The London Symphony Chorus was formed in 1966 as a choral partner for the London
Symphony Orchestra, and since then has grown from strength to strength under the
direction of such eminent musicians as John Alldis, Arthur Oldham, Richard Hickox,
Stephen Westrop and, since September 2001, Joseph Cullen.
At the heart of the Chorus’s repertoire lie the great 19th and 20th century choral
classics, including works by Elgar, Walton, Mahler, Ravel, Vaughan Williams, Britten
and Orff, as well as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and
the Brahms and Verdi Requiems. In contrast to these classic works, the Chorus has
shown great aptitude for contemporary music over the years, with the success of Messiaen’s
La Transfiguration de Notre Seigneur Jesus Christ with the LSO and Kent Nagano
in 1998 leading to an invitation to repeat the work with Nagano and the Orchestre
de Paris in 2000. A thirst for new challenges of repertoire has inspired the Chorus
to commission a number of new works: Sir John Tavener’s The Myrrh Bearer,
Sir Peter Maxwell Davies’s The Three Kings and Jonathan Dove’s The Passing of the Year, which received its world premiere in London in March 2000. The Chorus
has also participated in a wide range of operatic performances including La Boheme, Carmen, Otello, The Rake’s Progress and Samson et Dalila.
The Chorus tours extensively and has visited Russia, Norway, France, Belgium,
Israel, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Australia and the Far East.
Last season the Chorus made its debut in New York which included a performance of
Janácek’s Glagolitic Mass and Dvorak’s Te Deum with Sir Colin
Davis and the London Symphony Orchestra, and two a cappella concerts conducted by
Stephen Westrop.
The Chorus made its first recording in 1966 (Mahler’s Second Symphony with the LSO
and Sir Georg Solti), and now has an extensive discography including collaborations
with Davis, Boulez, Previn, Bernstein, Stokowski, Tippett, Britten, Giulini, Abbado
and Rostropovich. Its partnership with Richard Hickox has produced many recordings,
including Britten’s Peter Grimes, which received a Grammy Award, and Billy Budd. The Chorus’s latest recording is Puccini’s Messa di Gloria with
the LSO and Antonio Pappano, which has received outstanding reviews across Europe.
The Chorus maintains special links with the London Symphony Orchestra, but has also
partnered many other international orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic,
Boston Symphony Orchestra, European Union Youth Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic
and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. In London they also sing with the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra. The Chorus regularly performs at the BBC Proms
and this season sings with the National Youth Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle, the
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and Riccardo Chailly, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and
Thomas Adès, and once again with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Richard
Hickox.
In 2001, the centenary of Verdi’s death, the Chorus performed Verdi Requiem
with both the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Daniele Gatti at Flanders Festival
in Belgium, and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment conducted by Mark Elder.
Forthcoming performances in London include concerts with the LSO and conductors Lorin
Maazel, Sir Colin Davis, and with Sir Andrew Davis as part of the City of London
Festival. Future international performances are planned in the USA.
JOSEPH CULLEN, Chorus Director of the London Symphony Chorus, was born in
Glasgow, where he studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. His innovative
approach to choral training has established him as one of the foremost choral conductors
in the UK. He has been Chorus Master of the Huddersfield Choral Society since August
1999, and has also held the positions of Chorus Director of the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields
and Director of the Britten-Pears Chamber Choir in Snape. He has appeared as a guest
chorus master and conductor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra,
BBC Symphony Chorus, Philharmonia Chorus and BBC Singers.
Recent work includes a concert with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields featuring
music by Copland, Stravinsky and Bruckner and a performance of Fauré Requiem
with the Huddersfield Choral Society and the BBC Concert Orchestra broadcast on Good
Friday on BBC Radio 2. Joseph Cullen is preparing choral works for conductors Sir
Simon Rattle, Richard Hickox, Riccardo Chailly and Martyn Brabbins for BBC Proms
concerts this season.
May 2002 / 705 words