About

The Highgate Choral Society was created in 1878 and is one of the oldest choirs in London. We rehearse every Monday evening during term time. 

In 2028 we shall be celebrating the choir’s 150th Anniversary with a whole year of exciting venues and events.

Musical Vision

A choir and orchestra in a concert hall with a conductor leading them. The piano and violins are visible, and the audience is not visible.

Building on 150 years of tradition, we explore great choral music from the 1600s to the present day. We perform alongside professional orchestras and soloists, with ambition, warmth, curiosity, and an unwavering commitment to musical excellence for everyone.

TOURS

Every two years, the choir enjoys a four-day tour to a European city to sing concerts occasionally joining local choirs in concerts. We have visited Berlin (below), Leiden, Seville and many other beautiful cities to date and our 2027 tour will be to Bordeaux.

WORKSHOPS

We run a residential singing workshop every other year.

Four people sitting closely together at a table in a dimly lit room, looking at open books or documents. The background features a brick wall, indicating an indoor setting, possibly a study or a meeting space.
A woman is conducting a choir of women singing in a room with arched brick walls and hanging lights.
A group of people attending an outdoor event, with trees in the background. They are engaged, some smiling, and holding items like a booklet and drinks.
A choir performing in a large church with brick walls and tall arched windows, with a conductor standing in front of them.
A group of mostly middle-aged and older adults gathered outdoors in front of a large building with ornate windows and a steeply pitched roof. The image shows a smiling woman with glasses in the foreground, holding a drink, with her arms crossed, and
A choir performing in a church with arched windows, brick walls, and a large audience watching.
A group of older adults, mostly women, standing outside and smiling at a social gathering, some holding drinks.
An indoor concert hall with a classical brick architecture, filled with an audience seated in rows, a performer playing the piano on stage, and a woman standing near the piano. The hall features tall windows and modern lighting fixtures.

OUR MUSIC DIRECTOR

Sam Evans

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Sam Evans was appointed Music Director of Highgate Choral Society in November 2025. He is also Music Director of Battersea Choral Society, and Battersea Power Station Community Choir, which he founded in 2016. Sam has been a choral specialist for more than 25 years. He was a choral scholar at King's College Cambridge, and has sung regularly with the Monteverdi Choir since 2001. He trained as a singer at the Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal College of Music International Opera School. He has held various teaching positions, including five years as Head of Vocal Studies at Highgate School. As a guest chorus-master, he has worked with the Swedish Radio Choir, BBC Singers, Singakademie Wien, and the Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

HISTORY

Singing together since 1878

  • Close-up of elderly person's hand holding a sheet of music, with a younger person's hand also visible holding the same sheet, in a music setting.

    1878

    The choir was founded by Miss Julie Glover, with the annual subscription set at two shillings. According to the minutes of the annual Committee meeting of 1879, the choir’s mission was to ‘promote the knowledge and performance of vocal music’.

    Originally, the choral society met every two weeks in Highgate, in each other’s houses on a Monday evening. Members wore evening dress and a concert was held annually.


  • Close-up of a layered strawberry shortcake dessert with fresh strawberries on top, whipped cream layers, and a sponge cake base.

    1901

    The minutes of 1901 detail the refreshments to be served during the interval – ‘soup, sandwiches, cake and claret cup’! 

  • A man with curly hair and light skin, wearing a black shirt, appears surprised or shocked as he looks at a book or sheet of paper. Behind him, there are two women, one with glasses and short curly hair, wearing a patterned blouse, and the other with glasses and darker curly hair, both observing the scene.

    1922

    The records for 1922 show that there were 48 members with an average attendance of 35 at each meeting. Amongst other pieces, members sang Mendelssohn’s Not Unto Us and Brahms’ Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny). The choir continued to flourish up until the outbreak of the Second World War.

  • Interior of a church with wooden pews, stained glass windows, and a choir area at the front with people singing.

    1946

    After the Second World War, the choir’s then conductor (Edward Chapman – who would also go on to teach the future composers, John Rutter and John Tavener) reconvened the choir and remained at its helm until 1971. During this time, the choir moved to having three concerts each year.

  • Close-up of a person playing a black and silver flute, holding it with both hands. The person is wearing a dark shirt and is sitting on a chair with other similar instruments in the background. The setting appears to be a performance or practice space.

    1971

    On Edward Chapman’s retirement from the role, Brian Wright (1971-85) was appointed as the Choir Director.

  • A large choir singing with a conductor leading them, all dressed in formal black attire, during a performance.

    1985

    The baton was taken by Ron Corp (1985-2025) under whose leadership the choir continued to grow and thrive focussing on performing large-scale choral works with professional orchestras.

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard, wearing a black shirt and a wristwatch, conducting an orchestra or choir with a white baton in his hand in an indoor setting.

    2025

    Sam Evans was appointed by the choir as Musical Director securing the future of the Highgate Choral Society.

  • A choir and orchestra performing inside a church with a conductor leading them, several musicians playing violins, and a large group of singers holding sheet music, with church architecture visible in the background.

    2028

    In 2028 Highgate Choral Society will celebrate it’s 150th Anniversary.

Ron Talks

Our former Music Director, Ron Corp, shares his thoughts on a variety of pieces the Choir has performed over the years.

More Videos

TESTIMONIALS

‘When I sing with my friends in HCS as a long‑standing member of the Altos, I forget all my troubles. It is always a pleasure to see new (and younger) faces whom I always try to chat to during the break.’

Meet the Team

Our Trustees govern all choir business and together with our Music Director, set concert dates and programmes. We also have a very active committee who support and manage rehearsals and concerts, run the choir library, help with publicity and selling concert tickets as well as plan and organise our two yearly choir tours and residential workshops.

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Luke Randolph
Treasurer

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Emily Finch
Chair

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Ursula Taylor
Membership

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Diana Muggleston
Box Office

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Alison Paterson
Publicity & Marketing

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Felicity Dirmeik
Membership

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Caroline Dove
Box Office

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Ashitey Olennu

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Ali Brodie
General Manager

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Richard Gourlay
Concert Manager

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Peter Warden
Librarian

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  • Alexander Wells has played the piano for Highgate Choral Society's rehearsals for some thirty years. An experienced accompanist to singers and instrumentalists, he studied in Paris, at Cambridge for a degree in Russian and French, then at the Royal College of Music and later at the National Opera Studio, which led to work at Covent Garden and Glyndebourne as well as with numerous smaller opera companies. A longtime associate of Ronald Corp, he was accompanist to the New London Children's Choir from its launch in 1991 – taking part in many prestigious performances and making several recordings. Under Ron's baton he also played for the London Chorus, and continues as their regular accompanist.

Help us celebrate 150 years.

In 2028, Highgate Choral Society will celebrate our 150th birthday. Support us today to ensure our future for the next century!

Support Us

CONTACT

Get in touch

Whether you’re curious about joining our choir, hoping to come to a concert, or looking to make a contribution to us, we’re here to talk.

General Enquiries

chair@hcschoir.com

Membership Enquiries

singwithhcs@hcschoir.com

Concert Enquiries

tickets@hcschoir.com