Songs of Praise

Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus celebrate their 75th Anniversary year with an audience of over 2 million

Press release: 22 November 2010

Sheffield’s very own Philharmonic Chorus will take centre stage on BBC One on Sunday 5th December. They will feature in a choral edition of the BBC’s flagship religious programme, Songs of Praise, singing four Christmas carols, some with a distinctly Sheffield slant.

The Christmas Songs of Praise will not only net them their largest audience to date but will be particularly close to their hearts due to an unusual Sheffield connection. There is a tradition of mass singing in some of the pubs in North Sheffield and North Derbyshire, which takes place in the second half of November and throughout December, and which is often referred to as ‘The Sheffield Carols’. These events have been described as one of the most remarkable instances of popular traditional singing in the British Isles, and featured in broadcasts last Christmas on both BBC Radio 2 and 3. The Sheffield carols Hark, hark what news and Christians awake will form part of the Chorus’s Christmas programme, bringing a unique local flavour to the event.

Choirs often find themselves singing festive music rather earlier than most due to having to rehearse in the months leading up to December. Songs of Praise kept this tradition alive by being recorded way back in October. “It was all quite exciting” said Jo Briddock, a 2nd alto who has sung with the Chorus for ten years. “We got our best choral glad rags on, made sure we knew the music inside out, then sang our hearts out next to a rather splendid Christmas tree….in October”, she laughed. “But I must say that St Oswald’s on Bannerdale Road was a wonderful venue, most atmospheric and with glorious acoustics”.

The Chorus’s 75th Anniversary season has already seen them perform Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius – to high acclaim – and this will be closely followed by two Christmas Concerts, at the City Hall on Sunday 12 December. Mozart’s ever popular Requiem will follow on Friday 25 February 2011 and a performance on 3 June 2011 of Walton’s Henry V with their Patron, Samuel West. They will also be joining their colleagues of the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus for a performance of Verdi’s Requiem in Leeds Town Hall on Saturday 21 May 2011. With a DVD due for imminent release of the first recording for brass band and Chorus of Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man it seems their 75th Anniversary year will certainly be one to remember.

Three-fold choral debut

Press release: 24 February 2011

So what do a Music Promoter turned Physiotherapist, an Independent Charity Consultant and a Project Manager with a professional interest in bus stations have in common? Answer; Thomas Mitchell, Ian Owers and Ambrose White will all be making their choral debuts with the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus on the City Hall stage on Friday 25th February, singing Mozart’s famous (and fabulous) Requiem.

Roughly 160 people sing with the Chorus in each concert, but don’t let the numbers fool you. Officially amateurs, they are glad of every new member since a turnover of good voices helps to keep the standard high and everyone on their toes. With this in mind they recently ran a free six-week workshop for male voices in order to give confidence, support and a general helping hand to any chap who fancied joining the Chorus but did not quite feel they had what it took to sing with such a professional sounding and highly attuned bunch. Thomas Mitchell, 34 of Broomhall, and Ambrose White, 30 of Abbeydale, both attended.

“I heard about the Chorus from my friend Ambrose” said Thomas; Ambrose having signed up for the singing workshop. “Intrigued, and not keen to shirk a challenge, I joined him. The sessions proved to be an ideal platform to undress ones inadequacies of voice and receive feedback in a safe setting. Indeed, although it has been difficult to learn how to read music and express the rhythm of the written notes, I battled through the course, gained confidence and improved my technique”. He was delighted to pass the necessary audition and says that singing is “a fantastic stimulation; physically, mentally and expressively. There is a real thrill to be in the centre of the room when the cords are held to the Chorus Masters’ demand, and afterwards ones brain feels like it has been exercised in an incomparable way”. So, not bad for a cold and dark Tuesday evening in the bowels of the University Arts Tower then!

