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Welcome

The English Arts Chorale is an ambitious, auditioned choir of some 70 members based in Reigate, Surrey.

Founded by its conductor, Leslie Olive, in 1980, the EAC has broadcast for BBC radio, sung at the Royal Festival Hall and the Barbican, and worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, under conductors including Klaus Tennstedt and Sir Roger Norrington. Its soloists have included a galaxy of highly-regarded names including Sir Willard White, Susan Gritton, Sheila Armstrong, and Ian Bostridge.

It has also sung Messiah in a muddy field (at the Greenbelt Festival), Carmina Burana in a public park (at Reigate Summer Music Festival), and all three Elgar oratorios (The Apostles, The Kingdom, and The Dream of Gerontius) in the same week. It has sung Vaughan Williams' Pilgrim's Progress in Dorking and A Sea Symphony at Snape Maltings and The Dream of Gerontius in the spectacular Smetana Hall in Prague. It has been coached by Brian Kay, Jeremy Jackman and Robert Dean.

It has raised thousands of pounds for charity, and ran one of the first choral training programmes for adult beginners, introducing hundreds to choral singing.

The English Arts Chorale routinely performs at least one major work per season entirely from memory, creating performances of immense energy and focus.

2010-2011 season

Our next performance is at Snape, where we will be joined by Stowmarket Chorale and Eye Bach Choir in an ambitious concert containg both Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, and the Sea Symphony by Vaughan Williams. Tickets are available now, click here to buy on-line.

See our events page for information on all of our forthcoming concerts.

Help the Chorale

If you use on-line retailers such as M&S, Next, Amazon, eBay etc. you can now earn money for the Chorale in the process. You pay the same amount, but the Chorale gets a small commision. Just go to our shop and then follow the links to your usual sellers. Thanks to those who have already started using the scheme - we've now received our first cheque.

Sing with the Chorale ... and Brian Kay

BBC Performing Arts Fund logo Brian Kay graphic

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our singing day with Brian Kay. It was a fantastic event with 120 people singing in St.Mary's Church, working on the Durufle Requiem and Lauridsen O Magnum Mysterium.

We'd like to thank the Choral Ambition scheme run by the BBC Performing Arts Fund for making this event possible.

You can see the photos that were taken here.

If you were one of those who sung with us, you can still get in touch by emailing workshop@englisharts.org, or if you'd like to find out about joining The English Arts chorale on a permanent basis, ring the Membership Secretary, Rosemary Scott on 01293 775583 or email members@englisharts.org.

 

Planning your wedding?

Renaissance is a small chamber choir made up of 16 experienced singers and performing within a 20 mile radius of Reigate. Click here