Luminosity: contemporary and traditional music for choir and piano

The spellbinding Luminosity, by award- winning contemporary composer James Whitbourn, centres on the transcendent beauty of creation, with texts taken from the writings of, among others, St John, St Teresa and St Augustine. The work is scored for choir and the unusual instrumentation of viola, the Indian stringed tanpura, tam-tam and organ. As the tanpura provides a rhythmic underlay, the chorus, viola and organ float serenely above, creating moments of true stillness and overwhelming intensity.

The lively music of Vaughan Williams’ cantata In Windsor Forest is based on The Merry Wives of Windsor with texts by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. In contrast, the Serenade to Music is a work of sheer melodic beauty. It is said that when he first heard this work, Rachmaninoff wept.

Our choral programme will be complemented by four piano works by contemporary award-winning composer Cecilia McDowall. Currently 'composer-in-residence' at Dulwich College, in 2013 she received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Portsmouth. Her Four Piano Solos combine rhythmic vitality with atmospheric stillness, from the ragtime bustle of New York to an impressionistic soundscape of Venice. They received rapturous applause at their recent Polish premiere by tonight’s pianist, Nico de Villiers.

Lewisham Choral Society, with over 150singers, is one of London’s most popular choirs. Our repertoire spans all ages and styles, ranging from Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 to the contemporary Mass in Blue by Will Todd. We have performed in many London concert halls, including the Cadogan, the Royal Festival and Fairfield Halls, as well as in Paris. At the sell-out performance of the Messiah in the baroque splendour of Saint Louis en L’Ile, the audience demanded an encore of the Hallelujah chorus at midnight. LCS regularly participates in arts events and has collaborated with ENO, the BBC and The Young Vic. In summer 2012, we were proud to perform in the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.

Our director, Dan Ludford-Thomas, was Choirboy of the Year in 1986 and performed regularly as a tenor. As a conductor, he has performed in many leading venues and directs choral workshops in the UK and abroad. Dan worked on the BBC's 'Sing While You Work' series and has continued as Artistic Director of Lewisham Hospital Trust Choir.