This article spotlights the career and achievements of our next judge on Britain’s Top Choirs™, Neil Ferris.
Neil Ferris is the Artistic Director and conductor of the professional chamber choir Sonoro and Music Director of Wimbledon Choral Society, one of London’s leading amateur choirs. In 2017 he was appointed Chorus Director of the BBC Symphony Chorus.
In demand as guest conductor at some of the finest choirs in the UK, Neil has worked with BBC Singers and the National Youth Choir of Wales, the Bach Choir, London Symphony Chorus, Choir of the Age of Enlightenment, and has prepared choirs for conductors including Sir Andrew Davis, Sir Simon Rattle, Marin Alsop, Bernard Haitink, Valery Gergiev, Edward Gardner, and Sakari Oramo.
With Sonoro, Neil has appeared at the St Magnus International Festival, the Wimbledon International Music Festival, and King’s Place in London.
Neil has conducted orchestras like the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Welsh National Opera, Orchestra of the Swan, and London Mozart Players. He made his Royal Opera House conducting debut in a production of Will Tuckett’s ballet The Wind in the Willows.
Formerly Director of Choral Studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Neil is recognised as one of the country’s leading teachers of choral conducting and has led masterclasses in the UK, USA, Denmark, and Ireland. He has also been invited to lead masterclasses at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Recordings include an album of the choral music of Jonathan Dove with Convivium Singers released on the Naxos label and Fauré’s Requiem on the Convivium Records label. Their album Christmas with Sonoro was the Christmas album of choice in BBC Music Magazine and followed on from their critically acclaimed debut album Passion and Polyphony featuring works of James MacMillan and Frank Martin.
To get a chance to get judged by Neil, register for Britain’s Top Choirs™ here - https://www.feelitlive.co.uk/britains-top-choirs
What is Britain’s Top Choirs™ (BTC)?
Britain's Top Choirs™ is a virtual forum created to showcase the vast choral talent in the U.K. and hosted by FeelitLIVE, the all-in-one digital entertainment platform. The Grand Finale will be broadcast live on the FeelitLIVE platform on 12th March 2023, at 8 PM GMT.
Britain's Top Choirs™ shines a spotlight on choirs in the U.K. that make beautiful music every day and get together to celebrate teamwork, resilience, talent, diversity, hope, and positivity. BTC aims to bring your choir’s talent to audiences around the world through the power of digital.
How to participate?
Choirs from across the U.K. are invited to upload a song performance recorded and performed after 1st September 2021. There is a £50 entry fee to be paid by credit/debit card for each entry when filling in the online form.
The last date for submissions is Friday, 10th February 2023, till 11.59 pm GMT.
Get started here - https://www.feelitlive.co.uk/britains-top-choirs