About the choir
We are a mixed voice chamber choir based in Epsom, Surrey.
The choir gives three or four concerts each year, mostly in the church of St Martin of Tours, Epsom, making the most of the superb acoustic of Epsom’s largest historical building.
We aim for the highest standards and have the reputation of being one of Surrey's leading choirs.
We sing a very wide range of music, both sacred and secular, from masses and oratorios to madrigals and part songs, with composers from Bach to Bernstein, Tallis to Tavener, and Mozart to Mancini.
The choir mostly performs unaccompanied, but also works from time to time with small orchestras, bands or instrumentalists. We have also joined forces with the Guildford-based Vivace chorus to sing in larger works. Recent performances include Handel's Dixit Dominus, Bach’s St John Passion and Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass. Other composers whose works we perform regularly include Eric Whitacre, John Rutter and Ralph Vaughan Williams.
We support the performance of new music. In 2016 the choir premiered a work by the choir’s then conductor, Piers Maxim. The oratorio “The Musket Ball”, performed in the chapel of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, recounted the tragic tale of the execution of Admiral John Byng in 1757. We have also included music written by members of the choir in our programmes.
Since the choir was formed back in 1969 we have performed at venues as varied as St. James’ Piccadilly, the Southbank Centre, Great Malvern Priory and the Ritz hotel, as well as singing services in a number of cathedrals including St. Paul’s, Ely, St. Albans, Gloucester and, of course, Guildford. Until the disastrous fire of 2015 we sang each Christmas in the Marble Hall at Clandon Park for more than 25 years.
We also tour abroad occasionally. Most recently we visited Chantilly, Epsom’s twin town, and also sang in the church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris.
Epsom Chamber Choir took part in the Epsom In Harmony Choral Festival in July 2016 where local choirs joined with those from France, Germany and Belgium in a festival concert at Epsom College.
If you have choral experience, good sight-reading and are committed to high standards, please contact us using the “Contact us” link on this website. We rehearse on Thursday evenings during term time in Epsom. Admission to the choir is by audition.
Epsom Chamber Choir is a Registered Charity number 1026721.
We are affiliated to Making Music.
The choir is very grateful for the continuing support of The Humphrey Richardson Taylor Charitable Trust.