“Since its establishment in 2003, the Choir of London has come to occupy a unique position in the landscape of British classical music. Composed of professional singers who share an ongoing commitment to charitable work, the Choir brings together some of the UK’s most exciting young soloists and ensemble performers, and has rapidly established a reputation for projects of outstanding musical quality. 2006 has seen debut appearances at St John’s, Smith Square and at the South Bank in London, whilst a first recording − the world première of the “Jerusalem Version” of Sir John Tavener’s Lament for Jerusalem − topped the UK core classical charts for several weeks. (BBC Music Magazine wrote of the disc: “It’s hard to imagine it better performed, or recorded,” Classical CD Review commented, “The performance is perfection,” and the Philadelphia Inquirer commended the choir’s “exceptional purity”.) In December 2006, the Choir performed for the first time alongside the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and in March 2007 it made its Cadogan Hall debut, performing John Rutter’s acclaimed Requiem under the composer’s own direction. In addition to its calendar of regular professional engagements, the Choir and its Orchestra maintain an active programme of education and outreach activity, with a focus on supporting musicians and music-making in particularly difficult environments. Musicians volunteer their time and energies for a variety of special projects which fall outside the usual ambit of professional performance work.”

The Choir of London’s premiere recording of Lament for Jerusalem by John Tavener was released in 2006, and spent several weeks at No.1 in the Classical charts. Download it at iTunes:

The Palestine Music Festivals (2007: Palestine Mozart Festival)

“A major event on the cultural landscape in Palestine, the Palestine Mozart Festival brings together over 200 musicians and students from the Middle East and Europe to celebrate the genius of Mozart in a series of over 25 public and educational events, in Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nablus and Ramallah, between March 31 and April 14, 2007. Alongside masterclasses, workshops and guest performances by international musicians, the concert programme includes three performances of Mozart’s sublime Requiem, a new production of The Magic Flute – the first ever fully-staged professional operatic production in the West Bank – and two recitals by internationally-acclaimed pianist Saleem Abboud Ashkar.”