An Easter performance of Handel’s masterpiece, by a 300-strong choir uniting voices from North and South London.
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is often performed during the Christmas season, but this thought-provoking work was originally an Easter offering, first performed at Musick Hall in Dublin on 13th April 1742 to a grand audience of 700.
Dan Ludford-Thomas conducts a combined choir from the Hackney Singers and Lewisham Choral Society, with the Forest Philharmonic Orchestra and soloists Helen Meyerhoff (soprano), Timothy Travers-Brown (alto), John McMunn (tenor) and Philip Tebb (bass).
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About the performers
The Hackney Singers were formed as an evening class in singing in 1973 as part of the Hackney Institute Adult Education programme. Originally called the “Hackney Choral Society” for the early years it attracted mainly female voices. The choir became independent in 1982 and grew under the leadership of Lilian Wilson and later Bill Lloyd to become a mixed-voice choir of over 100, registering as a charity in 1986. Now with over 200 members we have been performing in Hackney for over twenty-five years and we are proud of the musical vibrancy that underlies all our work. We present at least two concerts a year, working with professional orchestras and soloists, and particularly the Forest Philharmonic. We are based in Hackney, but our members come not only from Hackney, but also surrounding boroughs and even Croydon, Enfield and further afield. We are different from many other singing groups. We have an open-door policy and do not hold auditions — everybody, regardless of experience, is welcome to join the Thursday night rehearsals.
Lewisham Choral Society is a large and lively community-based classical music choir, with over a hundred singers from all ages and backgrounds. The choir traces its origins back to 1950 and still holds most of its concerts within the London Borough of Lewisham; Our aim is simply to be the best amateur choir in South London. Under the direction of Dan Ludford-Thomas and his deputy Andrew Dutson, we perform a wide range of music, from the sixteenth century to the twenty-first. LCS regularly performs in the Blackheath Halls, bringing major works such as Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius and the Brahms Requiem to large audiences. LCS also enjoys singing contemporary and 20th century works by composers such as Jonathan Dove, Cecilia McDowall, Will Todd, Arvo Part, Philip Glass, Samuel Barber and Eric Whitacre. LCS members take part regularly in other arts events in London. These have ranged from ENO’s St John Passion, Flashmob – the Opera for Radio 3, Jonathan Dove’s Tobias and the Angel at the Young Vic, and the Young Vic production of Kurt Weill’s Street Scene, which won the Evening Standard Best Musical Award, 2008.
Forest Philharmonic Orchestra, founded in 1964, is rated as one of the country’s leading community orchestras. A performance and training orchestra, each string section has a professional leader whose role includes rehearsal and technical advice for the section. Members include music students, teachers, freelancers and amateurs. The orchestra thereby fulfils its aim of helping train the musicians of tomorrow while providing a forum for the leading amateur players of today. It also works with young musicians in the local Waltham Forest community, providing open rehearsals and the opportunity to experience a full-size symphony orchestra. Under the direction of Artistic Director Mark Shanahan the orchestra has gained an increasingly impressive reputation for the quality and vitality of its performances. Many of the major professional orchestras in this country contain players who trained with Forest Philharmonic. In addition to its regular season at Walthamstow Assembly Hall, Forest Philharmonic has performed in the Barbican Centre, Royal Festival Hall and St John’s, Smith Square, featuring such works as Mahler’s Symphonies nos. 3 and 8, Tippett’s A Child of Our Time and Britten’s Spring Symphony. Recent soloists include John Lill, Ronan O’Hora, Gemma Rosefield, Tamsin Waley-Cohen, Anna Hashimoto, Anne-Marie Owens and Linda Richardson.
Dan Ludford-Thomas began singing as a chorister at St Matthew’s Church, Northampton, and in 1986 became Choirboy of the Year which led to radio and television broadcasts, and concerts at many of the major venues throughout the UK. As a tenor Dan won choral scholarships to Wells Cathedral and Durham Cathedral where he read music at the university. He is a member of the choir of St Brides Church, Fleet Street and has performed regularly with many major ensembles, including Chapelle du Roi, The Kings Consort, The Academy of Ancient Music, Florilegium, and The Sixteen. Dan is in demand as a choral animateur, directing choral workshops and projects both in the UK and internationally. Recently he has conducted concerts in Birmingham Symphony Hall and the Royal Albert Hall. He is at the forefront in the delivery of the national singing initiative Singup in collaboration with Ex Cathedra, and is a pioneer in the development of new repertoire for young voices. Dan is currently Head of Singing at Dulwich College, and is a singing teacher at Eton College. He is the Musical Director of Concordia Chamber Choir, the Director of Music of Lewisham Choral Society and the Associate Conductor of The Hackney Singers.