Thomas, a Physiotherapist, has just returned to Sheffield after a number of years away working in London and the South coast, and has recently bought the clinic of George Chia on Wilkinson Street in Broomhall. His job sees him working with top athletes such as the Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby team, members of the Lawn Tennis Association, British amateur boxers and has meant he has travelled too – most notably to Beijing for the Paralympics. But music has always been a great love. “As a child I played in wind bands then moved onto blues as a teenager”, he explained. “Spare time in my twenties was spent promoting music gigs, club nights and raves around Sheffield and I never really understood classical music. I had never even heard Mozart’s Requiemprior to my involvement with the Chorus” he laughed.

Ambrose White’s story is more of a ‘slow burn’. If asked ‘what made you decide to join a choir’, people give a variety of reasons but Ambrose’s was quite straight forward. “I sing because, although it took me sometime to realise, I am always singing”. Having sung in church and school choirs, it was nearly 20 years later that he heard the Chorus sing Rachmaninov’s Vespers at the City Hall and decided to join. “Hearing that amazing performance made me recall how much I had enjoyed singing in the past”, Ambrose remembers. But even then it still took him a further three years to actually get around to taking the plunge. “The workshops gave me the chance to join with a gentle introduction back to music theory and the confidence to sing in a group. I came to realise that I might be good enough to join – and here I am. I think they were a great idea.”

Ian Owers, 64, from the Manor district, took a more traditional route. “I really started singing when I joined the village church choir in my early teens – not a particularly fashionable thing to do these days” he admits “but the music wasn’t the only attraction – it was the best way of developing a social life at that stage of hormonal development!” he grins remembering back. “And why do I sing? Well, I guess I’ve always loved singing; it’s partly a way of self-expression that takes you out of yourself but also singing collectively in a choir has a buzz and excitement to it (especially when it all just “clicks”); and the company’s good too. I’ve found the Sheffield ‘Phil’ particularly welcoming and friendly”. From his early secondary school years he had a high quality, encouraging music department and the school choir regularly performed classics like the Messiah and Bach Passions and took part in a local annual music festival.

Ian continued “I’ve kept my interest in singing going intermittently since then but never really had the time until now to join a regular choir”. He recently heard a section of the Sheffield Phil lead an event for BBC Radio 4 and was impressed by the conductor’s exuberance and the sound; found himself asking if they needed tenors, and the rest, as they say, is history.

And how do they all feel about their upcoming first performance? Ambrose admits to being “a bit apprehensive but excited”; whilst Ian gives a big smile. He already has his sights on the Verdi Requiem the Chorus will sing in May when he says, “I’m looking forward to a lot of goose-bumps over the next few months!”

You can catch them all and the rest of the Chorus at the City Hall on Friday 25th February at 7pm. All the best chaps!

Sheffield, 24 February 2011.

Scaling The Heights

Singclude Breaks Down Barriers For Disabled Singers

Sheffield, 13 January 2012

On Wednesday 25 January, Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus will open up exciting new possibilities for mobility impaired singers, when BBC Radio 4’s Disability Affairs Correspondent Peter White launches its SINGCLUDE PROJECT. Funded by Big Lottery Awards for All, Singclude is centred around the use of a portable electric stair-climber to enable singers with severe mobility impairments to access the, often temporary, seating areas provided for choirs.

Singclude has been a collaboration between the Chorus and Sheffield International Venues Ltd., who are kindly making the City Hall Memorial Hall available for the launch. Richard Hunter, General Manager of Sheffield’s City Hall said: “We were very happy to help provide access to the Chorus’s performance area for a member who needs to use a wheelchair. Singclude provided the solution and we are delighted that one of SIV’s venues is, so far as we know, the first in the UK to employ a stair-climber for this purpose”.

Chorus Chairman Julie Smethurst said: “It is increasingly well-known that singing is good for you, and singing as part of a choir is even better! Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus aims to be as inclusive and accessible as possible, and our ground-breaking Singclude project takes this to a new level as it opens up choral singing at the highest possible standard to a, so far, very under-represented group of people”. Julie added: “We do hope this initiative may inspire others to offer singing opportunities to people with significant mobility impairments thus allowing them to partake of the massive wellbeing benefits of choral singing. Locally we also hope to be able to share our stair-climber with other musical organisations whose members might be able to benefit from using it”.

