The NORTH CAMDEN CHORUS is an amateur choir in the true sense: we sing for pleasure. We have weekly rehearsals during two "terms" each year.
Membership of the choir is open to anyone with or without choral experience. You don't have to be able to read music, and there are no auditions. Students are particularly welcome.
This is an excellent time to join; our first rehearsal of our new term will be on Tuesday 9th January 2007, working towards a concert in late March. Just come along on the 9th, 16th or 23rd to try us out.
You can look at a (very old) introductory letter (or you can print it from here).
Our choir is friendly. Our musical director is Ian Gibson. But we remain true to the philosophy of our founding director Neil Bowman, who instructed us: "If you can make your mistakes loud enough, you'll get better..."
We sing a rather eclectic mix of "classical" music - see "Past Concerts" below for what we've done recently. Starting 2007, we're going to try a short summer season of less-classical pieces.
We're based in North London. We meet at Parliament Hill School, which is on Highgate Road, London NW5 1RL, between Kentish Town and Highgate (Tufnell Park is the nearest tube) - or try a map from Streetmap.co.uk or google. We're not currently sure exactly where in the school we'll meet (new members, there should be people about to guide you). But it's probably either the Drama Hut (temporary building at the back-left of the site) or the new music rooms (back of the main building, walk round the building and find the entrance behind the "Octagon Centre", then turn right.
We meet to rehearse on Tuesdays from 7.30-9.15pm during autumn and spring terms, and a short summer season. But we start at 7pm on the first week of a new program to allow time to pay your fees and get your music.
There is a per-term subscription of £25 for non-student members (which currently includes free coffee and biscuits)!
We put on two performances a year: one after each term, and usually in St Mary Brookfield church (opposite the reservoir on Dartmouth Park Hill, NW5), or this map. Our performances are informal and great fun but it's real music done well. We usually mix the choral pieces with performances from local students, and end the evening with food and drink.
We start rehearsals on Tuesday April 24th. It remains a mystery what we might be singing, but it will probably be less classical and more secular than in our longer terms. If you want to join get in touch as below, or just turn up at one of our first two Tuesday rehearsals (24th April or 1st May).
Our last few concerts include:
Spring 2007: Vivaldi's Gloria and some other pieces.
Autumn 2006: Mozart's Requiem.
Spring 2006: Vaughn Williams' Five Mystical Songs and a Bach cantata.
Autumn 2005: "Five Spirituals" from Child of our Time by Michael Tippett, and Duruflé's Requiem.
Spring 2005: Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb, and Purcell's Come Ye Sons of Art.
Autumn 2004: Rutter's Gloria, and Four folk songs by Vaughn Williams.
Spring 2004: Handel's Messiah.
Autumn 2003: Schubert's Mass in C, with Christmas songs by Rutter, Warlock and others.
Spring 2003: Mozart's Coronation Mass and Ave Verum Corpus, the Easter Hymn from Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, and some unaccompanied part songs by Elgar and Finzi.
Autumn 2002: Britten's St Nicholas, Fauré's Cantique du Jean Racine and some Christmas music by John Taverner, including The Lamb.
Spring 2002: Handel Zadok the Priest and Poulenc's Gloria
Autumn 2001: Charpentier Messe de Minuit pour Noel, Rutter Five Childhood Lyrics
Spring 2001: Janacek Our Father, Haydn Little Organ Mass, Brahms Lieberslieder Waltzes.
Autumn 2000: Vivaldi Magnificat, Britten A Ceremony of Christmas Carols.
Spring 2000: Bach St Matthew Passion
Autumn 1999: Britten Choral Dances (from Gloriana), Haydn Te Deum
Spring 1999: Fauré Requiem
Ian Gibson is new this year as our musical director, but has done "terms" before and has long been involved as accompanist and section director. Neil Bowman was our director for many years; Neil used to be head of music at Parliament Hill School, and is now involved in a range of musical activities.
Call our secretary on 020 7226 0032 or email our publicity secretary (who has an email address).
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