The Deutscher Chor London (DCL), also known as the German Choir of London, is a London-based amateur mixed-voice choir with a core repertoire of German classical choral pieces and a special interest in contemporary works. The choir was founded in 2009 by its current musical director Barbara Höfling.
DCL gives around twelve performances each year and has released two CD recordings.
About DCL was founded in 2009 by singer and conductor Barbara Höfling. The initial membership was drawn largely from amateur singers associated with the Deutsche Evangelische Christuskirche in Knightsbridge, London. It has since grown to be the largest German choir in the UK.
Currently, the choir comprises around fifty active members of various nationalities. It continues to rehearse each week at the Christuskirche in Knightsbridge.
Repertoire Classical DCL's core repertoire is drawn from the German choral tradition of the seventeenth to late nineteenth centuries, in particular the works of Heinrich Schütz, Bach, Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Max Reger, Rheinberger and Bruckner.
The choir's repertoire extends to other works from the classical choral canon, including pieces by Vivaldi, Händel and Britten.
Contemporary In addition to its core classical repertoire, DCL regularly performs new choral works. Its contemporary repertoire includes the following works commissioned for the choir itself:
Ben See is part of our #CoronaCommissions project in 2020. Carol J. Jones is part of our #CoronaCommissions project in 2020. Jenni Watson's take on our #CoronaCommissions project in 2020 featured not only us but the Freiburg Saxophone Akademie as well. Sarah Rimkus is part of our #CoronaCommissions project in 2020. Luke Styles is part of our #CoronaCommissions project in 2020. Ian Stephens' "Unruhige Träume" with lyrics from the opening of Kafka's "Die Verwandlung" (The Metamorphosis) is part of our #CoronaCommissions project in 2020 Donna McKevitt's "Fear" with lyrics from a poem by Jan Noble is part of the #CoronaCommissions project in 2020. Michael Cryne's "Fear no more" with lyrics from William Shakespeare's Cymbeline is part of our #CoronaCommissions project in 2020. Danyal Dhondy's "An die Freude" a take on the well-known piece by Ludwig van Beethoven with lyrics by Friedrich Schiller for our concert "A European Celebration" in 2019. Orlando Gough's contemporary settings of war poetry by Siegfried Sassoon and May Cannan for the choir's upcoming “Selig sind die Friedfertigen” tour in 2018. Matt Gio's "The Answered Hymn", written to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Sarah Rimkus wrote a beautiful piece for us in 2016 for a performance at the Queens Gallery at Buckingham Palace. Scottish-inspired works by composers, commissioned to accompany the Buckingham Palace exhibition of Scottish art in 2016. six new Volkslied arrangements for the choir's 2015 CD "Der Mond ist aufgegangen", by Gareth Treseder "Sehnsucht nach dem Frühling", Danyal Dhondy, "Kein schöner Land in dieser Zeit" and the choir's musical director Barbara Höfling "Deutsch-Englische Vogelhochzeit" and "Am Brunnen vor dem Tore". Orlando Gough's commission for the 2012 Thames Festival XX Scharnhorst.
Performances The choir gives around twelve performances each year, encompassing: concert appearances in a range of venues; participation in church and cathedral services as a visiting choir; and charity engagements in London during the Christmas season.
Past performances DCL's performance history features collaborations with such ensembles as: the Choir of King's College, Cambridge; the choir of St-Martin-in-the-Fields; the German Choir Paris; the UK Parliament choir; the West London Bach Consort; Petersham Voices; the Keld Ensemble; and the respective choirs of several Lutheran congregations in London.
Special events and projects with which the choir has been involved include: 2019: 10 year anniversary concert of GCL with Carl Orff Carmina Burana and 'A European Celebration' with 28 songs of the 28 countries belonging to the EU. 2018: "Selig sind die Friedfertigen" / "Blessed are the peacemakers" tour. A series of events to commemorate the centenary of the end of World War I, including performances in York Minster, Highgate Cemetery, Menin Gate in Ypres, Brussels Cathedral, St Paul's Cathedral and Coventry Cathedral. 2017: Reformation 500. A series of events marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, including services at Westminster Abbey and St Martin-in-the-Fields. 2016: Samsung World Choir series. A 24-day event in December 2016, featuring 24 choirs from 24 different countries each in hour-long performances in Piccadilly Circus. 2014: Hanover 2014. A series of events marking the 300th anniversary of the Hanoverian monarchy, including performances at The Queen's Gallery Buckingham Palace and the Christuskirche Knightsbridge. 2013: Bonhoeffer's Music. A celebration of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, including performances at St Albans Cathedral and St James Piccadilly. 2012: Thames Festival. Performance of a new work by Orlando Gough in a concert aboard .
