Choral Singing

Choral singing is an increasingly important part of the performance culture at the RNCM.

All first year undergraduates sing in the RNCM Symphony Chorus, which meets weekly in the Autumn and Spring Terms and performs as an ensemble in its own right, and in large choral projects with orchestra singing repertoire such as Tippet’s A Child of Our Time, Mahler’s Symphony No 2 and Fauré’s Requiem.

The RNCM Chamber Choir is an auditioned ensemble of 24 voices and is open to students of all Schools of Study – you don’t need to be a Principal Study singer, although many are. Unusually for an RNCM ensemble, the Chamber Choir’s personnel is fixed for the entire academic year, allowing the choir to develop a real personality and sense of homogeneity.

The Chamber Choir regularly participates in projects with the Hallé, recently as the semi-chorus in Berlioz’s Romeo and Juliet and alongside the chorus in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. They also have a close relationship with the Edvard Grieg Kor, a professional vocal ensemble based in Bergen, Norway. In 2019 the Chamber Choir travelled to Bergen to perform Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms with the EGK and Bergen Philharmonic under the baton of Thierry Fischer.

Both choirs benefit from the involvement of David Hill, the RNCM’s International Chair in Choral Conducting, who visits several times a year, and Stuart Overington, who directs both ensembles.