FIVE15 INITIATIVE DRAWS TO A CLOSE WITH A CELEBRATORY CONCERT AT THE SOUTHBANK CENTRE

· Final five15 concert at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall on Saturday 9th July, celebrating the five five15 composers-in-residence plus many others

· Four choirs come together to perform an evening of music by women composers, including several of the project’s commissions

· A first five15 single will be released alongside the concert with a full album to follow with label nonclassical in 2023/2024

· World premiere from choir member composer Tara Mack

Celebrating the power, diversity and genius of women composers past and present, London Oriana Choir brings together guest choirs from around the UK for an evening of choral music as the culmination of the choir’s pioneering five15 campaign championing women composers.

The concert will feature works commissioned over the last six years from the composers-in-residence: Cheryl Francis-Hoad, Rebecca Dale, Jessica Curry, Anna Disley-Simpson and current composer in residence Hannah Kendall as well as a world premiere written by choir member Tara Mack.

London Oriana Choir will also be joined by three guest choirs: The Edinburgh Singers, Southern Spirit Singers and Archer Academy student choir, reflecting a range of styles and programming, who will be adding works by many other composers such as Judith Weir, Mia Makaroff, Annie Lennox, Kate Rusby and Sarah Quartel into the mix.

London Oriana Choir has recently recorded all of the five15 a capella pieces and a first single will be released on Friday 8th July to coincide with the concert. The chosen work is In the blue by Anna Disley-Simpson, who won a competition in 2019 organised under the five15 umbrella amongst composers aged under 25. This will be followed with a full album release with label nonclassical in 2023/2024.

Dominic Ellis-Peckham, musical director of London Oriana Choir, said: “The concert will be a wonderful night of celebration, showcasing the range and depth of composing primarily by contemporary women composers. We are so very proud of what five15 has achieved since its inception, playing a key role in improving the much-deserved recognition of women composers today. We have worked with some amazing women, helped their careers move forward and expanded our own concert programming to represent a far wider gender diversity.

“We are so pleased to be sharing the stage with three other excellent choirs, reflecting different backgrounds, ages and music. They will each be performing their individual sets but all four choirs will be coming together to perform to end the concert in spectacular fashion.”

Launched in 2016, five15 is a project created by London Oriana Choir to support and champion women composers through commissioning new works, increased concert programming, workshops, recordings and more, aiming to create a paradigm shift in people’s perceptions of a typical composer.