Islington Choral Society presents an evening of 20th-century English choral music to celebrate high summer, with the orchestral support of the Corinthian Chamber Orchestra.

Islington Choral Society are delighted to be back at LSO St Luke’s with a programme of English 20th century music that promises to surprise and delight. The Music for a Summer’s Evening concert features Vaughan Williams’ lyrical cantata In Windsor Forest and his beloved Serenade to Music, written in dedication to Sir Henry Wood and featuring words from Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice. The choir will also sing Geoffrey Bush’s essentially sunny and life-enhancing Summer Serenade. ICS’s Director of Music Michael Waldron, rapidly being acknowledged as one of the leading conductors of his generation, will conduct the choir and the Corinthian Chamber Orchestra. The orchestra also treat us to Geoffrey Bush’s Consort Music for String Orchestra.

On 27th June, the Allegri Singers bring the joys of summer to St Francis of Assisi, West Wickham — from Monteverdi’s passionate Italian madrigals to Purcell, Parry, and a sparkling finale of contemporary favourites by Gjeilo, Ešenvalds, and Whitacre.

The Resurrection - Simon McEnery and Jeremy Davies

Simon McEnery wrote The Resurrection (with text by Jeremy Davies, then Precentor of Salisbury Cathedral) just over twenty years ago. It was commissioned (by David and Anne Cooke) as a sequel of sorts to Stainer’s Crucifixion, and critics at the time noted that it was 'somewhere between an oratorio and a musical’ (Cathedral Music).

Since then it has been performed in the UK and USA, and recorded by Salisbury Cathedral Choir, but this June will see only the second time it has been performed in Salisbury since then.

Salisbury Chamber Chorus will be performing the piece twice over one weekend, on June 13 and 14, in St Thomas’s Church. They will be joined by Nova Foresta Philharmonic, regular pianist John Cuthbert, and three of the original soloists, plus Salisbury tenor Edwin Lambert. The concerts will be conducted by the composer and they will also be Simon McEnery’s last concerts as musical director of the choir he formed fifteen years ago.

McEnery said: ‘I’m very excited to be doing this piece again. It’s probably my most popular and successful piece, and I love the way it marries a lot of my favourite things, from English Choral Music to 70s disco, juicy strings with the tiniest hint of Mantovani and house piano rhythms, plus the text is incredibly moving.’

Salisbury Chamber Chorus

Imogen Roose, Soprano; Carolyn Jackson, Mezzo-Soprano; Edwin Lambert, Tenor; Dyfed Wyn Evans, Baritone

Nova Foresta Philharmonic

John Cuthbert - piano

Simon McEnery - conductor

The Resurrection - Simon McEnery and Jeremy Davies

Simon McEnery wrote The Resurrection (with text by Jeremy Davies, then Precentor of Salisbury Cathedral) just over twenty years ago. It was commissioned (by David and Anne Cooke) as a sequel of sorts to Stainer’s Crucifixion, and critics at the time noted that it was 'somewhere between an oratorio and a musical’ (Cathedral Music).

Since then it has been performed in the UK and USA, and recorded by Salisbury Cathedral Choir, but this June will see only the second time it has been performed in Salisbury since then.

Salisbury Chamber Chorus will be performing the piece twice over one weekend, on June 13 and 14, in St Thomas’s Church. They will be joined by Nova Foresta Philharmonic, regular pianist John Cuthbert, and three of the original soloists, plus Salisbury tenor Edwin Lambert. The concerts will be conducted by the composer and they will also be Simon McEnery’s last concerts as musical director of the choir he formed fifteen years ago.

McEnery said: ‘I’m very excited to be doing this piece again. It’s probably my most popular and successful piece, and I love the way it marries a lot of my favourite things, from English Choral Music to 70s disco, juicy strings with the tiniest hint of Mantovani and house piano rhythms, plus the text is incredibly moving.’

Salisbury Chamber Chorus

Imogen Roose, Soprano; Carolyn Jackson, Mezzo-Soprano; Edwin Lambert, Tenor; Dyfed Wyn Evans, Baritone

Nova Foresta Philharmonic

John Cuthbert - piano

Simon McEnery - conductor

Music of Light and Reconciliation

Islington Choral Society travel to Czechia to perform to concerts of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem along with other French choral music by Fauré and César Franck.

Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle (Little Solemn Mass) is an unusual piece, not least because it isn't little, or solemn. In fact, it's rather a jolly piece written for choir and soloists with piano and harmonium, or (as on this occasion) accordion instead of harmonium. We're being joined for this concert by Ukrainian accordionist Yuliia Hermeniuk. As well as the unusual sound of the piece, it's noteworthy for being a rare late work by Rossini, which is still very operatic (with some beautiful lyric moments as well as being slightly crazy), but more reminiscent of early Verdi than, say, Rossini's own Barber of Seville. Simon McEnery conducts, the pianist is John Cuthbert.

Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle (Little Solemn Mass) is an unusual piece, not least because it isn't little, or solemn. In fact, it's rather a jolly piece written for choir and soloists with piano and harmonium, or (as on this occasion) accordion instead of harmonium. We're being joined for this concert by Ukrainian accordionist Yuliia Hermeniuk. As well as the unusual sound of the piece, it's noteworthy for being a rare late work by Rossini, which is still very operatic (with some beautiful lyric moments as well as being slightly crazy), but more reminiscent of early Verdi than, say, Rossini's own Barber of Seville. Simon McEnery conducts, the pianist is John Cuthbert.