LSO Chorus Director

Simon Halsey has been announced as the London Symphony Orchestra's new Choral Director. This role takes in the directorship of the London Symphony Chorus as well as having a role with the LSO as well, developing its choral activities including those involving the LSO Community Choir and the LSO's Singing Days. Halsey will be conducting the London Symphony Chorus at an inaugural concert at LSO St Lukes on Thursday 22 November in which they will be performing Jonathan Dove's The Passing of the Year (commissioned by the LSC in 2000), and Brahms's German Requiem, in the version with piano accompaniment (not an entirely satisfactory version despite having Brahms's apparent imprimatur, but it does enable smaller scale performances of the piece). Soloists are Sophie Klussmann and Konrad Jarnot, the pianists are Phillip Moll and Holger Groschopp.


Halsey is already the Chief Conductor of the Berlin Radio Choir, the Artistic Director of the Berlin Philharmonic's Youth Choral Programme and director of the BBC Proms Youth Choir, as well as being Chorus Director of the CBSO (a post he has held for quite a long time). Which leads one to wonder quite how much time he will have to spend with the London Symphony Chorus and the LSO? This is the problem with choral directors, good ones are rare and too often the post is seen simply as a stepping stone to 'proper' conducting. When you do get a good choral director who is happy to stay doing that, then of course everybody want them. We wish Halsey well in his new appointment and hope that his diary (and family life) stand up to the strain.

Further information on the November 22 concert from the LSO website.