, Gott, Wir Danken dir, Handel’s mighty Dettingen Te Deum and Handel's setting of the 4th-century Ambrosian hymn We Praise Thee, O God

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Benjamin Britten – Saint Nicolas

 

In November 2021, we joined forces with the Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra to tell the tale of the legendary life of Saint Nicolas, patron saint of children, seamen and travellers, who became forever associated with Santa Claus.

This enchanting and charming cantata was a commission for Lancing College’s centenary celebrations in 1948. Although he is usually associated with Aldeburgh, where he died in 1976, Britten spent the last 10 years of his life living in Islington.

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Vaughan Williams – A Sea Symphony

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In November 2019, Islington Choral Society, with the Hertfordshire Chamber Orchestra, performed Vaughan Williams’ exhilarating and powerful Sea Symphony for orchestra and chorus.

Written in the early 20th century with poet Walt Whitman’s optimistic vision of the world, this striking symphony hailed the arrival of Ralph Vaughan Williams as a powerful new voice in English music.
With poignant spirituality the work compares man’s exploration of the oceans with the soul’s journey into the vastness of eternity.

Critically-acclaimed operatic soprano Claire Rutter and renowned bass-baritone Stephan Loges joined ICS’s dynamic conductor Michael Waldron for a memorable evening of uplifting symphonic and choral music at Holy Trinity, Sloane Square.

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