From Sloane Square to Penge, choirs are making sweet music

PETER GILLMAN sings the praises of local choirs

Streatham Choral does not lack ambition. The 150-strong amateur community choir, which rehearses every Monday at St Leonard’s Church, has hired one of London’s prime concert venues for its next concert.

The choir is to perform Hadyn’s 1798 masterpiece The Creation on April 11 at Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, close to Sloane Square. The hall, the home of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, can seat more than 900 people.

The Streatham choir will be performing with the Brandenburg Sinfonia Orchestra, with the choir’s music director Calum Fraser conducting.

The choir’s size is impressive by any standard. What is all the more remarkable is that it prides itself on being open to all-comers – there are no auditions for those wishing to join. Anyone interested can take part in two rehearsals before deciding if this is the choir for them. They do have to be able to read a music score, although the choir offers theory courses to boost their singers’ technical knowledge.

The choir has limited itself to its current size of 150. “There’s a cap,” says choir chair Alice Turvey. “One in, one out.” That applies to three of the four voice parts: soprano, alto and baritone – but not to tenors, who are habitually in short supply.

The choir was founded in 1921 and, says its website, prides itself on being “friendly and diverse, drawing in members from a wide range of ages and backgrounds”. Turvey adds: “We have a couple of members in their 20s, all the way to one her in mid-80s. Everyone gets on brilliantly well.”

The choir has an active social life. Members gravitate to a local pub after rehearsals, and it stages an annual tour: last year to Edinburgh, this year to Paris.

Choir music director and conductor Calum Fraser is clearly a busy man. As well as director of music at St Leonard’s Church, he is director of choirs at Nottingham University, music director of a Scottish professional chamber choir, Caledonian Voices, and founding artistic director of opera company, Magnetic Opera.

At Streatham Choral, says Turvey, his talents extend beyond his valued musical skills. “He’s a great part of the choir. He makes a point of introducing himself to everyone and gets along to our social events.”

The choir performs regularly at two Streatham churches, St Peter’s, on Leigham Court Road, as well as St Leonard’s. It has staged concerts at Cadogan Hall in the past, performing Handel’s Messiah in 2022 and Mozart’s Requiem in 2024. Both were sell-outs.

If you want to see it perform The Creation this Saturday (start 7.30pm), here is the Cadogan Hall booking link. But book soon, as tickets are almost sold out.

The Cadogan Hall concert heralds a busy period for local choirs.

On Sunday April 19, Croydon Philharmonic Choir is performing at Fairfield Halls (7.00pm). The concert, Celebrating Karl Jenkins, features three pieces – two choral, one orchestral – by the popular Welsh composer, including his Adiemus and the Choral Suite from The Armed Man. The Croydon Philharmonic will combine with the Basingstoke Choral Society to form a 150-strong choir, playing alongside the London Mozart Players.

Booking link here: https://www.fairfield.co.uk/events/celebrating-karl-jenkins-2026

And on Sunday April 26, the Croydon Male Voice Choir is appearing at the Penge Music Festival, taking part in a three-choir concert at Penge Congregational Church on Penge High Street (start 4.30pm).

Full details here: https://www.pengemusic.co.uk/music-festival

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