London Philharmonic Choir

  • Home
  • About us
    • About the Choir
    • Podcasts
    • Book
    • History
    • Concerts
    • Recordings & broadcasts
    • Ring the Bells
      • General information
      • FAQs for choirs
      • List of performances
    • Our Royal Patronage and other partnerships
  • Concerts
    • 2025/2026 season
    • 2024/2025 season
    • 2023/2024 season
    • 2022/2023 season
    • 2021/2022 season
    • 2020/2021 season
    • 2010/2011 – 2019/2020
      • 2019/2020 season
      • 2018/2019 season
      • 2017/2018 season
      • 2016/2017 season
      • 2015/2016 season
      • 2014/2015 season
      • 2013/2014 season
      • 2012/2013 season
      • 2011/2012 season
      • 2010/2011 season
    • 2001/2002 – 2009/2010
      • 2009/2010 season
      • 2008/2009 season
      • 2007/2008 season
      • 2006/2007 season
      • 2005/2006 season
      • 2004/2005 season
      • 2003/2004 season
      • 2002/2003 season
      • 2001/2002 season
  • Join us
  • Engage us
  • Members’ area
  • Contact us

Our Autumn with Beethoven, Handel, Verdi and More!

August 23, 2016 by LPC By our Singers
1
Hanging Out at the Southbank Centre

Soprano Charlotte Cantrell shares her highlights for our busy Autumn season, and forgives Beethoven in the process.

I can remember the conversation with my mum over a decade ago, when working out which choir I wanted to join. She was keen for me to go along to her choir which is great and does lots of new and unusual pieces. But I was adamant that I wanted to sing “all the big choral works in all the big concert halls; Beethoven, Mozart, Handel!”.

So I joined the London Philharmonic Choir and wasn’t disappointed – I’ve been lucky enough to sing in some incredible concerts over the years, each new season offering lots to get excited about. And this season is no exception; in fact, it’s a bumper season with loads of those “big choral works” that made me want to join in the first place, and that have kept me here 13 years later.

What a start!

When you think of the great choral masterpieces, Verdi’s dramatic, operatic, beautiful Requiem is surely one of the first to spring to mind. What a start to the new season then!

We’ll be performing with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the Royal Albert Hall in September. Singing in the Albert Hall is always so exciting and feels such a privilege. Belting out the Dies Irae with as much drama and passion as we can muster will be another “pinch-yourself” moment for me, I’m sure.

Forgiving Beethoven

I love Beethoven. I think he might be my favourite composer. In fact, I love him so much, I’m willing to forgive him his incredibly challenging soprano lines in the glorious Symphony No. 9, (which we are performing in October, fresh off the back of an exhilarating Proms performance) AND in the piece we’re performing in November, his wonderful Missa Solemnis.

As a second soprano, this is not an easy sing. It involves a lot of singing at the very highest notes of my range. Possibly a few that are not really reachable for me. But, it is SO good. There’s no way I could not sign up for this one. Added to the fact that we’re performing in the Royal Festival Hall, with our orchestra, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and one of the all-time great conductors (and my personal favourite) at the helm, Sir Mark Elder, this is unmissable.

Joining Forces with the BBC

A packed season sometimes means back to back concert weekends. With just enough time to draw-breath after Missa Solemnis, we find ourselves performing another great choral masterpiece: Berlioz’s Requiem.

This time, we’ll be joining forces with the BBC Symphony Chorus; a real treat as they are another of the country’s top choirs. I last performed this work back in 2007 at St. Paul’s Cathedral and I remember it had a very large orchestra and really big choir, the sound was quite tremendous at times, so I’m really excited to be revisiting this and at the Royal Albert Hall too – extra special!

Spectacular Marriages

The end of the year sees us performing some choral classics in spectacular fashion (master of puns, me!). The Classical Spectaculars are enormous fun – lasers, can-can dancers, canons, fireworks, flags, popular classics – what more can you ask for?

I particularly love sharing the Albert Hall stage with the Band of The Welsh Guards. They’re resplendent in their uniforms, play beautifully, and are always good for a joke and sharing around a few sweets! They’re a highlight. And don’t just take my word for it – my choir buddy and fellow soprano married one of them!

It’s Christmas!

To send of 2016 in style we have two lovely Christmas concerts. I have loved carol concerts at the Albert Hall since I was a very little girl. Going every year, it always spells the start of Christmas for me – the Albert Hall feels even more magical than usual, and carols with a full orchestra are always pretty terrific. I look forward to this concert every year.

The other Christmas concert is also pretty special; Handel’s Messiah which is performed by candlelight, with us singing in cassocks and the orchestra wearing period costume, complete with wigs! The Messiah was THE work that I wanted to sing when I first joined the choir, and I’m so happy that this has become a regular concert in our schedule. “All the big works in all the big concert halls” is exactly what I get to do every year – and this year is especially thrilling!

Join us

If you are interested in joining us for these concerts, please visit our Join Us page.

Watch us

You can view further details of all our concerts in our 2016/2017 Season Listing

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Tumblr
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
One Day One Choir: A Global Choral Project for Peace
Verdi’s Requiem, Freddie Mercury, Bill Clinton and Me

Related Posts

  • pastedGraphic-7
    Music, mental health and Handel’s Messiah
    So much science has shown how positively music, and in particular singing, improves our mental
    May 1, 2025
  • Screenshot 2025-03-21 at 18.03.03
    Symphony of a thousand – the Choir sings Mahler’s Eighth Symphony
    Three choirs, eight starry singers and one of the largest orchestras ever put on stage:
    March 31, 2025
Recent Posts
  • Music, mental health and Handel’s Messiah
  • London Philharmonic Choir appoints Chorus Director, Madeleine Venner
  • Symphony of a thousand – the Choir sings Mahler’s Eighth Symphony
  • It’s movie night!
  • Love is in the air
Archives
  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • February 2025
  • January 2025
  • November 2024
  • October 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • May 2024
  • April 2024
  • February 2024
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • August 2023
  • June 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • August 2022
  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • October 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
Categories
  • At the BBC Proms with our singers
  • By our Singers
  • From the Maestro
  • LPC Music Professionals
  • News
  • Notes from our Chairman
  • Our concerts
Patron – HRH Princess Alexandra
President – Sir Mark Elder CBE
Artistic Director – Neville Creed
Associate Chorus Director – Victoria Longdon
London Philharmonic Choir © 2025. Privacy Policy