The Chorus is leading the Cultural Olympiad Alight festival on 3 March in the city and would love to see the stair-climber used to ensure that singing colleagues with mobility issues are able to fulfil their dreams of performing at the city’s most prestigious concert venue. As Julie adds “In the spirit of this special 2012 year, Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus are proud to be able to help local people and we’d love any singers with mobility issues who wish to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get in touch, and we’ll do our very best to help ensure inclusivity for all.”

Full details on the Chorus and their Singclude project can be found on the Singclude page. Tickets for the Alightfestival shows are available from the City Hall on 2789789 or via the web at http://www.sheffieldcityhall.co.uk/events. Contact Rachel Mallaband at

Documents
Singclude leaflet
Peter White biography

Olympic Dreams

Will it be Singin’ in The Rain or Mr Blue Skies?

Press release: 17 June 2012

Come rain or shine, members of Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus will gather, with friends and families, to welcome the Olympic flame to Sheffield as it arrives in Parson Cross on 25 June. Chorus Chairman, Julie Smethurst, will carry the torch supported in song by her musical colleagues who want the world to know that she will never walk alone.

Julie, who was nominated by Chorus member Kate Reece, said, “To carry the Olympic flame is the most enormous honour and I can still hardly believe it is really going to happen. Kate nominated me on the basis of my work in the co Julie Smethurst mmunity on access and inclusivity for disabled people and because of the work I have done to support the cultural life of our city. Carrying a torch in the relay will be one of the proudest yet most humbling moments of my life and I am thrilled that my wonderful friends in the Chorus will be singing me and my fellow torchbearers on our way”.

Julie’s Nominator Kate added: “I was thrilled when Julie was selected as one of only 8,000 torchbearers. She is passionate about singing and always encourages everyone with whom she finds herself working. Since Julie is also totally blind, she needs a guide to assist her with the relay and I’m delighted that I will be accompanying her as she carries her torch.”

The Chorus has had the Olympics firmly in their sights throughout 2012. On 3 March the Chorus led the Alight Festival in Sheffield. Featuring 30 separate performances by over 1,500 local amateur musicians and dancers and 2 world premieres – including “Olympic Triptych” by Timothy Allen – this was a tour de force for the city as part of the BBC’s Music Nation day, a Countdown event for the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad. To support Julie in her moment of glory with the Olympic Torch Relay is therefore a most fitting end to their musical season.

The Chorus hope that their singing will inspire the crowd on Yew Lane at Morrall Road to join in. Sarah Hyde, the Chorus member organising the Parson Cross Lining The Streets event said, “We want Julie and the other torchbearers to be carried along on a wave of song and sincerely hope everyone will join us in raising their voices to celebrate the Olympic flame’s arrival in Sheffield”. They will lead the crowd in the well known and highly appropriate anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Sarah continued, “Singing brings people together in a very special way, and at this amazing moment when we will all be so close to the Olympic flame it’s wonderful that everyone in Parson Cross will have their chance to shine”.

For further details of how to join in the torch celebration email Sarah at to receive updates and details of how to get involved.

Old Recordings

Amphion Recordings have released a CD (Amphion CD PHI182) called The British Choral Tradition, vol.1, which contains two tracks recorded by the Sheffield Choir in 1926 and 1927, conducted by Sir Henry Coward. The tracks are performances of Stainer’s I am alpha and Wagner’s Hail Bright Abode.

An even older historic recording by the Sheffield Choir under Coward, dating from 1920, has been released by the Elgar Society (CDLX7042) in which the Choir sings Elgar’s From the Bavarian Highlands: Dance.

Listen to old recordings for free

The Sheffield Choir from which our Chorus was formed, made a number of recordings in the 1920s. Some of these are available to listen to on YouTube, thanks entirely to the passion and dedication of two wonderful collectors, Graham Ramkin and Nikola Zekic, who have made their copies available to all who wish to listen to these historic recordings.

Graham Ramkin collection

Music enthusiast and antique gramophone enthusiast Graham Rankin has kindly captured these on YouTube and you can listen to them using the links below. We are very grateful to Graham for making these recordings on his wonderful old gramophone.

