| Biography | The John Alldis Choir was a durable British choral ensemble especially notable for its performances of modern music. The choir, which originally comprised sixteen professional singers, was formed by john Alldis after his graduation from Cambridge in 1962.
They made their concert debut in London in 1962 in a program that included the world premiere of Alexander Goehr's A Little Cantata of Proverbs; in the same year they also premiered Malcolm Williamson's Symphony for Voices, a work requiring virtuoso singing and exceptionally detailed ensemble blend. These performances were highly successful, and the Chorus became much in demand. In 1967, the choir participated in the first European performance of Stravinsky's Requiem Canticles, conducted by Pierre Boulez and prepared by Alldis. From 1968 through roughly the 1970s, they were active in recording studios, mostly participating in opera recordings, particularly with RCA and Decca (London) records. For these studio dates, Alldis would hire additional singers as required by the producer and conductor of the sessions. |