The English Concert Singers

About the Choir

English Concert Singers

The English Concert Singers and its extension choir, the English Concert Chorus, consist of between 50 and 150 experienced choral singers from all walks of life. They come from different areas of the country including North Yorkshire, Cornwall, Wales, Suffolk, Essex, Sussex, the London area, Birmingham and the Midlands. The choirs were formed by Roy Wales in 1989 on his return from living and working in Australia. They have appeared in many venues throughout the UK, including the Royal Albert and Festival Halls, Barbican Centre and St John’s Smith Square in London, Symphony Hall and the NIA in Birmingham and cathedrals in Arundel, Bury St Edmunds, Derby, Chichester, Birmingham, Southwark and Truro, working with the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Hallé, City of Birmingham Symphony and the English, London and BBC Concert Orchestras. The English Concert Singers have undertaken overseas tours to many parts of the world including Australia, the Caribbean, Channel Islands, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and South America. In 2007 they appeared with the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra in Croatia in a performance of Handel’s Messiah and the following year they visited Istanbul. More recently they visited Salzburg in October 2009. A trip to Paris is planned for September 2011. The choir has also made a number of recordings including Choral Kaleidoscope and Vivaldi’s Gloria with the Hungarian Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra. The English Concert Singers’ very first performance in 1989 was in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and in March 2009 they celebrated their 20th anniversary with a performance of Brahms’ German Requiem in Birmingham Town Hall. Last year they returned to Birmingham to perform Verdi’s Requiem. This summer they were invited to take part in the World Première of Karl Jenkins’ The Bards of Wales with two Hungarian and a Welsh Choir. This took place in the wonderful Bela Bartok Concert Hall in Budapest. In September they travel to Paris and will give a concert at the Eglise St. Merri on Sunday, September 25 at 4.00pm.. In October they return to Birmingham Town Hall to perform Elgar’s magnificent The Dream of Gerontius on Sunday, October 30 at 3.00pm. Other forthcoming concerts include Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana on 22 October and Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall on December 15 and 16, both for Raymond Gubbay. Further information regarding the English Concert Singers and Chorus can be obtained from the Administrator: 01273 300894. engconsing@fastnet.co.uk

English Concert Chorus

The English Concert Chorus regularly features at many Raymond Gubbay-promoted concerts in London and Birmingham, including the Classical Spectacular Concerts at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Albert Hall, London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. They have sung in Opera Gala Concerts, Glory of Christmas events and choral performances of Carmina Burana and Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall. They performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra in A Tribute to Mario Lanza with José Carreras at the Royal Albert Hall and in Sheffield Arena. They also appear on José Carreras’ best-selling CD Passion. In the autumn/winter of 2011 they will perform Carmina Burana and Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall and are involved in a performance of The Dream of Gerontius with the English Concert Singers at Birmingham Town Hall on October 30. They have been invited to be in the Classical Spectacular Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in March of 2012.

English Concert Orchestra

Formed in 1969 by Roy Wales, the Orchestra celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2009. It has performed in many of the major concert venues in the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall, St. John’s, Smith Square, London South Bank Concert Halls, Birmingham Symphony Hall and in various British cathedrals and regional concert halls. It has played with distinguished soloists at a number of prestigious music festivals and often performs with the English Concert Singers/Chorus.

Tim Rhys-Morgan (accompanist)

Tim has been accompanying choirs since the age of eleven when he played for the successful Desborough School choir in Maidenhead. He continued his education at Bangor University where he studied piano with Jana Frenklova and became accompanist for the Bangor Choral Society and the College Singers under William Matthias. Since then Tim has established himself as a versatile and sensitive accompanist and has worked for many societies, groups and soloists up and down the country, including the Cantorum Choir, Rug Opera, Leigh Orpheus Male Voice Choir, Southend Operatic and Dramatic Society and the South Anglia Savoy Players. He was Musical Director for première performances of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, A Christmas Carol and The Selfish Giant and is Director of a hundred-strong Essex-based choir. He has been associated with the English Concert Singers for more than ten years and has toured extensively with them as their accompanist, including visits to Australia, South Africa, China and South America.