London Philharmonic Choir

The London Philharmonic Choir is one of the leading independent British choirs in the United Kingdom based in London. The Patron is Princess Alexandra, The Hon Lady Ogilvy and Sir Mark Elder is President. The choir, comprising more than 200 members, holds charitable status and is governed by a committee of 10 elected directors. As a charity, its aims are to promote, improve, develop and maintain education in the appreciation of the art and science of music by the presentation of public concerts.

The LPC was formed in 1946 with Frederic Jackson as Chorus Master, for the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). On 15 May 1947, The choir made its début with a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at the Royal Albert Hall under the baton of Victor De Sabata. Their first recording was of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms with the LPO in 1947 followed by the first radio broadcast of Vaughan Williams' Sancta Civitas and Verdi's Stabat Mater in March 1948 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Throughout Jackson's tenure (1947–1969), the choir worked closely with the LPO and with major conductors and soloists of the period. Despite funding cuts to the LPO in the 1950s, the choir maintained work by being engaged by other orchestras. By the mid 1960s LPC's performance standards were slipping and Jackson was invited to retire. His successor, John Alldis improved the standards of the choir and also encouraged the performance of contemporary.

In 1982, Richard Cooke succeeded Alldis as Chorus Master and saw the choir through a productive decade. The LPC also continued to enjoy touring overseas. However, the early 1990s was a period of turmoil for the LPO and LPC as financial recession and resignations at the LPO created a climate of uncertainty. Existing membership levels declined and recruitment of new members became a challenge.

Neville Creed became the next Chorus Master (1994–present). His enthusiasm helped to build back morale and membership. In 1996, the LPC became autonomous after being severed from the LPO's payroll. Over time, the choir's performance standard, visibility and reputation improved. In 1997, the choir celebrated its 50th anniversary with a concert at the Albert Hall attended by Princess Alexandra and Ursula Vaughan Williams. For their 60th anniversary in 2007, the book “Hallelujah! An informal history of the London Philharmonic Choir” was published. Wikipedia