London Welsh Chorale

The London Welsh Chorale was founded in 1983, under the musical direction of the distinguished operatic tenor, Kenneth Bowen, now Conductor Emeritus. Since its formation it has gained a reputation for musical excellence, performing a considerable repertoire of major choral works at principal London venues, including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, St John's Smith Square, Southwark Cathedral, St Giles Cripplegate in the Barbican, and the Royal Academy of Music. In addition the choir has toured extensively at home and abroad, from Barbados to Bangor. An avowed commitment to Welsh music - traditional, liturgical and contemporary - is a unique strand of the chorale's work. Much of this music is sadly neglected and rarely heard today, even within the Principality, and the Chorale's several recordings, including the only commercially available recording of a lost work by Joseph Parry, have endeavoured to keep alive the nation's musical heritage. The choir is also firmly committed to performing contemporary Welsh music, commissioning major works by William Mathias and Mervyn Burtch.