Two December Concerts from the West London Chorus

An evening of Mozart and Haydn followed by Carols by Candlelight

Hilary Campbell conducting West London Chorus. Picture: West London Chorus

November 22, 2025

Local choir, the West London Chorus, is giving two performances in the run up to Christmas.

On Saturday 6 December at 7:30pm it joins forces with the British Sinfonietta for a programme of classical brilliance. Under the direction of Hilary Campbell, the evening features Mozart’s joyful Sparrow Mass and the ever-popular Eine kleine Nachtmusik, alongside Haydn’s dramatic Nelson Mass.

Soloists include Ceferina Penny (soprano), Nancy Holt (alto), Rob Jenkins (tenor), and Lawrence White (bass). This promises to be a stirring performance in the atmospheric setting of St Michael & All Angels in Bedford Park.

Tickets cost £20 or £10 for students and can be bought online. Book here

Then on Monday 15 December, I Sing of a Maiden – Carols by Candlelight takes place in St. Nicholas Church on Church Street starting at 7pm.

The WLC Chorale presents its annual candlelit Christmas concert, this year built around a Marian theme. The programme includes Andrew Carter’s A Maiden Most Gentle, John Rutter’s Mary’s Lullaby and Silent Night, Richard Terry’s Myn Lyking, Patrick Hadley’s I Sing of a Maiden, Hilary Campbell’s Hath the Inn No Room?, Rachmaninov’s Bogoroditse Devo, and David Willcocks’ arrangement of Angelus ad virginem.

With solos and ensemble pieces from the choral scholars, and accompaniment by pianist Marija Stručkova, this promises to be a festive highlight filled with warmth, tradition, and candlelit atmosphere. Tickets available here

The original Chiswick Choir was founded in 1976 in W4 by John Thackray, a passionate musician who served as conductor for many London choirs. Between 1984 and 2015 the choir was conducted by Alistair Jones and since January 2016 the choir has been under the direction of award-winning composer and conductor Hilary Campbell. In 2021 the choir changed its name to the West London Chorus to reflect its wider reach and appeal.

Over the course of its career the Choir has built a repertoire principally based on the European tradition from the 16th to 20th centuries. The choir has also performed more contemporary pieces, including the world premiere of Alistair Jones’s Stabat Mater in 2006, Will Todd’s Mass In Blue and works by Bob Chilcott and others.

The choir’s repertoire includes most of the major works suited to a group of its size – the Bach Passions, Mass in B minor, oratorios by Handel, works by Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, Verdi’s Requiem, Mendelssohn’s Elijah and so on. Excursions into the 20th century have included performances of Britten’s Saint Nicolas, Tippet’s A Child of Our Time and Stravinsky’s A Symphony of Psalms.

It always welcomes new members, and more information is available on its web site.

The choir also offers a limited number of vocal scholarships each year to nurture the skills and experience of talented singers between the ages of 18 and 30.