The HMV recordings made in 1921 were acoustically achieved without the aid of microphones. The 1928 recordings, by Columbia, would have been electrically achieved as this became the standard method in 1926.

Nikola Zekić collection

We are equally grateful to Nikola P. Zekić, an ethnomusicologist who lives in Montenegro in the Balkans. He came across a 78 RPM disc of the Sheffield Choir made for Columbia, in Belgrade, Serbia, where he purchased it from an old gentleman. He very generously digitized it and uploaded each side as a separate file on YouTube, making both available to us all.

The recording is from Messiah – “Worthy is the lamb” (sadly not including the Amen Chorus) and “Hallelujah Chorus”. They appear to have been recorded using a group of singers rather than the whole choir, conducted by Sir Henry Coward. Nikola reports that it was one of the easier discs to digitise, of the many he has worked on, on account of it being so well preserved.

Amazon will donate to the Chorus if you use the link below when you purchase from Amazon Smile

Our Trustees

The Chorus is run by a committee of trustees which is elected by the members at the Annual General Meeting, which is usually held in November. The Trustees meet approximately five times a year to plan and manage Chorus affairs. Trustees receive a Trustee Pack which includes guidance documents produced by the Charities Commission to help them understand and meet their responsibilities.

The trustees who were elected in November 2023 are:

Chair: Joanne Briddock

Vice Chair: Steve Terry

Administrator: Anne Adams

Finance Officer: Jane Parkin

Membership Officer: Marianne Grayson

Rehearsals and Concerts Officer: Jim Monach

Librarians: Alan and Rosemary Anderson and Anne Burleigh

Minutes Secretary: Katharine Towers ">Katharine g

New Members’ Officer: Sally Turnbull

Social Events Officer: Helen Kirk

Education and Outreach Officer: Georgina Hulse

Transport Officer: Paul Duffield

Members’ Representatives on the committee: Patrick Callaghan, Christine Pennington, Jenny Swann

Trustees and various other members help the Chorus to meet its’ objectives in other ways:

Voice Reps: Katrina Hulse, Jacqui Amos, Pat Hall, Nerissa Kisdon, Kate Reece, Jim Monach, Richard Salt, Allan Lacey.

Website: Anne Adams, Matthew Morgan, Bill Best

Independent Examiner: Richard Pike

Making Music Representative: Jim Monach

Stairclimber: Bill Best, Rachel Mallaband, John Morgan, Kate Reece.

Contact details are available in the Members Area.

About Us

Shortlisted for the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Inspiration Award in 2024, the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus is South Yorkshire’s foremost large mixed-voice chorus, performing a range of works to a high level of musical excellence. We regularly sing with leading orchestras including the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic, the Royal Northern Sinfonia and the Manchester Camerata, and with internationally renowned conductors such as Gianandrea Noseda, Nicholas Kraemer, David Hill, Gábor Takács-Nagy and Sofi Jeannin. We perform with Orchestra in Residence the Hallé and acclaimed soloists as part of the Sheffield International Concert Season at the City Hall in Sheffield, and at other venues around the UK. We frequently collaborate with other large choirs such as the Halle Chorus, the Leeds Philharmonic Chorus, Leeds Festival Chorus, and the Halifax Choral Society. In 2023 members of the Chorus sang Mahler’s Symphony Number 2 with the City of Birmingham Symphony and Chorus in Monte Carlo in the presence of Mahler’s grand-daughter and the King of Monaco. In the same year the Chorus launched the Stella Jockel Young Composer Competition to support local composers starting out in their musical careers; this and other outreach work led to the nomination for a Royal philharmonic Society’s Inspiration Award, widely considered to be the BAFTAs of the classical music world.. Find out about our recent exploits in the News section here.

The Chorus was founded in 1935 as the resident choir for the new Philharmonic Society’s series of concerts in Sheffield City Hall. It was formed from two Sheffield choirs whose origins date back to the 1860s. After the Second World War the Chorus became closely associated with John Barbirolli and the Hallé Orchestra, with whom the Chorus sang in many other cities to great acclaim. Read more about our history here.

