Wimbledon Choral has been described as 'one of the most substantial and formidable choirs in London … a vigorous and sophisticated choral ensemble'. The choir is over 100 years old, re-founded in the early stages of the First World War, but its earliest recorded roots go back to 1870. Today we are a modern, dynamic group of singers, always ready to stretch ourselves and try new things, making sure we keep up our reputation as one of the finest amateur symphonic choirs in south-east England.

Under Neil Ferris’ inspiring musical direction, we perform regularly with professional orchestras and soloists in major concert venues in and around London. We work with well-established soloists and leading orchestral groups, such as the Philharmonia Orchestra, Florilegium and the London Mozart Players, as well as with rising stars in the early years of their career. Our recent repertoire ranges from major classical choral works, old and new, to smaller, less well-known compositions, a cappella pieces and jazz. We enjoy performing new works from the rich repertoire of contemporary composers and, as well as the Da Vinci Requiem, have commissioned works from Michael Higgins, Chris Hutchings and Owain Park.

Our television work includes recording the BBC 1998 World Cup theme Pavane as well as numerous appearances on BBC’s Songs of Praise and The Big Sing, and it has been our great honour to sing many times in the presence of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and His Majesty King Charles III at the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

The Da Vinci Requiem had its genesis in our centenary which was not just about looking back to our First World War origins but also about optimism for the future. That’s why we decided to commission a major new work, our own piece of choral history, part of the wonderfully vibrant modern British choral tradition. We were thrilled that Cecilia McDowall accepted the commission. It was very exciting indeed to perform the world première of her Da Vinci Requiem to a packed audience at the Royal Festival Hall, London, in 2019, just a few days after the 500th anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci’s death.