Beckenham Chorale is a mixed voice choir of about 80 voices founded in 1960 as the Manor Choir by Kennimore Straker, manager of the music publishers Ricordi and Co. Lionel Sawkins succeeded Kennimore Straker in 1964 and at the begining of 1967 the name was changed to Beckenham Chorale to reflect the choir’s local identity. James Blair was Conductor from 1977 until 2015. In 2013 Adam Treadway was appointed Assistant Conductor and then Musical Director in 2015. Mark Griffiths was appointed Musical Director from September 2016.
The choir is best known for its spirited performances of the great and exciting choral works. In recent years, works performed include Bach ‘Magnificat’, Vivaldi ‘Gloria’, Orff ‘Carmina Burana’, Rossini ‘Stabat Mater’, Dvorak ‘Mass in D’, Tippett ‘A Child of our Time’, Handel ‘Messiah’ and Verdi ‘Requiem’.’ It engages professional soloists and orchestral instrumentalists, with whom it has a long association, to perform with it and has a varied repertoire giving three concerts a year at St George’s Church (its concert base since 1982) with weekly rehearsals from September to June in St George’s Church Hall.
The choir is affiliated to Making Music and the Bromley Arts Council.
For more information please visit the choir’s website via this link
For more information please visit the choir’s website via this link
Please note Beckenham Chorale tickets (other than for Friends of the Arts at St. George’s) are only available from the Chorale. Please follow this link for details and to buy tickets for Chorale concerts.