200 singers, 25 nationalities: Edinburgh Royal Choral Union joins forces with the Brussels Choral Society for Poulenc & Bruckner in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Royal Choral Union joins forces with the Brussels Choral Society for Poulenc & Bruckner in Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Royal Choral Union (ERCU) will join forces with the Brussels Choral Society for a collaborative concert at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh on 15 March 2025, bringing together some 200 singers for music on a grand scale. Michael Bawtree, ERCU's chorus director since 2005, will conduct the choirs along with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in Francis Poulenc’s Gloria and Anton Bruckner’s Mass in D minor. Solo roles will be performed by the Sòlas Ensemble, a young vocal quartet formed at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

The collaboration follows a sold‑out performance of the same programme by ERCU and Brussels Choral Society at the renowned Bozar concert hall and arts venue in Brussels in December 2025, which received a rapturous response from the audience.

Founded in 1979, the Brussels Choral Society is Belgium’s largest amateur symphony choir, comprising around 100 singers from over 25 different nationalities and known for its wide-ranging repertoire from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary works. Founded in 1858, the Edinburgh Royal Choral Union ( is one of Scotland’s oldest choral societies. A mixed choir of around 120 voices, it is best known for its annual New Year performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Usher Hall, a tradition established in 1888 and continued without interruption, even through two World Wars, alongside an ambitious programme of large-scale choral works and international collaborations.

Further details and tickets from Culture Edinburgh website.