London Oriana Choir celebrates 50 years of music making

London Oriana Choir and Dominic Peckham

London Oriana Choir, music director Dominic Peckham, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a season packed with goodies. The choir's first ever rehearsal was on 14 November 1973; it was founded by Leon Lovett, starting life as an evening class under the auspices of the Inner London Education Authority. David Drummond took over as musical director in 1997 and will be returning to conduct the choir as part of the gala concert in March 2024. The current MD, Dominic Ellis-Peckham, joined in 2013.

The season launches with Choral Icons at St Paul's Covent Garden on 4 November 2023, a concert in aid of Music for Dementia featuring works by Benjamin Britten, Cecilia McDowall, Sir John Tavener, Sir James MacMillan, Eriks Esenvalds, Felix Mendelssohn, Dobrinka Tabakova and more. 

Cecilia McDowall, the choir's patron, has written a new commission for them, whilst singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman will be making a special appearance at the gala concert in March, recreating part of a seminal 2006 performance with the choir. The Gesualdo Six will be joining with the choir to perform Eric Whitacre’s seminal multi-choir work, The Stolen Child, at Union Chapel in July.

Full details from the choir's website.