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North London Chorus
Our next concert will feature music by Vaughan Williams, Finzi and McDowall on Sat 22 November at St James Church, Muswell Hill.
It's concert day at last! Tickets will be available to buy at the door. See you there for a fabulous night of music making.
'Out of the south cometh the whirlwind…'![]()
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We're very excited to be performing Cecilia McDowall's Some Corner of a Foreign Field thisSt James Muswell Hillt James Muswell Hilll with tenor James Robinson, a powerful setting of poetry by Rupert Brooke and Ernest Armine Wodehouse, as well as text from the Book of Job.![]()
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Watch a clip from our rehearsal – Conductor: Murray Hipkin, Accompanist: Catherine Borner.![]()
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Find out more and book at northlondonchorus.org/tickets
It's a rare privilege for us as a choir to meet the composer of one of our concert pieces which we'll typically have worked on for at least 10 weeks. Last night was one of those occasions, when we were honoured to welcomeCecilia McDowalla McDowall to our penultimate weekly rehearsal before our 22 November cSt James Muswell Hillswell Hill. We were also treated to a preview of tenor soloist James Robinson's mellifluous tones which soar over the chorus at key moments. For we singers it was also a bit nerve-wracking to have Cecilia in our midst as we ran the entire work while she lent us a critical ear. We really appreciated her feedback which will help us to refine our delivery, making our performance perfect on the big day! Tickets are selling well and there is still some availability so book while you can. tickets.northlondonchorus.org/
We recognise that as much as the world is changing there are so many elements of history being repeated. As we commemorate Armistice Day there is still so much turmoil in the world. Our 22 November concert programme is rich in emotional depth and historical resonance yet just as relevant in today’s geopolitical climate. ![]()
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Themes of war and peace are explored in a series of choral, vocal and instrumental pieces, with the choir performing Vaughan Williams’ masterpiece Dona Nobis Pacem, a heartfelt plea for peace composed in 1936 when the threat of war was clear. ![]()
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This is complemented by Cecilia McDowall’s evocative and moving cantata Some Corner of a Foreign Field, composed to mark the centenary of the First World War.![]()
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Each work, in its own way, deals with reflection, remembrance, and a yearning for peace.![]()
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tickets.northlondonchorus.org/
We’re opening our Nov 22nd concert with Cecilia McDowall's evocative and penetrating exploration of loss and waste of human life “Some corner of a foreign field”. Commissioned by Dulwich College to mark the centenary of the First World War and scored for tenor soloist, choir, strings and harp, this profoundly moving cantata was first performed 10 years ago. As a choir we’re getting to grips with a piece with no recording that we know of. Luckily, our Musical Director Murray Hipkin has employed some tech wizardry (and a lot of hard graft) to produce some immensely helpful learning tracks for us. The composer’s website says “This beautiful work, with its lustrous harmonies and its poignant tenor solo, offers choirs an immensely rewarding experience.” We can certainly attest to that! Read more from Murray here: mailchi.mp/1c419129e224/north-london-chorus-winter-2025-supporters