Crouch End Festival Chorus
Based in North London, the Crouch End Festival Chorus grew from a small community choir posting leaflets in shop windows to one of the world's most in-demand choirs. Classic FM caught up with the choir's founder David Temple at Classic FM Live to find out more...
The Crouch End Festival Chorus is widely regarded as one of the most exciting and innovative large choirs in the UK with a membership of around 145 singers, of ages ranging from 17 to 73, has come a long way since director David Temple founded the North London based community choir in up and coming Crouch End.
"Me and a chap called John Gregson formed the choir together. We were both singers in the London Philharmonic Choir and we had an arts festival in Crouch End - it was becoming quite a trendy area at the time - and I was just starting out as a conductor so it all happened simultaneously. It was very exciting."
These days, places on the choir are rare, with a waiting list for specific choir roles. "In a way people find us now because we're so well known. Around 40/50 people apply via our website every year and of those, around 15 to 20 make it into the choir. We invite auditions from all amateur singers from North London, but we have people who travel from has far as Northampton or from South London just because they love the refertoire that we perform."
As well as appearances at Classic FM Live, The Crouch End Festival Chorus performances have ranged from Bach to Britten, Bernstein and the Beach Boys. Highlights include performing Tippett's A Child of Our time on its 50th anniversary in front of the composer; singing Harmonium in the presence of John Adams at the Barbican Hall and at Ennio Morricone's 75th birthday concert in November 2003.
They are also in demand with popular artists, having appeared at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 60th birthday concert in Hyde Park and at the Electric Proms with Ray Davies (of The Kinks) and with Oasis. In addition, the choir regularly works with renowned musicians such as Thomas Ades, Andrea Bocelli, Valery Gergiev, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Bryn Terfel and has recorded on film soundtracks for Disney and Doctor Who.
David explains the choirs wide appeal; "I'm unusual as a conductor because I like the natural human voice rather than the trained human voice. And it's interesting because that is part of our success because the artists and people we work with tend to prefer the untrained voice too. I think it's really very beautiful, really clean and nicely in tune."
Crouch End Festival Chorus at CFM Live
David Temple, Music Director of Crouch End Festival Choir, chats with Tim Lihoreau after their Classic FM Live rehearsal.
