In 2018 Kings Langley Community Choir reaches a significant milestone, its tenth anniversary. Events to mark this are being planned and more details will be announced in due course, but the celebration will begin in late January with the recording of the Choir’s third album and climax with an Anniversary Concert at the Steiner School Theatre on Friday, 26th October.
Since 2008 the Choir has established a reputation for strong harmony singing and a repertoire that is enjoyed by all ages. In commercial parlance Kings Langley Community Choir is a truly successful ‘start-up’. Initiated by Joy Mendelsohn, then Head of Music at Kings Langley School, and local resident Iris Rattle, and conceived as an A Cappella choir, they appointed Verity Standen as the first Music Director.
The Choir was then, and remains, a voluntary organisation entirely managed and supported by its members, although grateful acknowledgement is due to Kings Langley School for providing rehearsal facilities at the outset. Also a constant from the start has been the principle that the Choir should be open to all; members are welcomed with or without prior musical experience or knowledge. From an initial gathering of twenty-five in September 2008, in recent years the Choir has maintained a consistent membership of over sixty. Members can simply enjoy the experience of singing within the group and, if they wish, also participate in performances. The Choir meets every Tuesday during term time – now at the Steiner School, Langley Hill – from 7:30 to 9:00pm. Members represent an entire cross-section of the local community, in age and vocation. Their common interest is a love of music and the enjoyment of singing in harmony.
Ben Crawley joined the Choir as Music Director in September 2012, and has since taken the Choir’s singing and repertoire range to further and higher levels. Ben has a distinguished career as a chorister and choir leader, and he provides many of the song arrangements which blend the harmonies to deliver the rich sound which has become the hallmark of performances by Kings Langley Community Choir.
The Choir has an extensive repertoire of songs that embrace many musical genres and are enjoyed by everyone – pop, gospel, doo wop, folk, traditional, international, etc. There are some live recordings YouTube; simply enter Kings Langley Community Choir.
Every year the Choir performs at numerous local events and venues. Kings Langley Carnival and Christmas Festival, Bushey Fair, Rickmansworth Festival, Watford Colosseum, Christ Church, Chorleywood and Holy Trinity Church, Leverstock Green are but some which feature regularly. The Choir has also been proud to represent Kings Langley with performances in national venues – The Royal Festival Hall, The Roundhouse, The Cadogan Hall and twice at The Palace of Westminster. Such is the Choir’s standing that there has even been an invitation to perform at the Carnegie Hall, New York, although unfortunately this could not be accepted.
An important aspect of the Choir’s performances is helping raise funds for local charities and organisations. Age UK Dacorum, All Saints Church Mission, Hope for Children, Kings Langley New School Fund, Rennie Grove Hospice, The Hospice of St.Francis, The Peace Hospice and the Waterside Centre have all benefited.
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