The Chorus is a registered charity which appoints a group of Trustees to plan what the Chorus does. The purpose of the Chorus is ‘to advance the education of the general public in choral music by the regular performance of such music from the widest possible repertoire and such means as the Committee think fit’.

The Chorus is a proud member of Classical Sheffield, a local charity which acts as an umbrella organisation for classical music-making in Sheffield, and Making Music, a national charity which supports music-making individuals and organisations.

Our Patrons

Petroc Trelawny

Petroc has presented our Christmas concerts with Black Dyke Band at the City Hall for a number of years, and at the 2022 concert we were were delighted to announce that he had agreed to become our Patron.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Petroc is to be our second Patron.’ said Rachel Copley, President of the Chorus. ‘He very generously fronted our virtual Christmas concert during the pandemic, and as a prominent radio presenter of great experience, I’m sure a good number of us could have done with a few tips about recording techniques”.

Petroc is well known as a Radio 3 and BBC TV presenter. Joining in 1998, he presents the early Breakfast programme on Radio 3, and has been a host of the Proms for a number of years. He regularly presents ‘Cardiff Singer of the World’ and has introduced many chamber music and symphony concerts for Radio Three.

Raised and educated in Cornwall, he started his career at BBC Radio Devon as a reporter and presenter and now lives in central London. Petroc hasn’t always been a music host, but used to read the news for British Forces Radio during the first Gulf War, and then broadcasting to the military from Hong Kong when it was still a British colony. As well as music his passions include Cornwall, travel, food and literature.

Samuel West

In 2008 Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus announced that actor and director Samuel West had agreed to become the society’s Patron.

Speaking on behalf of Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, Julie Smethurst who was the Chorus Chair at that time, said: “We are absolutely delighted and honoured that Sam has agreed to be our Patron, especially as we have already done some work with him. He has a very positive connection with Sheffield stemming from his job as Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, and his Patronage will really help the Chorus as it seeks to raise its profile. We very much hope that there may be future opportunities to work with Sam again, and that he will enjoy sharing this most exciting artistic relationship with us.’

Samuel was Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres from 2005 to 2007 programming two hugely successful seasons of work which included acting with his father, Timothy West, transferring As You Like It, which he directed, to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, and bringing to Sheffield such eminent artists as Harold Pinter, Jonathan Miller and Joanna Lumley.

During his time in Sheffield Samuel forged many links with schools and other organisations in the city. The Chorus is thrilled to have Samuel as their Patron, knowing of his interest in the arts in the widest of senses and his commitment to Sheffield when he lived here for three years.

Since leaving Sheffield Samuel has directed an extremely successful production of Patrick Marber’s play Dealer’s Choice, and performed at the Donmar Warehouse in Pinter’s Betrayal. As well as his acclaimed talents as both actor and director, Samuel is also much sought-after as a narrator of television documentaries, including the highly commended series The Nazis: A Warning from History, A History of Britain and The Private Life of a Masterpiece. On radio he has voiced a range of programmes from one off radio dramas and serials to recitations of poetry. In 2006 he narrated the BBC Radio 4 production of A Passage to India.

Sam has made a speciality of appearing in concert recitals: he performed the spoken lines from Walton’s Henry V at the Last Night of the Proms in 2002, a performance repeated later that year at Sheffield City Hall with the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus. He has also recorded this work with Leonard Slatkin and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Other recitations include Walton’s Façade, Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale, Prokofiev’s Eugene Oneginand Schoenberg’s Ode to Napoleon.

Unknown to many, Sam himself is a choral singer. He participated in the May 2006 Choir of London tour to Jerusalem and the West Bank, where he also gave poetry readings as part of the concert programme. In April 2007 he again joined the Choir of London in their tour of Palestine, also directing The Magic Flute.

Commenting on his role of Patron of the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus, Sam said “Sheffield is a place with a proud history of choral singing. As a fan of the city, as a past collaborator with the choir who hopes to work with them again, and as a human being who believes that singing great music together makes life better, I’m delighted to become Patron of the Philharmonic Chorus.”

