 | Background Founded in 1986 by Matthew Greenall, the Elysian Singers has established a national reputation as a young and lively chamber choir. We are particularly known for our adventurous programming and have won awards for commissioning new music. Initially formed from choirs in Oxford and Cambridge, we have diversified to embrace singers from all backgrounds, this website now being our main source of new members. We give the majority of our performances in London. 
Performing During the past five years we have given concerts in St John's Smith Square, The Wigmore Hall, Christchurch Cathedral Dublin, Pamplona and the Royal Festival Hall foyer. We have also appeared in the televised finals of the 2000 Sainsbury's Choir of the Year competition at the Albert Hall and performed in Windsor Castle, at Kenwood House and for the Royal Academy of Arts.  
Highlights - Winning the UK adult choir heat of Let the Peoples Sing
- Jubilee Spectacular Lakeside Prom (including fireworks) at Kenwood House with the BBC Concert Orchestra
- BBC-televised Sainsbury's Choir of the Year finals at the Albert Hall
- BBC2's Lesley Garrett Easter Special
- HRH The Prince of Wales' fiftieth birthday concert at Windsor Castle with the English Chamber Orchestra
- more highlights
 
Broadcasts and recordings
The choir has broadcast several times on radio and television in the UK and the USA, including the first broadcast performance of Henryk Gorecki's Miserere and Three Lullabies on BBC Radio 3, in the presence of the composer. It has also made several commercial recordings, including Delius' complete part-songs. 
New music
We have forged relationships with a number of contemporary composers, including Alan Bullard, Geoffrey Burgon, Andrew Hugill, Tarik O'Regan, Howard Skempton and John Tavener, who observed in a television interview, "Amongst chamber choirs they're one of the best". We have regularly premiered and commissioned works by British composers. Sam Laughton, Director  | Sam read music at Cambridge, where he was organ scholar at Sidney Sussex College. He founded the Cambridge Baroque Singers, and has since become Director of the Craswall Players and the Shipton Festival. He has worked freelance with the Baylis Programme at ENO and Oxford Philomusica, made two recordings as an organist with River Records and appears regularly at the Battersea Arts Centre and the Stoke Newington Festival. | Matthew Greenall, Founder  | Matthew founded the choir in 1986 and was its Director until December 1999. After studying at Balliol College Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music, he pursued a career as a professional pianist, conductor and teacher. He was appointed Director of the British Music Information Centre in 1996. He is active as a music journalist, and is a particular authority on new music. | Sir John Tavener, Patron  | Born in 1944, and knighted in 2000, Sir John Tavener is perhaps the best known living composer in Britain today. As long ago as 1969, he was asked to write a full-length opera for the Royal Opera House by Benjamin Britten. In the same year, John Lennon began issuing his music on the recently launched Apple label. The world was given a haunting reminder of his genius when "Song for Athene" was sung at the funeral service for Diana, Princess of Wales. |
Photograph: Richard Haughton (copyright Chester Music)  Top of page |
