Who we are

Kings Lynn Festival Chorus is a dynamic and engaging choir drawing members from across Norfolk and neighbouring counties.

The ensemble was founded in 1977 for a performance in the King’s Lynn Festival, conducted by Christopher Hogwood. Some fifty years on, the Chorus enjoys a busy schedule of concerts and events and a prominent position on the landscape of the region’s music-making.

Under the baton of Music Director Ben Horden, the Chorus performs from an extensive and wide-ranging repertoire and does so with a commitment and enthusiasm enjoyed by its warm and receptive audiences. It has performed many of the great choral works, with recent and forthcoming highlights including Mozart’s Requiem, Haydn’s Creation, J S Bach’s St John Passion, Handel’s Messiah, Carl Orf’s Carmina Burana, Rachmaninoff’s Vespers, Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle, and Duruflé’s Requiem. Other programmes have featured Broadway classics, American spirituals and modern arrangements of well-known jazz and pop numbers.

The Chorus is proud of its association with the King’s Lynn Festival and of its own collaborations with internationally renowned artists and ensembles. These have included Dame Emma Kirkby, Elizabeth Watts, Peter Daveron, the English Chamber Orchestra, the European Union Chamber Orchestra, Voces8 and Stile Antico. The Chorus has recorded two CDs, most recently a Christmas compilation 'Hark!' for which they were joined by brass ensemble Mardi Brass.

Alongside its music-making, the Chorus enjoys a vibrant social dynamic.

It has enjoyed tours across Europe where performing wonderful music in magnificent venues has been coupled with the opportunity to spend time together and build on a strong community spirit. Past tours have included Spain, Italy, Belgium, France, and Ireland, with concert appearances at St Mark’s Basilica in Venice, the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, and the cathedrals of Rouen and Dublin.

We are always pleased to hear from anyone with a love of choral music who would like to share in our commitment and passion to learn and perform. We rehearse weekly during term time and usually perform three or four concerts a year. We are a friendly, vibrant, experienced chorus who bring energy and enthusiasm to our performances. If you are considering joining us and would like to know more, please email the Secretary.