Welcome
Welcome to Wimbledon Choral and our website. We are a choir of 180 or so members drawn from a wide range of ages, professions and backgrounds, and have a reputation for giving concerts of the highest quality presented with professional soloists and orchestras.
Choir Notice :
Please make good use of the rehearsal aids for some of the items for the Christmas concert, notably the latest one added for Roxanna Panufnik's Glory be to the Word.
Always keep a look out for new versions of the rehearsal schedule in the Quick Links section. This gets updated as certain items get confirmed over the season. An online version is also available on the Rehearsals page.
Coming Up
Christmas is fast approaching and our two Christmas concerts for choir & audience (matinée and evening) take place on Saturday 14th December at St Paul's Church, Southfields (top end of Augustus Road).
Click on the flyer image on the right to book tickets.
The matinée session is aimed very much at children and families and there will be a special guest.
To see what exciting music we have to share with you for this whole season, just click on the banner above.
Our Music Director
Wimbledon Choral is delighted that Daniel Mahoney has started his tenure as Music Director for the choir, with his first concert debut with us in November already under his belt. Please click here or on the image for further details in the press release at the time of his appointment.
Our recording of Cecilia McDowall's commissioned Da Vinci Requiem is now available for sale via streaming channels and on CD.
"An electrifying performance of my new arrangement of the Verdi Requiem, Luminous singing and enormous dramatic impact."
Richard Blackford, composer
"Absolute commitment to every word – fantastic stuff that stirs the soul."
Ben Durrant, soloist
"Last night‘s concert was outstanding. The entire cathedral was buzzing during and afterwards. It was joyous."
Audience member
"Absolutely thrilled with the Wimbledon Choral performance of my 'Salve Deus' last night. Very happy composer!"
Alison Willis, composer
"A magnificent performance of my 'Mirror of Perfection' tonight in Cadogan Hall. Heartfelt thanks to all the performers for an unforgettable evening."
Richard Blackford, composer
"Where some amateur choruses can give the impression of dutiful performers, how heartening it was to see singers of all ages who clearly adore singing."
"... one of the most substantial and formidable choirs in London ... a vigorous and sophisticated choral ensemble ..."
"... the impressive Wimbledon Choral Society ..."
Barry Millington, Evening Standard
"... the superb Wimbledon Choral ..."
Robert Matthew-Walker, The Organ
"Wimbledon Choral Society make a lovely sound - clean, clear and bright."
Anna Picard, The Times
"The Wimbledon Choral Society were magnificent. Nothing seemed out of place - the women angelic, the men monastic - the intonation and timing exquisite."
Marc Bridle, Opera Today
Click here to read more feedback we've had about our performances.
The season runs from September to June and consists typically of three main concerts in major venues in and around London and a local Christmas concert in the Wimbledon area. As well as promoting its own concerts, the choir is invited occasionally to participate in other events with several of Britain’s leading orchestras and in collaboration with other choirs.
The 2024/25 season begins on Monday 2nd September with our new Music Director, Daniel Mahoney. The planned schedule of rehearsala and events is available via the Quick Links section to the left. See our Join Us page for further details of when potential new members normally would be welcome to come along. The first two rehearsals in September and January are designated as 'open' and anyone who would like to have a taster of what it would be like to sing with this large, friendly choir is very welcome to come along.
The previous season started with the Verdi Requiem in a newly adapted version by Richard Blackford, sung to a full house in the impressive Holy Trinity Church, just off Sloane Square in SW1. Like many other choirs, we marked the 100th anniversary of Gabriel Faure's death with a performance of his Requiem paired with Blackford's astonishing Mirror of Perfection. The summer concert was our last with outgoing MD Neil Ferris - a programme full of music on a theme of Reflections & Inspirations.
This coming season sees us explore new contemporary composers and blow off the dust on a piece we haven't performed for years. In November, Daniel's debut, we will be back in Holy Trinity, Sloane Square - details for the programme can be found here. Then our spring concert sees us in Cadogan Hall performing Dobrinka Tabakova's beautiful Centuries of Meditations that was commissioned by Hereford Cathedral. See the event page for more details. In the same concert, as a complete contrast, will be Haydn's Nelson Mass. The summer concert will be held locally in Wimbledon and feature Rutter's Mass for the Children. So an exciting first season for both Daniel and us to work on and, we hope, for you to enjoy.
The choir also supports the locally organised Merton SingFest - a collaboration of locally-based choirs in the Merton area and the Merton Music Foundation. It is a great opportunity for singers of all ages from across the borough to get together and celebrate the joy of singing. The 2025 SingFest day for WCS participation will be on Saturday 10th May in St Mark's Church.
Clips featuring and about the choir can be found on the Hear Us page. Whether you are interested in hearing us, joining us, supporting us or hiring us, please follow the links above or contact us. If you would like to be kept up to date with all the latest concert news and promotional offers then please join our mailing list.
Please also consider supporting us with your online shopping. It won't cost you a penny but would help us enormously to maintain our high level of quality in our performances and other projects. Further details on how to do this can be found here.
Wimbledon Choral Society (performing as Wimbledon Choral) is a registered charity in England & Wales (No. 263150) with a Constitution, approved by the Charity Commission. The Annual Report and associated annual Accounts Statement are approved at the Society's AGM and are published and made available on the Charity Commission's website for public viewing.
