Welcome from the Chairman
Welcome to our website. 2012 is a special year in Excelsis’ short history, with a number of major engagements to look forward to
Excelsis is a chamber choir, formed by its musical director Rob Lewis and from the outset closely associated with Grayshott Concerts (whose patron is the distinguished composer Dr Karl Jenkins CBE). The choir was formed in 2007 after a fortuitous meeting between the two, and performed for the first time in 2008. Excelsis is, notwithstanding, independent.
The choir performs not only on its own but with international soloists and professional orchestras. In 2009 Excelsis sang the first amateur performance in Europe of Karl Jenkins’ Stabat Mater, in his presence, with the same professional soloists and orchestra who had toured the work following its world premiere in 2008. Afterwards Dr Jenkins singled out the choir as “outstanding”.
Excelsis has attracted much favourable criticism, delighting its audiences and regularly performing to sell-out capacity. In March 2011 the choir sang a full choral Mass to a packed Westminster Cathedral, and as you will see from our “Events” page (which also includes details of all past performances to date) we are delighted to have been asked to return in May this year
The aims of the choir are simple: to perform a wide variety of inspiring choral music to the highest standard possible, to bring pleasure to our audiences and, where performances are in aid of charities, to support those charities as fully as we can.
We are an amateur choir in the true sense as we have a number of professionally trained musicians in our membership who sing with us simply for the love of music. Others are keen amateur musicians who seek both excellence and the pleasure of working with professionals, including the soloists and ensembles with whom we sing from time to time.
If you have heard us perform (and hopefully enjoyed it!), or indeed if you have yet to, you are most welcome to record your interest through our “Contacts” page. We can keep you informed and you can provide feedback to us. On the same page we have therefore included a “Guests” section to which you can add your comments, but we reserve the right to edit any published material.
If you would like to attend any of our performances, you can buy tickets through the “Events” page, some of them directly. You can also hire or sponsor us, and you will find further information on our “Hire us” page. Details of current membership appear on the “Members” page (members may gain access via the members login link appearing on each page): if you would like to consider joining us go to the “Join us” page. New members are most welcome
I look forward to meeting you, whether you are a concert goer or prospective new member, and I hope that you will find our website interesting and helpful.
Best wishes,
Godfrey Bruce-Radcliffe, Chairman, Excelsis
January 2012
Robert Lewis is the musical director of Excelsis, director of music at St Edmunds’ School, Hindhead, and also musical director of Grayshott Concerts where he advises on musical matters generally and programming in particular. In September 2011 he took up an additional musical directorship, at the church of St Thomas-on-the-Bourne, Farnham, where he trains some forty boy and girl choristers and a full complement of tenors and basses
As a specialist in choral music, he has developed choirs and voices of all ages, recently taking his St Edmund’s School choir to the finals of the BBC Songs of Praise “Choir of the Year”.
Rob was born in Cardiff but began his musical training as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral. Later he won a choral scholarship to New College Oxford where he read music.
However, even before going to university Rob founded and directed his first choir, the Inman Choir, at the very young age of 16. Later, as he grew into his chosen career he began conducting concerts and also radio and television broadcasts. For five years he was the musical director of Shalford Choral Society.
Rob’s musical interests are wider than classical as he also performs with his own jazz trio, Ain’t Misbehavin! He has recently composed and directed a light musical for younger people, “Troy”. On the classical front he has worked with such distinguished figures as David Hill, James Bowman and the late Sir Charles Mackerras.