Companions of Angels - Saturday 22 October 2016, 7.30 pm, Museum of the Order of St John Priory Church
A concert inspired by the Order of St John and its long history of nursing the sick and wounded. The concert will start with “O gloriosissimi lux”, an incandescent choral masterpiece written by Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century just after the Order was founded, and will finish with “Standing as I do before God” by Cecilia McDowall, an intensely moving setting of the words of Edith Cavell, the WWI nurse executed by the Germans despite having tended both German and British wounded.
The concert will also include Renaissance choral works by Morley, Weelkes, Schütz and Purcell as well as more modern pieces including a performance of “Memorial Ground” by Oscar-nominated composer, David Lang, written to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. “Memorial Ground” was premiered on 2 July 2016 and choirs are performing it all over the country in the period up to Remembrance Sunday. Every performance will be unique as David Lang has composed a large body of musical material from which each choir will select melodies to sing to texts of their own choosing.
Image of Nurses - The Museum of the Order of St John and Francesco Ferla
A concert inspired by the Order of St John and its long history of nursing the sick and wounded. The concert will start with “O gloriosissimi lux”, an incandescent choral masterpiece written by Hildegard of Bingen in the 12th century just after the Order was founded, and will finish with “Standing as I do before God” by Cecilia McDowall, an intensely moving setting of the words of Edith Cavell, the WWI nurse executed by the Germans despite having tended both German and British wounded.
The concert will also include Renaissance choral works by Morley, Weelkes, Schütz and Purcell as well as more modern pieces including a performance of “Memorial Ground” by Oscar-nominated composer, David Lang, written to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme. “Memorial Ground” was premiered on 2 July 2016 and choirs are performing it all over the country in the period up to Remembrance Sunday. Every performance will be unique as David Lang has composed a large body of musical material from which each choir will select melodies to sing to texts of their own choosing.
Image of Nurses - The Museum of the Order of St John and Francesco Ferla
London's LGBT+ semi-professional chamber choir
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The Fourth Choir is London's LGBT+ chamber choir for advanced singers. We focus on performing great choral works from early music to contemporary choral masterpieces. The choir was formed in September 2013, and our aim from the outset has been to represent the LGBT+ community on London's world-class classical music scene.
Our Directors
Our Artistic Director, Dominic Peckham, is one of the UK's leading choral conductors and works with both professional groups, such as the English National Opera chorus, and educational groups such as the National Youth Choir. Our Associate Music Director is Andrea Brown, former Director of Music at Morley College. Our members
The Choir is a group of experienced amateurs, choral scholars, academy-trained musicians and music professionals. Our members are not all LGBT+, but we assume that anyone who works with us celebrates diversity and equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities. If that sounds like you and you're prepared to put in the amount of time required, we'd love to hear from you! Find out how to audition > |
What the critics say..."The Fourth Choir is an audaciously ambitious ensemble… who are not especially well-known as yet. But being sharp, smart and resourceful, they deserve to be."
Michael White, Music Correspondent for The Telegraph and New York Times "The harmonies were breathtaking. Exquisite. My bones were resonating. The choir were very good indeed... they are quickly going from strength to strength under the leadership of Dominic Peckham." Matthew James Hunt, author of I am not Gog 
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