Beckenham Chorale is a friendly and welcoming mixed voice choir of about 70 voices.
We sing a varied repertoire under our Musical Director Mark Griffiths, who joined us in 2016, and perform three concerts a year at St George’s Church, Beckenham, the hub of local music making.
Founded in 1960, we are best known for our spirited performances of the great choral works, and the majority of our concerts are with professional soloists and the St Paul’s Sinfonia.
Very accomplished singing and a wonderful sound from choir, soloists and orchestra.
Concertgoer
In recent years, works we have performed include: Britten Rejoice in the Lamb, Rutter Magnificat, Goodall Eternal Light, Bach Magnificat, Vivaldi Gloria, Haydn Harmoniemesse, Dvorak Requiem and Beethoven Mass in C.
The Chorale celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in November 2019 with an outstanding performance of Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem, together with Coro London Chamber Choir and St Paul’s Sinfonia. In March 2020 our O Radiant Dawn concert featured work by Jonathan Dove, Thomas Tallis, Judith Weir and four of James MacMillan’s Strathclyde Motets; little did we know that within days of the concert Covid would change all our lives …
During lockdown, the Chorale worked hard to ensure that all our members stayed involved, principally through multiple Zoom rehearsals and a regular email newsletter called Tuesday Treats. Although we had to cancel our 60th Anniversary celebrations, we held a very successful online alternative, together with a Christmas Special, three quizzes and a Zoom Desert Island Discs with our Musical Director in the chair and our Chair asking the questions!
Our first concerts after lockdown were in November 2021, with Haydn Little Organ Mass and St Nicholas Mass, followed in March 2022 by Randall Thompson Frostiana, Morten Lauridsen Sure on this Shining Night and Gabriel Faure Cantique de Jean Racine. In June, to a packed house, we gave a triumphant performance of Handel’s glorious Coronation Anthems, with the St Paul’s Sinfonia who also played The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.
In November 2022, we joined forces once again with Coro London Chamber Choir and St Paul’s Sinfonia to perform Mendelssohn’s magnificent oratorio Elijah. Our concert in March 2023 featured a selection of French and English music written around the first half of the twentieth century, including Maurice Duruflé Requiem, one of the best-loved 20th Century choral pieces.