Festival Chorus

The much acclaimed Edinburgh Festival Chorus is a group of talented amateur singers, established in 1965.

Those who successfully audition join around 130 others in weekly rehearsals, led by Chorus Master Christopher Bell. This dedicated group prepare throughout the year for several concerts given during the Festival itself.  

The Chorus's hard work is rewarded with the opportunity to appear on a world stage with some of the major international conductors, orchestras and soloists.

As part of Festival 09, the Chorus sang in the Opening Concert, Handel's Judas Maccabaeus with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, conducted by William Christie; Verdi's Macbeth with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Robertson; Berlioz's Roméo et Juliette with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by Stéphane Denève and Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius with the Hallé, conducted by Sir Mark Elder.

'The chorus rose to those uniquely Veridan heights of massed-voice passion'
(The Sunday Times on Verdi's Macbeth, Festival 09)

Want to take part?

We are holding an open rehearsal on Tuesday 3 November 2009, 7.00pm in the Main Hall of The Hub, when you can find out more information about the Chorus and arrange an audition. To find out more, please contact Helen MacLeod, Chorus Administrator, chorus@eif.co.uk or 0131 473 2027, or write to:

Helen MacLeod
Chorus Administrator
Edinburgh International Festival
The Hub
Castlehill
Edinburgh
EH1 2NE

Christopher Bell, Chorus Master
Belfast born, Edinburgh based Christopher Bell is currently Chorus Director of the Grant Park Chorus, Chicago, USA, Chorus Master of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus and of the Belfast Philharmonic Choir, and Artistic Director of Children's Classic Concerts. He was largely responsible for the formation of the National Youth Choir of Scotland in 1996 and has been its Artistic Director since then.

The Edinburgh Festival Chorus has performed with world renowned conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Carlo Maria Giulini, Herbert von Karajan, Sir Georg Solti, Michael Gielen, Sir Charles Mackerras, Carlo Rizzi, John Eliot Gardiner and Esa-Pekka Salonen. It has performed works including Janacek's Glagolitic Mass, Mahler's Symphony of a Thousand, Schoenberg's Gurrelieder, Elgar's Dream of Gerontius, Messiaen's St Francois d'Assise, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, Berlioz's The Trojans and Verdi's Macbeth. It has toured to Salzburg, Berlin, Cologne, Paris and the London Proms and has recorded Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, Zimmermann's Requiem for a Young Poet, Beethoven's Fidelio, Mendelssohn's Elijah and Mozart's Idomeneo.

'The Festival Chorus sang with a terrific torn beauty' The Sunday Times