Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus
South Yorkshire's foremost large mixed-voice chorus
The Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus is South Yorkshire's foremost large mixed-voice chorus. We regularly sing with leading orchestras including the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic, the Northern Sinfonia and the Manchester Camerata, and with internationally renowned conductors such as Gianandrea Noseda, Nicholas Kraemer, David Hill, Gábor Takács-Nagy and Sofi Jeannin. We perform with Orchestra in Residence the Hallé and acclaimed soloists as part of the Sheffield International Concert Season at the City Hall in Sheffield, and at other venues around the UK. We frequently collaborate with other large choirs such as the Halle Chorus, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Leeds Philharmonic Chorus and the Halifax Choral Society.
We have participated in The Proms on a number of occasions, including the Proms in the Park event for the Last Night of the Proms in Heaton Park, Manchester in 2005 and in a performance of Beethoven‘s ninth symphony (sung from memory) with the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for Prom 75. Since around 2006 we have developed touring and performance links with the Philharmonischer Chor Bochum, who are regular performers with the Bochumer Symphoniker and based in Bochum, one of Sheffield’s twin towns in Germany. In September 2023 members of the Chorus sang Mahler's 2nd Symphony in Monte Carlo with the CBSO and CBSO Chorus.
Our subscriptions pay for a professional Music Director, Darius Battiwalla, and accompanist Rachel Fright, both of whom give tremendous value to every rehearsal. Individual singers are professionally coached in rehearsals by Maggie McDonald (also voice coach to the Hallé Choir) every few weeks. The actor Samuel West and BBC Radio presenter Petroc Trelawny are our patrons and Rachel Copley BEM is our President.
In 2023 the Chorus launched the Stella Jockel Competition to support local young composers starting out in their musical careers. The winning works were premiered at the finale of the Classical Sheffield Festival Weekend in Sheffield City Hall. You can read more about the competition at Stella Jockel Young Comp0ser Competition. This project led to a nomination for a Making Music Award in 2023.
The chorus currently numbers about 160 singers, and always welcomes new members. Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm at King Edward VII Upper School, Glossop Rd, Sheffield S10 2PW. We are a friendly choir and prospective members are very welcome to try us out before joining, following an audition which doesn't involve sight singing; re-auditions are every three years. If you are interested, check out our website https://sheffieldphil.org/memb... for further details and then contact the New Members' Officer on 01433 630970 or 0777 157 8233 or NewMembership2018@SheffieldPhil.org
There have been a number of really high points in the Chorus’s history. The recording ofThe Dream of Gerontius made with the Hallé and Barbirolli nearly 50 years ago is highly acclaimed and is still available; amazingly a few existing Chorus members took part in the recording. The Chorus performed the Berlioz Te Deum in the Royal Albert Hall under Sir Thomas Beecham, Handel’s Messiah with Sir Malcolm Sargent, and Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony, with the composer himself conducting. More recently the Chorus has worked with a wide range of conductors and orchestras - and some outstanding soloists - performing some 'traditional' repertoire (Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Britten's War Requiem, etc.) as well as that of contemporary composers, including Wilby and Mealor. The Chorus has commissioned several new pieces in recent years, and has made recordings for Chandos and for BBC Radio 3. The Chorus also has its lighter moments, in particular our very popular annual Christmas Concerts with the Black Dyke Band. Carols from the 'Awake Arise' Christmas CD with Black Dyke Band have been Classic FM Drive winners no fewer than four times.
In 2011 the Chorus launched The Friends of Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus. More details are on the Friends page of the Chorus website, which is at www.sheffieldphil.org. The website provides news of forthcoming concerts, reviews, details of recordings featuring the chorus, and a detailed history of the Chorus.
How to get involved
If you are thinking about joining us, there is more detail at https://sheffieldphil.org/memb... and also a series of FAQs with comforting and very relevant answers at https://sheffieldphil.org/memb...
Telephone (new members): 01433 630970 or 07771 578233
Email (new members): NewMembership2018@SheffieldPhil.org
Telephone (Friends): 0114 230 2887
Email (Friends): Friends@SheffieldPhil.org
