Two of Croydon’s leading choirs are gearing up for a return to performing in public for the first time since lockdown last year.

Back on song: the Croydon Philharmonic Choir is rehearsing for concerts later this year

First off the mark is the Croydon Male Voice Choir, which is singing to diners at the Oval Tavern, East Croydon, this Sunday, starting at 2pm.

CMVC will follow that with a full concert on October 9 at St Francis, West Wickham. More concerts before Christmas are in the offing.

Meanwhile, the Croydon Philharmonic Choir has firm plans for both indoor rehearsing and concerts. The Philharmonic – Croydon’s longest-established choir – is returning to its traditional rehearsal venue, St Matthew’s Church in Chichester Road, East Croydon, on September 7.

For much of lockdown, choir members rehearsed online. This will mark its first live rehearsal – indoor or out – since March 2020.

The Philharmonic has two concerts lined up. The first is at the Anvil in Basingstoke on Sunday November 14, when it will be teaming up with the Basingstoke Choral Society for a programme of classic hits entitled Choral Heritage.

Its first performance in Croydon since lockdown is scheduled for Saturday December 18, with Christmas Extravaganza, in partnership with the London Mozart Players, the world-famous Trinity Boys Choir and Croydon’s Citadel Band at the Fairfield Halls.

This is likely to be a rousing evening, with the Philharmonic appearing there for the first time since their triumphant performance of Verdi’s Requiem in October 2019. Tickets for this concert have yet to be announced by the Halls.

“We are thrilled to be back,” Jane Castle, the choir chair, told Inside Croydon. “Both to be singing in public again and to rehearse live with our choir colleagues once more. Lockdown seemed to go on forever and we will be singing with renewed energy for our audiences. We can’t wait!”

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