About Us
Our Story
In 2009, a small group of music enthusiasts began coming together to sing at services at the Deutsche Ev. Christuskirche in Knightsbridge. On the initiative of our Musical Director, Barbara Höfling, this informal gathering grew into a permanent ensemble.
Over a decade later, we're a diverse, international choir of around 60 singers, with a wide-ranging repertoire and a busy performance schedule — and we've attracted attention from both German and UK television, as well as the musical press.
What We Sing
The German choral masterpieces of the 17th to late 19th centuries — Schütz, Bach, Haydn, Brahms, Mendelssohn and many more — form the heart of our repertoire, alongside classical choral works from outside the Austro-German tradition, including British, Italian and US composers.
Contemporary music matters to us too. We regularly perform new works, some specially commissioned for the choir, and we've taken our music to venues across London, Paris, Brussels and Rome.
We also have a long tradition of collaborating with other choirs and ensembles on our CDs, concerts and services — including the choirs of King's College Cambridge and St-Martin-in-the-Fields, the German Choir Paris, the UK Parliament Choir, Canterbury Cathedral Choir and Coventry Cathedral Choir, as well as the choirs of several of London's Lutheran congregations, with whom we marked the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.
Making Music with a Meaning
With inventiveness and drive, our Musical Director, Barbara Höfling, ensures we don't simply perform pieces in isolation, however beautiful — we use music to prompt our audiences to think about topics and events of social and historic importance. We regularly raise funds for charity and awareness for causes we care about.
“I believe in the power of music to move people, to create communities beyond perceived borders, to create a better world in the here and now. Music speaks to us in our own language, in our own emotion and this with a clarity and urgency that reaches beyond words. To create a group in harmony, teach them to sing!
I studied violin, singing and conducting at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hanover. I soon after discovered my passion for choral music. I sang with some of the most amazing choirs and ensembles in the world: RIAS Chamber Choir, BBC Singers, Berlin Radio Choir, Hamburg Radio Choir, Monteverdi Choir, London Voices to name just a few. The experience I gained from that is what I love passing on to singers in my choirs, but also virtually all over the world.
I believe that choral work should be a healthy mixture of voice technique, historically informed work on the repertoire and tons of fun. Because in the end it’s the fun that will give not just us performers but also the audience a good time.”
The Audition
You’re looking to join us?
That’s great! Just come along and attend a few of our regular rehearsals.
After a few weeks, we invite new singers to an informal audition with our Musical Director, Barbara Höfling.
Find out more about these in the video.
Questions before you come along?
Write to us — we answer every email, in German or English.