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.
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.
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 OrffCarmina Burana and 'A European Celebration' with 28 songs of the 28 countries belonging to the EU.
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.
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
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.