Chorus Master, Darius Battiwalla, said, “As a Chorus we are continuingly striving for artistic excellence, a quality that Sam is well-known for in the arts world. To be associated with him as our Patron (is) a great privilege.”

The Chorus

Shortlisted for the 2024 Royal Philharmonic Society Inspiration Award, the Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus is South Yorkshire’s foremost large mixed-voice chorus, performing a range of works to a high level of musical excellence. We regularly sing with leading orchestras including the Hallé, the BBC Philharmonic, the Northern Sinfonia and the Manchester Camerata, and with internationally renowned conductors such as Gianandrea Noseda, Nicholas Kraemer, David Hill, Gábor Takács-Nagy and Sofi Jeannin. We perform with Orchestra in Residence the Hallé and acclaimed soloists as part of the Sheffield International Concert Season at the City Hall in Sheffield, and at other venues around the UK. We frequently collaborate with other large choirs such as the Halle Chorus, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Leeds Philharmonic Chorus and the Halifax Choral Society.

There have been a number of really high points in the Chorus’s history. The recording of The Dream of Gerontius made with the Hallé and Barbirolli nearly 50 years ago is highly acclaimed and is still available; amazingly a few existing Chorus members took part in the recording. The Chorus performed the Berlioz Te Deum in the Royal Albert Hall under Sir Thomas Beecham, Handel’s Messiah with Sir Malcolm Sargent, and Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony, with the composer himself conducting. More recently the Chorus has worked with a wide range of conductors and orchestras – and some outstanding soloists – performing some ‘traditional’ repertoire (Messiah, Mozart Requiem, Britten’s War Requiem, etc.) as well as that of contemporary composers, including Wilby and Mealor. The Chorus has commissioned several new pieces in recent years, and has made recordings for Chandos and for BBC Radio 3. The Chorus also has its lighter moments, in particular our very popular annual Christmas Concerts with the Black Dyke Band. Carols from the ‘Awake Arise’ Christmas CD with Black Dyke Band have been Classic FM Drive winners no fewer than four times.

Prestigious performance venues

Although we usually perform in Sheffield, we have participated in The Proms on a number of occasions, including the Proms in the Park event for the Last Night of the Proms in Heaton Park, Manchester in 2005 and in a performance of Beethoven‘s ninth symphony (sung from memory) with the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra for Prom 75. As well as London’s Royal Albert Hall we have performed in Leeds, Halifax, Middlesbrough, York and Edinburgh, but also in France, Germany and Monaco. We enjoy touring and performance links with French choir Ensemble Vocale Perigueux based in Perigueux France, and with the Philharmonischer Chor Bochum, who are regular performers with the Bochumer Symphoniker based in Bochum, one of Sheffield’s twin towns in Germany. In September 2023 members of the Chorus sang Mahler’s 2nd Symphony in Monte Carlo with the CBSO and CBSO Chorus.

High quality professionals

Our subscriptions pay for a professional Music Director, Darius Battiwalla, and accompanist Rachel Fright, both of whom give tremendous value to every rehearsal. Individual singers are professionally coached in rehearsals by Maggie McDonald (also voice coach to the Hallé Choir) every few weeks. These superb professionals help the Chorus maintain the high levels of excellence expected of a choir accompanied by orchestras with national and international reputations for excellence. The actor Samuel West and BBC broadcaster Petroc Trelawny are our patrons, and Rachel Copley BEM is our President.

Stella Jockel Young Composer Competition

In 2023 the Chorus launched the Stella Jockel Competition to support local young composers starting out in their musical careers. The winning works were premiered at the finale of the Classicsal Sheffield Festival Weekend in Sheffield City Hall. You can read more about the competition at Stella Jockel Young Comp0ser Competition. This project led to a nomination for a Making Music Award in 2023 and for a Royal Philharmonic Society Inspiration Award in 2024.

Young Conductor Scheme

In 2024 the Chorus launched a support scheme for aspiring young choral conductors. The scheme enables the recipient to conduct the Chorus for part of each rehearsal, coached by Music Director Darius Battiwalla, as well as receiving a stipend of £500 to help fund their musical development.

