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The Southend Girls’ Choir was founded in 1988, and has since built an enviable reputation across London, the South East and beyond.
The choir has broadcast on television and radio, and performs regularly at the Royal Albert Hall, St Martin in the Fields, Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room. The choir undertakes regular concert tours, and has performed in the Sydney Opera House and for the Australian Broadcasting Company, as part of a three week tour of Australia, in Canada and the US, Seychelles, France, Italy, Germany and across the UK.
In the past, the choir has performed at the Three Choirs Festival in Worcester. Sir David Willcocks is the choir’s president, and takes an active interest in the choir’s development.
The Southend Girls’ Choir has worked with Sir David, in addition to working with eminent conductors and arrangers including Bob Chilcott and John Rutter. The choir has commissioned works by Bob Chilcott, Debbie Wiseman and Ian Hughes, and gave premiere performances at St Martin in the Fields and the Purcell Room in 2002.
. The two choirs join together for a number of concerts each year, when senior members of both choirs work on specialised repertoire for performance and recordings.
The choirs made a recording with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 2000, have performed at the Royal Albert Hall for the past 3 years, and in 2000 made a commercial CD entitled Angelis – Voices of Angels, which received major coverage on national radio stations. Their second CD Angelis - A Christmas Blessing, was released in December 2003, and has also sold many copies around the country.
The choirs' diversity shows them recording backing vocals for pop songs for Warner Bros, performing in the Crypt of the House of Commons, and singing at the launch of the liner “Millennium” in Southampton and singing in performances of 'Nutcracker' ballet in theatres across London.
In 2003 the two choirs performed American composer John Adams’ 'On the transmigration of Souls' at the internationally acclaimed BBC Proms Concert Series at the Royal Albert Hall, which was broadcast live on BBC TV and Radio. The Southend Girls' Choir also made a 10 day concert tour in Italy and France, where they performed in St Mark’s Venice, Milan Cathedral, the American Cathedral in Paris and Disneyland.
In 2004 the choirs gave concerts and performances for music clubs and festivals around the UK, including a lunchtime recital at St Martin in the Fields Church, and with the Boys' Choir made a 2 week concert tour to America, when they performed in New York, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago and Appleton. Their work also included a number of recording projects throughout the year.
In 2005 the choir made a recording of Ballet music by Ian Hughes, broadcast on Anglia TV, gave a lunchtime recital at St Martin in the Fields, and hosted 2 visiting American Youth Choirs. They also made a 12 day concert tour to Italy and France, where they performed in Florence Duomo, Pisa Cathedral and in Paris. The choir performed in Royal Albert Hall, St Martin in the Fields and St James Piccadilly at Christmas, in addition to TV broadcasts. Future engagements for 2006 include performances in major London Festival in July, recitals in London Churches and in Canterbury Cathedral, a commercial recording, and a 14 day tour to Florida.
The Southend Girls’ Choir holds the world record, as verified by the Guinness Book of Records, for performing a concert at the highest altitude in aeroplane, above the northern coast of Australia. The choir gave a 45 minute recital at a height of 36,000 feet, thus becoming the world record holders for such an event.
Both choirs are supported by Southend Borough Council.
What people have said about the Southend Girls' Choir ….
'The Southend Girls' Choir is simply the best youth choir around for all sorts of music.'Ian Hughes, composer, director & arranger
'… a wonderful positive bright sound, musically shaped and always with clear words … 'Jasper Thorogood, Director of Music, Felsted School
'The Southend Girls' Choir has a perfect combination of subtlety, energy and character …'Jim Papoulis, composer, director & producer (New York) Sydney Opera House, Australia - 1998
'The Southend Girls' Choir have a purity and clarity of sound that is truly captivating.' - Debbie Wiseman - composer
For more information on the Southend Girls Choir, please contact:
Musical Director - Southend Girls Choir
PO Box 6
Civic Centre
Victoria Avenue
Southend-on-Sea
Essex
SS2 6ER
Tel. 01702 215623
Southend Choirs Website
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