Major performances 2009 December – Christuskirche London: Christmas Concert September – Christuskirche London: Vivaldi, Gloria
2010 December – Christuskirche London: Christmas Concert November – Coventry Cathedral and Westminster Cathedral: War Requiem with Parliament Choir and Southbank Symphonia, June – Concerts with the German Choir Paris Magnificat in Paris and London
2011 December – Christuskirche London: Christmas Concert November – Christuskirche London: Bach Cantata June – Recordings for Christmas CD "Der Englische Gruss?" April – Christuskirche London: A cappella Concert
2012 December – Royal Naval Chapel Greenwich: Weihnachtsoratorium September – Thames Festival: new pieces by Orlando Gough September – Christuskirche London: Bach Cantata July – Beethoven 9th Symphony with Forest Philharmonic Orchestra July – Christuskirche London: Bach Cantata June – Filming of "streets of London" arrangement by Peter Gritton for WDR German Television May – Christuskirche London: A cappella Concert March – Master class: Bach Cantata with Christoph Siebert February – St Matthew Passion with West-London Bach Consort January – Christuskirche London: Bach Cantata
2013 December – St Mary Magdalene, Richmond: A German Christmas in collaboration with Petersham Voices November – St James's Church Paddington: Mendelssohn's Psalms 2, 42, 43 May – St James Piccadilly: Polyphony of Life – Bonhoeffer's Music May – St Albans Cathedral: Polyphony of Life – Bonhoeffer's Music April – Westminster Abbey: Evensong April – Royal Naval Chapel Greenwich: Evensong
2014 December – Hampton Court Palace: German and English Christmas carols November – St Lawrence Jewry: Romantic songs by Brahms – Liebesliederwalzer, Zigeunerliederwalzer, Neue Liebesliederwalzer, Quartette October – The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace: An enchanting dialogue between art and music, celebrating the music of 18th century composers Croft, Händel and Haydn June – Christuskirche Knightsbridge: O worship the king – 1714–2014: 300 years of Hanover Succession Works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, CPE Bach, Gluck, Steffani and others
2015 December – St Lawrence Jewry and St George's Bloomsbury: Bach Christmas Oratorio November – Hampton Court Palace: Christmas Carols October – Counting House, Cornhill: CD Release "Der Mond ist aufgegangen"
2016 December – St Paul's Cathedral: Evensong with Mendelssohn Motets December – Piccadilly Circus: Christmas Carols October – The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace: Specially commissioned pieces of Scottish-inspired music to accompany the exhibition 'Scottish Artists 1750–1900: From Caledonia to the Continent'. June – St James's Church Paddington: Bach Motets April – St Paul's Cathedral: Evensong with works by Brahms and Schütz
2017 December – St Lawrence Jewry: Händel – Dixit Dominus & Vivaldi – Gloria October – Westminster Abbey: Service in celebration of 500 years of Reformation August – Notre-Dame Paris: Service for the WWI centenary including works by Reger, Bruckner, Mendelssohn, Rheinberger and Brahms June – St James's Church Paddington: works by Brahms, Rheinberger, Bruckner and others March – St Giles' Cripplegate: Bach – Johannespassion, with Keld Ensemble February – St Martin-in-the-Fields: Choral Evensong to mark the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation, together with the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields and singers from Lutheran congregations in London February – King's College Chapel, Cambridge: Bach Vesper, together with the King's College Choir under the direction of Stephen Cleobury
2018 November – St Paul's Cathedral, Liverpool Cathedral and Lichfield Cathedral October – Coventry Cathedral and Winchester Cathedral September – Canterbury Cathedral August – Menin Gate, Ypres and Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, Brussels July – Highgate Cemetery London May – York Minster, Wakefield Cathedral, Bradford Cathedral February – Wells Cathedral
2019 December: Evensong, St Paul's Cathedral, London December: Weihnachtsoratorium BWV 248, St Lawrence Jewry and St Giles-without-Cripplegate, London October: Carmina Burana, Round Chapel, London June: Stabat Mater, St Mary-at-Hill, London March: A European Celebration, St Columbas Hall, London January: Christuskirche, London on Holocaust Memorial Day
2021 April: Virtuel Concert
Discography Der englische Gruss, 2011 – a CD of Christmas music also featuring the Parliament Choir. Der Mond ist aufgegangen, 2015 – a CD of German and British folksongs also featuring several guest choirs. The tracks include new folksong arrangements from Gareth Treseder, Danyal Dhondy and choir musical director Barbara Hoefling.
Television appearances BBC News at Six, June 2017 ARD – Ein Brexit und drei Millionen Sorgen, 7/6/2017 WDR – Wunderschön! Visit London – Shopping, Songs und Sightseeing, 29/4/2012. DCL sang “Streets of London” by Peter Gritton.
References
External links
Official website of musical director Barbara Höfling Official website of composer Orlando Gough Official website of composer Danyal Dhondy Official website of composer Gareth Treseder