New singers welcome

The chorus currently numbers about 160 singers, and always welcomes new members in all voice parts. Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm, usually at at the Heeley Hall, Birkdale School, Sheffield, S10 3DH. We are a friendly choir and prospective members are very welcome to try us out before joining, following an audition which doesn’t involve sight singing; re-auditions are every three years. If you are interested, find out more on our New Members page.

How to support us

The best – and entirely pleasurable – way to support us is to come to our concerts. However, if you’d like to do more then do consider making a donation (easy to do, just click on the donation button below). Alternatively you could become a Friend of the Chorus. Find more details at ‘Support Us‘.

Our Music Director

Darius Battiwalla

Darius Battiwalla has been music director for Sheffield Philharmonic Chorus since 1997. In addition to preparing the choir for concerts with visiting orchestras and conductors including Mark Elder, Gianandrea Noseda, Nicholas Kraemer, and Paul Daniel, he has conducted the chorus with the Halle, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and Northern Sinfonia, and directed from the harpsichord with the Manchester Camerata. Performances have included Britten’s St Nicholas, Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, Poulenc’s Gloria and Fauré’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and Bach’s B minor mass and St.John Passion.

Since he took over as music director, the choir has performed from memory for the first time, and has appeared at the Proms and on recordings for Chandos with the BBC Philharmonic, including the newly reconstructed score of Elgar’s Crown of India with the BBCPO and Sir Andrew Davis for Chandos Records. Darius has led the choir’s collaboration with Black Dyke Band in a series of recordings in the band’s Black Dyke Gold series, and in a CD of Christmas music including a number of his own arrangements.

In 2006 Darius returned to work with the Melbourne Chorale, conducting Verdi’s Requiem in the Hamer Hall. Before taking up his post at Sheffield he was chorus master of Leeds Philharmonic Chorus. He has worked regularly as guest chorus master or conductor with many other choirs including the Northern Sinfonia Chorus, Lucerne Festival Academy, Leeds Philharmonic Chorus Huddersfield Choral Society, CBSO chorus and Netherlands Radio Choir, with whom he has specialised in contemporary music, having prepared them for works by Berio, Boulez, Ligeti, and the premiere of Stockhausen’s EngelProzessionen. In 2014 he worked with the Lucerne Festival Academy in preparation for a performance of Berio’s Coro to be conducted by Simon Rattle, and in 2018 was guest chorusmaster for the Northern Sinfonia for Paul McCreesh. In 2019 he conducted the BBC Philharmonic in a CD of music for the BBC Young Choristers of the Year.

Darius was recently appointed Leeds City Organist, performing regularly in the highly successful recital series in Leeds Town Hall, and has given organ recitals at cathedrals and concert halls throughout the country, as well as recordings and broadcasts on radio 3. He has given the recitals for the Royal College of Organists’ and Incorporated Association of Organists’ annual congress, appeared as soloist and orchestral organist and pianist for the BBC Philharmonic and Halle orchestras. 2019 saw the premiere of a new work for organ and brass band with the Black Dyke Band, a performance of Karl Jenkins’ organ concerto at the Bridgewater Hall, solo recitals in Leeds, York and London, and a live broadcast on radio 3 of Janacek’s Glagolitic Mass.

Darius also improvises for silent films on both organ and piano, including a regular silent film series at the National Media Museum. Over the past ten years he has improvised scores to more than fifty silent films on both organ and piano, not only in cinemas but in churches and cathedrals throughout the country, as well as a regular series for the National Media Museum. His improvised score for Phantom of the Opera at the RNCM in 2017 was described by theartsdesk.com as a ‘magnificent example of musical creativity…..a real multi-media achievement.’

Darius was born in London and started playing the piano at an early age, followed by the cello. He began playing the organ at St Mary’s Islington at the age of 13. He was educated at Leeds University and the Royal Northern College of Music where he won prizes for both organ and piano accompaniment.

Link to Darius Battiwalla’s website

Link to Darius Battiwalla’s concert schedule